English

At GCSE we follow the WJEC specification. The GCSE English Language specification can be found here and the GCSE English Literature can be found here.

All students will have the opportunity to study both English Language and English Literature at GCSE. Our success rates are exceptionally high in both subjects.

English Language GCSE includes developing your analytical and writing skills, reinforcing the need to focus on the purpose and audience when writing. You will also be required to perform an oracy presentation and a group discussion, all part of the assessments for GCSE.

English Literature GCSE includes the study of drama (plays), prose (novels) and poetry. You will write assessments on a Shakespeare text and a comparison of two contemporary poems. There will be examinations on the drama and prose texts chosen by your English teacher (Of Mice and Men, An Inspector calls and Heroes are all very popular in our department) and poetry chosen by the examination board.

We also offer both A Level English Language and A Level English Literature which are both extensions of the skills learned at GCSE.

A Level English Literature teaches a broad range of literature. Year 12 focuses on literature within the 20th Century; we teach the prose text The Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy and the drama text A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams, as well as poetry, Mean Time, by Carol Ann Duffy and The Whitsun Weddings, by Philip Larkin. Moving into A2, the texts become more challenging and we teach the poetic text The Merchant’s Prologue and Tale by Geoffrey Chaucer and Shakespeare’s King Lear. Students also produce a piece of independent coursework, selecting two novels to study and compare (one published before the year 2000 and the other after the year 2000.) This unit is stimulating for students and always produces excellent outcomes. Students are supported by their teachers, but source and study the texts, contexts and critical studies themselves; it is a great facilitator for becoming an undergraduate.

Additional to studying the texts, students also explore the social, cultural and historical contexts around the texts and critical readings. We also organise lectures from outside providers, including the Shakespearean experts at the RSC in Stratford-upon-Avon, and theatre trips or visits to literary locations to inspire our students.

A Level English Language explores the mechanics, theories and history of the English language. AS introduces students to a wide range of spoken and grammatical terminology in order to analyse texts at a deeper level, including how context shapes and influences language. You will also examine language in the 21st century and its impact in society, analysing Tweets, texts and the language of social media. Unit 2 introduces language theorists and the study of spoken language. It looks at how we adapt our speech to exert power over others and vary our language in situations. Moving into A2, you will delve into the history of the English language, examining how and why language evolves. You’ll also study a range of fascinating spoken topics such as how children acquire language; language and gender; language in the media and accents and dialects. Both AS and A2 examinations allow opportunity for creative writing for a range of specific purposes and forms.
Students also produce a piece of independent coursework at A2, which gives them to opportunity to explore in depth an area of language that interests them. English Language is a well-established course at Llanishen, having run for over twenty years. Students consistently have excellent outcomes and go on to study in a range of fields from arts and Literature, to Law, Medicine and Language.