A Level English Language & Literature (Combined) Topics

A great part of the Combined English Language and Literature A Level is its variety of topics. This A Level could be a great choice if you're unsure about focusing on literature or language. It’s also great if you’re uncertain about your future career.

Key Takeaways

• A Level English Language & Literature (Combined) blends literary analysis with linguistic study and creative writing.

• You'll study prose, drama, poetry, and non-fiction texts.

• Each exam board offers slightly different approaches (some texts overlap).

• The course is excellent preparation for university degrees in teaching, journalism, creative writing, and communications.

What Is A Level English Language & Literature (Combined)?

With a Combined A Level, you’ll study English through time and across genres, from William Shakespeare to today’s tech-focused English. 

You’ll learn how to analyse classic literature as you would in A Level English Literature

A Level Literature, and, like A Level English Language, you’ll learn how English works in different contexts. You’ll also have a go at creative writing. 

Common Topics in A Level English Language & Literature

The A Level English Language and Literature Combined Topics are broad and varied, so they give you an array of analytical and written skills.

Prose Study

You’ll explore novels from different time periods and genres, typically from the 19th, 20th, and modern era.

Key themes you'll encounter include:

• Personal identity in coming-of-age stories

• Relationships, family dynamics, and social expectations

• Political and social commentary

• Class, gender, and cultural representation

• Historical context and its impact on storytelling

Popular set texts across different exam boards might include:

• British Victorian novels, like Jane Eyre or Great Expectations

• 20th-century texts, such as The Handmaid's Tale or The Great Gatsby 

• Contemporary authors, like Ian McEwan or Kazuo Ishiguro

• Post-colonial literature that examines different cultural perspectives

Drama and Play Analysis

Drama study mixes the thrill of performance with language analysis. You'll consider how playwrights create tension, develop characters, and express themes.

Your drama study typically covers:

• A Shakespeare play such as Othello, King Lear, or The Tempest

• Modern drama, such as The History Boys by Alan Bennett, which explores views on homosexuality in 1980s Britain

• The difference between plays and novels (like dramatic devices and stagecraft) 

You'll consider plays as literary texts and performance pieces, and how interpretations, theory, or production choices create meaning. 

Poetry Study

The poetry element of an A Level Combined English Language and Literature course will examine how poets deliver social, political, and personal themes.  

Your poetry exploration includes:

• Anthologies combining classic and contemporary poets such as:

  • William Blake or Emily Dickinson

  • Seamus Heaney or Carol Ann Duffy

• Analysis of poetic techniques: imagery, metaphor, rhythm, and rhyme

• How form relates to meaning (like why a sonnet is used differently to free verse)

• Comparing poems across different time periods and cultural contexts

Non-Fiction and Non-Literary Texts

This is where the "Language" part of your course really comes into play. You’ll analyse a range of written texts, from speeches by political activists to travel blogs!

Types of non-fiction texts include:

• Persuasive and historical speeches

• Newspaper articles, interviews, or reviews

• Memoirs, blogs, and autobiographies

• Social media and podcasts

• Diary entries and letters

• Travel writing 

You'll explore how these texts influence their audiences, considering factors like:

• Voice, tone, and context - how writers convey emotion to achieve their purpose.

• Representation - how social groups and personal identities are presented.

• Audience awareness - how texts are shaped for specific readers.

Creative and Analytical Writing

In the Combined A Level English Language and Literature course, you can get creative by changing texts into a new style or form. 

This is the part of the course my A Level Language and Literature students always enjoy. I’ve seen children’s stories turned into mental health leaflets and creative missing scenes from Romeo and Juliet.  

Creative writing tasks might include:

• Re-creative writing: transforming a scene from a novel into a dramatic monologue

• Creating diary entries or letters from literary characters

• Writing in the style of different time periods, or your favourite writer

• Producing modern adaptations of classic texts

Alongside your creative piece you’ll do reflective and analytical commentary that demonstrates your understanding of how texts are crafted. By considering your own language and structural choices you’ll learn to appreciate texts from both a reader's and writer's perspective. 

How the Course Is Structured

While all exam boards teach similar skills, each board has a unique approach to delivering the course.

AQA English Language and Literature A Level (opens in a new tab) explores how texts relate to their contexts. You’ll do comparative work, and creative writing alongside analytical commentary.

OCR English Language and Literature A Level (opens in a new tab)emphasises the study of spoken language, with exploration of the evolution of English, as well as creative and reflective writing.

Edexcel Pearson English Language and Literature A Level (opens in a new tab) analyses texts thematically, including fiction, non-fiction, and original writing.

WJEC Eduqas English Language and Literature A Level (opens in a new tab)examines literary and non-literary texts, including a critical study of genre. 

Topics across all boards:

• Written exams on set texts and unseen material

• Coursework: comparative study or creative writing with commentary

• Literary texts (novels, plays, poetry) and non-literary texts (speeches, articles, etc.)

• Opportunities for both analytical and creative responses

Key Skills You'll Develop

Taking A Level English Language & Literature (Combined) transforms you into a sophisticated reader, writer, and thinker with many transferable skills. 

Literary analysis skills:

• Close reading techniques to understand how texts create meaning

• Ability to identify and analyse themes, characterisation, and narrative techniques

• Understanding of how historical and social contexts influence literature

• Comparative skills to explore connections between different texts and time periods

Linguistic analysis skills:

• Understanding of how language varies according to purpose, audience, and context

• Analysis of discourse, grammar, vocabulary, and semantic choices

• Appreciation of how spoken and written language differ

• Ability to identify and explain the effects of specific language techniques

Writing and communication skills:

• Sophisticated essay writing with analytical arguments

• Researching and editing

• Creative writing across different forms and styles, for different audiences and purposes

Critical thinking skills:

• Independent interpretation and evaluation of texts

• Crafted and supported arguments

• Understanding of different critical approaches

• Synthesis: bringing together ideas from multiple sources

Example Set Texts for A Level English Language & Literature (Combined)

Texts differ by college and class, and they change over time. Here’s a taste of some texts you might find.

AQA commonly includes:

• Prose studies in dystopian, gothic and psychological fiction

• Drama: Shakespeare, and modern playwrights 

• Poetry: Mixed anthologies spanning different periods

• Non-fiction: Political speeches, journalism, and digital texts

OCR might feature:

• Prose studies: novels by Charlotte Brontë, F Scott Fitzgerald, or Chinua Achebe

• Drama: Shakespeare, and playwrights like Oscar Wilde or Brian Friel

• Poetry: from collections by Emily Dickinson or William Blake

• Spoken language: Transcripts, interviews, and recorded speech

Edexcel typically covers:

• Thematic studies that cover prose, drama, and poetry, such as:

  • Novels by Charles Dickens and Ian McEwan

  • Poetry by Geoffrey Chaucer or Sylvia Plath

  • Drama: Shakespeare, and playwrights like Harold Pinter

• Non-fiction: Persuasive texts and personal writing

WJEC/Eduqas often includes:

• Prose: British and international authors like Alice Walker or Kazuo Ishiguro

• Drama: Shakespeare, and playwrights like Edward Albee or Alan Bennett

• Poetry: Pre-1914 and contemporary collections, such as Tony Harrison or Laurie Lee

• Non-fiction: Texts that explore Welsh and British identity

You can browse typical texts across exam boards on our Save My Exams English Language and Literature A Level past papers.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Is English Language & Literature Different From English Literature?

While English Literature focuses on literary texts, the combined A Level also includes non-literary texts.

While in Literature you analyse themes, characterisation, and literary techniques, the combined course explores language in different contexts. 

The combined course also offers opportunities for creative writing. 

Do All Exam Boards Offer the Same Set Texts?

No, each exam board has its own selection of approved texts. Schools and colleges can choose which texts to teach from these lists. However, the learning objectives are similar across all boards, so you'll develop the same core skills regardless of which texts you study.

Is the Combined Course Good Preparation for University?

Absolutely! The combined course provides excellent preparation for a wide range of university subjects including:

• English Literature and Language degrees

• Creative Writing programmes

• Journalism and Media Studies

• Communications and Public Relations

• Law, History and Social Sciences

• Philosophy and Critical Theory

The combination of analytical thinking, creative writing, and communication skills makes graduates highly attractive to universities and employers.

Is English Combined A Level Easier or Harder Than Literature?

The combined course isn't necessarily easier or harder. The combined course needs you to master more skills, like creative writing. If you enjoy reading literature, as well as language in everyday contexts, you'll likely thrive in the combined course.

References: 

AQA English Language and Literature A Level (opens in a new tab) 
OCR English Language and Literature A Level (opens in a new tab)Ed (opens in a new tab)
excel Pearson English Language and Literature A Level (opens in a new tab) 
WJEC Eduqas English Language and Literature A Level  (opens in a new tab)