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Original poster

A Level English: advice from Uni admissions people please

37 replies

senua · 20/11/2010 19:03

Do you make any distinction between A Level English 'Literature' and 'Language and Literature' for admissions purposes, or are they interchangeable?

OP posts:
supersunnyday · 21/11/2010 09:07

This reply has been deleted

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reddaisy · 21/11/2010 09:00

I agree with newspap and I have got A-level Literature and Language and it has never, ever been an issue and I went to a Russell Group uni and now work in a competitive field very much related.

Let him do what he will enjoy, I enjoyed the language side a lot.

Xenia · 21/11/2010 08:57

Look at what A levels the best private schools offer and you will never see it. Why take the risk? Just go for teh normal A level English lit option. Even if teh university doesn't mark you down or exclude for it plenty of people recruiting know it's not so well regarded so it will still be beingl ooked at when he's 30 in some jobs and people (even if they are wrong) will be saying Ah he didn't do the proper Englishl it A level.

newspap · 21/11/2010 08:46

Im Sorry, this it totally wrong advice. Lang Lit is a perfectly good choice for someone, as long as they dont want to study English at Uni (russell group or not). If they do, they should do the 2 seperate English A levels. If you want to do, say, a science, or medicine, Lang Lit as a 4th choice is perfectly okay. Ring the admissions tutors and ask them. I have worked in this field, in a grammar school area, for a long time, so I know what Im talking about. Beware sweeping statements about subjects for less academic pupils - after all, we're not talking about media studies. Some very good Grammar school 6th forms offer this option, and wouldn't do if it was an inerior choice.

Xenia · 21/11/2010 07:36

It's like law A level done by bad schools only by pupils who will get low grades. He should do English lit.

cory · 21/11/2010 00:30

Our English department (Russell group, but not Oxbridge) does not rate language highly, but I believe we might take the occasional student who has it (seeing that Lit, is not always an option)- Lang. not considered a good preparation though. So for that reason alone I would discourage it: it's not just a case of getting in to university: you've got to stay in.

PamelaFlitton · 20/11/2010 19:25

Pick Literature if you can

Original poster
senua · 20/11/2010 19:24

Is it like Further Maths: they do not insist on FM because some schools do not run it, so to insist on it would be disadvantaging students from poor schools. Are they saying that L&L is acceptable if the only reason you did it is because your school does not run Literature?

He doesn't know which subject he wants to do at Uni, NTM. It's bad enough trying to pin him down on A Levels!

OP posts:
NotTheMamma · 20/11/2010 19:18

Depends on what subject is to be taken at Uni. Eng Lit best if Eng Lit to be done at Uni, otherwise it's really not that important - though I work at a mere 94 Group Uni, not a Russell Group Wink

Original poster
senua · 20/11/2010 19:15

Well I thought that, Xenia, but Cambridge's infamous list of acceptable subjects says that L&L "can be an acceptable alternative".

OP posts:
onimolap · 20/11/2010 19:12

Xenia is right.

At university however, Literature and Language is a perfectly good choice as long as it's a proper joint honours degree (and preferably from a Russell Group institution). Language alone at university would probably be called linguistics, and is a fascinating field.

Xenia · 20/11/2010 19:07

Literature is the proper one. The other one is done by people who aren't as clever and going to ex polys.

Don 't tough the lit and lang with a barge pole.

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