A-level English Literature A* Fundamentals
Discover how to write excellent essays, analyse all kinds of texts and work your way towards an A* in A-level English.
About the course
This course takes you through understanding how to write your best work in A-level English. Its focus is on AO1 and AO2, teaching essay-writing skills and analysis skills.
We look at a range of different texts from all of the major exam boards. Then, working in groups, we learn the basic skills students need to succeed.
Objectives
Essay-writing skills
- Learn the purpose and form of an essay.
- Gain vital academic phrasing to improve your essays.
- Understand how to structure an essay to get an A*.
AO2 analysis
- Learning what is required in good analysis.
- Understand how to find good quotes to analyse.
- Start to cluster quotes and notice linguistic patterns.
Argumentation skills
- Learn to formulate good thesis statements from the text.
- Interrogate and counter other people’s arguments.
- Defend your own argument like an A* student.
Understand the examiner
- Pick apart the assessment objectives.
- Understand the language and expectations of examiners.
- Be able to see for yourself where you need to improve.
Course content
Week 1: Texts as Arguments
For the first week, the focus is on understanding the role of the text as an argument or series of arguments. We think about how texts stand alone from their writers and contain meanings within them.
Week 2: Readers as Creators
For the second week, we focus on understanding how readers play a crucial role in the process of making meaning. We think about what readers add when they’re interpreting a text and why this matters.
Week 3: Text or Time Capsule?
The third week is dedicated to looking at the question of how we should read texts. Should our interpretations be grounded in the context of when the text was written, or should we be thinking about how our own context impacts the way we read? What are the pros and cons of each method? What can they teach us?
Week 4: From Statement to Stance
In the fourth week, students learn how to create their own thesis statements that are worthy of an A*. They think about building introductions that contain their thesis statements and find ways to convince their examiner of their point of view.
Instructor
Shani Cipro
Shani Cipro is a qualified teacher of English with 10 years of experience in tutoring. She currently works in a sixth form college in London, teaching English Language and Literature, Film Development, EPQ and Storytelling.
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Requirements
Students must be studying for an A-level or IB in English literature. They must have access to a working internet connection and be able to connect to Zoom or Google Meets.
Who is it for
A-level students of English literature.
IB students of English Literature.
English Language and Literature students who are interested in improving their AO1.
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