English

English — A Level

British Curriculum · Cambridge Assessment International Education · Years 12-13 · Ages 16-18

Cambridge International AS & A Level English Language (9093) and Literature in English (9695) are separate qualifications, and international schools offer one or both depending on their sixth form.

English Language covers text analysis, directed writing, language change, child language acquisition and English in the world — a linguistics-oriented course rather than a literary one. Literature in English covers poetry, prose and drama with unseen criticism and comparative essays.

Both demand sustained analytical essays written to time with precise textual reference. The most common weakness is describing what a text does rather than analysing how and why, which is exactly what focused essay feedback corrects.

Key topics covered

• Text Analysis — Analysing form, structure and language in unseen texts of any genre.
• Directed Writing — Reshaping a source text for a new audience, purpose and form.
• Language Change & Acquisition — How English evolves, and how children acquire language.
• English in the World — Global English, varieties, and the social context of language use.
• Poetry, Prose & Drama — Set literary texts studied for theme, method and context.
• Comparative & Unseen Essays — Sustained comparative argument and response to unseen literary material.