AQA AS/A2 English Language and Literature A: Advice Thread

OP

Yeah thanks, that's what I'm going to do as well. The other text we are doing is The History Boys.

Make sure you know the key features for the different types of writing you could be asked to produce for the question:

-Diary entry
-Letter
-Newspaper article
-Advertisment
etc

Keep practicing until you really get the hang of it :smile:

Reply 21

aliwil267

Hi, I'm currently studying for the January exam of A2 English Language & Literature and have been recently getting E's and D's on my unseen text essays. Could you please give some tips on how to write them?

Reply 22

thesilvermagnolia

OP

13

Original post by aliwil267

Hi, I'm currently studying for the January exam of A2 English Language & Literature and have been recently getting E's and D's on my unseen text essays. Could you please give some tips on how to write them?

Ok, this is the way I did it:

What theme to all 3 texts have in common? Are they different styles of text? What are they?

e.g. Texts A,B and C are all centered around the theme of X, but present their ideas in very different manners. For example, text A is a what type of text?, text B....text C....

Choose two texts to focus on. REMEMBER you do not have to focus on all texts equally, as long as you compare them all! There will be more to say about one that the others!

e.g. Texts A and C discuss the theme of X using similar techniques. Demonstrate techniques. Text A uses what technique is most prominent? why? Explain.. This is also apparent in text C, which highlights the idea of X through the use of technique Y....etc

Make sure you go into lots of detail! Analysis is KEY.

Next, highlight the differences between the texts, and repeat the above process.

Make sure you tie in text C, even if you just tag it on in this way: 'This technique/idea is also present in text C in order to present X as Y. However, in this text, we can see a contrast...etc'

TERMINOLOGY IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PART!! You can write an A grade piece, but only receive a C because you haven't used technical terminology: sibilance, alliteration, repetition, assonance, paraphrasing etc!

ALWAYS ask yourself: WHY has technique X been used? How does this impact on the situation/character/argument? ANSWER these questions FULLY

When concluding, be sure to mention ALL texts. Do not make new points! Simply summarise your main argument/ideas. It doesn't matter how short this is!

Hope this helps! :smile:

Reply 23

tif49

14

Hey OP, did you do any retakes? Or did you get it right the first time?

Problem is, I've been getting low B - high D grades for my analysis. I just think I need to spend more time reading and understanding the texts and techniques as well as a little more practice.

My teacher says that my points are too general and need to be more detailed referring to certain episodes in more detail.

I think I'll barely manage a B in this exam so may have to retake it in the summer.

Reply 24

thesilvermagnolia

OP

13

Original post by tif49

Hey OP, did you do any retakes? Or did you get it right the first time?

Problem is, I've been getting low B - high D grades for my analysis. I just think I need to spend more time reading and understanding the texts and techniques as well as a little more practice.

My teacher says that my points are too general and need to be more detailed referring to certain episodes in more detail.

I think I'll barely manage a B in this exam so may have to retake it in the summer.

I didn't do any retakes :smile:

Yes, reading and understanding the texts is crucial. Also, try reading around the texts; find articles/analysis/criticisms etc. They may throw a few new ideas at you :smile:

Try and make sure you are doing practice essays/analysis as often as possible. I tried my best to do one a week, and then as soon as study leave started, I did one every 2-3 days. Once in the exam, I found that I could answer the question without any problems because the techniques were in my head immediately. :biggrin:

Reply 25

Corbin_Dallas

hey op, if its not too much to ask could you post one of your essays, or pm if you would prefer. ideally kite runner as that's the one I'm sitting. I joined the course late, originally doing WJEC lit. at another college and have yet to Wright an essay with any emphasise on language so am a bit lost (I still haven't been given a list of key terms).

Also let's say i was dissatified with one of my texts (murmuring judges in this instance) would their be anything barring me from say doing

Reply 26

dr.phalange

8

Hey

I'm an external candidate doing ELLA1 on Thursday on A Streetcar Named Desire and The Kite Runner.

I haven't had any lessons on this since I was 16 (now 18 and in full time work)
I was wondering if you could advise on which question to do first, and which question for which book? I think I remember doing a letter for A Streetcar and the analytical for The Kite Runner last time, which I got 77% on. I need 80% as a minimum to bump my overall grade up to an A :smile:

Any help/exam technique/essay writing advice would be helpful!!!
Thank you :smile:

Reply 27

Jibby122

Hiya!

I'm doing AS English Lit & Lang (AQA). I have an exam on Thursday, I just never know how to revise for English! Anyways, i just wanted to ask you if you could help me with the 32 mark unseen media, How would you structure each paragraph and what should i include in each paragraph?

Reply 28

thesilvermagnolia

OP

13

Original post by Jibby122

Hiya!

I'm doing AS English Lit & Lang (AQA). I have an exam on Thursday, I just never know how to revise for English! Anyways, i just wanted to ask you if you could help me with the 32 mark unseen media, How would you structure each paragraph and what should i include in each paragraph?

Which unseen media are you referring to? the speech? spontaneous/prepared? :smile:

Reply 29

Jibby122

Original post by thesilvermagnolia

Which unseen media are you referring to? the speech? spontaneous/prepared? :smile:

Urm, They give you texts and you have to compare. i.e Text A and B...

Reply 30

iCantstop

5

Original post by thesilvermagnolia

I studied AQA English Language and Literature (A) for AS and A2. I got an A* overall, so if anyone needs any advice with techniques, essay planning, or anything at all, post here :smile:

My results were:

AS (Jan exam): A
AS (June exam): A
A2 (Coursework): A*
A2 (June exam): A*

Hi I'm studying for this and I'm doing Streetcar and The Kite Runner as well.
What would you say I should be looking for when reading these books? As I have absolutely no clue at all

Reply 31

Jim Duffle

11

Hello there, I plan to do Streetcar for my analytical essay. Could you please tell what YOU feel are the key themes in the play?

Reply 32

catherinejadeox

Is anyone here doing the AQA English Language and Literature Specification B Unit 1 Exam?!

Reply 33

thesilvermagnolia

OP

13

Original post by iCantstop

Hi I'm studying for this and I'm doing Streetcar and The Kite Runner as well.
What would you say I should be looking for when reading these books? As I have absolutely no clue at all

Key themes and ideas; which are the most explicit? why?
Character relationships; positive/negative? friendship/relationship? how does this impact on the way they speak/act?
Make sure you bookmark key quotes or sections as you will need these in the exams.

Reply 34

thesilvermagnolia

OP

13

Original post by Jim Duffle

Hello there, I plan to do Streetcar for my analytical essay. Could you please tell what YOU feel are the key themes in the play?

Fantasy vs. Reality- concentrate on Blanche's character, and especially the lexical choices that have been used to describe her and her characteristics. I believe 'incongruous' is a good one (I think its right at the beginning when she arrives)

Male dependence- focus on Blanche and Stella and how they depend on a male figure.

Light (a main theme!!)- Note how Blanche avoids being seen in the light. She will also not reveal her age etc. This theme ties in with fantasy vs. reality- she doesn't like who she has become/is becoming

Sex and Death- Blanche's extreme fear of death. Read into this theme as it is very important imo

Hope this helps :smile:

Reply 35

thesilvermagnolia

OP

13

Original post by catherinejadeox

Is anyone here doing the AQA English Language and Literature Specification B Unit 1 Exam?!

I'm not, but I can make a thread for people who are? it will be like this one...

Reply 36

Jim Duffle

11

Original post by thesilvermagnolia

Fantasy vs. Reality- concentrate on Blanche's character, and especially the lexical choices that have been used to describe her and her characteristics. I believe 'incongruous' is a good one (I think its right at the beginning when she arrives)

Male dependence- focus on Blanche and Stella and how they depend on a male figure.

Light (a main theme!!)- Note how Blanche avoids being seen in the light. She will also not reveal her age etc. This theme ties in with fantasy vs. reality- she doesn't like who she has become/is becoming

Sex and Death- Blanche's extreme fear of death. Read into this theme as it is very important imo

Hope this helps :smile:

Thanks very much!

Reply 37

thesilvermagnolia

OP

13

Original post by dr.phalange

Hey

I'm an external candidate doing ELLA1 on Thursday on A Streetcar Named Desire and The Kite Runner.

I haven't had any lessons on this since I was 16 (now 18 and in full time work)
I was wondering if you could advise on which question to do first, and which question for which book? I think I remember doing a letter for A Streetcar and the analytical for The Kite Runner last time, which I got 77% on. I need 80% as a minimum to bump my overall grade up to an A :smile:

Any help/exam technique/essay writing advice would be helpful!!!
Thank you :smile:

I personally did the questions the other way round as I felt that I could be more creative when it came to the Kite Runner. However, it all depends on the questions that you get given, and the content of the creative piece.

Make sure you only discuss what is relevant, as they have slammed people for irrelevance recently, even if its slight! Make sure you bookmark key quotes and learn them off by heart OR know exactly where they are in both texts, so that you can whizz straight to them without losing lots of time! Make sure to include any sociohistorical context where needed; you may need to use it in order to back up your ideas.

To be honest, if you were already on 77%....you're so close! You will be amazed about how much you actually remember!

Reply 38

thesilvermagnolia

OP

13

Original post by Jim Duffle

Thanks very much!

Try and find some key quotes or sections for each theme, so that if your exam question is thematic as opposed to about relationships between characters, you're part way there :smile:

Reply 39

catherinejadeox

Original post by thesilvermagnolia

I'm not, but I can make a thread for people who are? it will be like this one...