English Lit AND Eng Language

[RainySeptember]

DD started her A levels last week - geography, history, English lit and biology.

She enjoyed all of those subjects at GCSE and got A* in three of them, an A in biology.

Unfortunately she hasn't enjoyed Biology so far and is thinking of swapping before she gets any further into the term.

She's thinking of swapping to English Language. She loves it and got 97% at GCSE.

Can anyone give us any advice please? I've googled but can't get a definitive answer. It doesn't seem to be a facilitating subject, does that matter if she's dropping it after a year? I'm worried that it doesn't sit well with English literature, but am I right to be, will universities care that she's doing two English courses?

So long as she is studying 3 separate and distinct A levels, so geography, history, English lit, universities wont be worried what the 4th is and wont mark her down because of it.

Best wishes to your DD in this exciting next phase of study.

Is there a combined English lit and lang course at her sixth form? Does she need to do 4 A levels? Even the best unis are happy with 3. I think in her shoes I'd see if I was able to do a combined course.

why is she doing 4?

Don't they prefer a science subject?

If she is doing Eng Lit, Geography and History it doesn't matter if Eng Lang is a facilitating subject or not - she has 3 that are and universities only make an offer on 3 subjects.

It's my understanding that English Language at A level is really for someone who wants to study language at uni

It will be fine having 2 English A levels.
But you/your dd need to check the course content as English Language A level is not the same as English Language GCSE. So the course may not be what your dd is assuming!

Thank you everyone!

They don't do a combined course at her school, satsuma. She only has to do three A levels but then a fourth subject for AS. Sorry, I don't think I explained that properly in op.

I've shown her your comments and she's spoken to her tutor too so I think she might be slightly closer to a decision.

I've taught all the English subjects at a level. You can't do the combined course in conjunction with Literature; the exams are on the same day to prevent this! Language is an interesting subject but it is very different to GCSE - a highly technical and grammatical subject which is almost more like a social science than English as we tend to think of it. Lots of case studies etc. There is a significant creative writing element.

However the pp is correct: as a 4th a level it's a moot point whether it is facilitating or not as the universities only offer on 3, even if she continues into Y13.

I didn't know they did AS levels anymore.

I wasn't suggesting the OP's dd did combined plus literature, I was suggesting she did combined instead of language and literature as separate A levels. But if it's not on offer at her school it's moot anyway.

I think the advanced language course sounds very interesting. IMO advanced study isn't just about accessing university it is also about actually learning things and understanding them better.

Further maths as a 4th A level is often like that. It won't necessarily get the student onto a course but may well enhance the studies once there.

It is highly unusual to do both Eng Lit and Eng Language at A Level.

I need to check it isn't a disallowed combination but I think keira would know.

lyn, who is this they you refer to?

It's no wonder so many DCs take science subjects these days if that is the kind of myth that is propagated

Students should do what they enjoy and since your DD is clearly discovering she is a humanities/ arts leaner, a 4th subject in that field will do far more to complement and support learning than biology.

It is true, though, that nearly all schools have dumped ASs and 4th subjects, and most unis ignore them.

You're right piggy, I do know

English Lit is fine with Lang; neither subject can be studied in conjunction with LangLit.

Thanks everyone.

I didn't realise it was unusual to still be taking a fourth subject to AS. If unis aren't interested, what a stupid waste of time. DD would much rather just be taking three!

I did both. English language, English literature with business studies, history and finally government and politics. When I applied for college, Lang and Lit were combined but they decided at the last minute to split them. I couldn't decide between them so my timetable was hectic to say the least. After AS levels, I didn't want to drop any so continued them all on to A-level. When applying for uni, they wanted 3 B's, which I got A in English Lang, B in English Lit , B in government and politics, c in business and a d in politics. So the unis will have taken the three highest grades, two of which being English. So in short, no issue doing both. This was in 2001.

*d in history!

I did English Lang, English Lit & Psychology at A Level and went to a Russell Group uni - it’s completely fine to study both! Lit & Lang are totally different subjects and, as someone else said, language is quite a technical subject and different to GCSE. I much preferred it at A Level in fact.

I really don’t know why schools do 4 subject ( unless it’s to try one for a bit if your not sure which three to do) or dc are extremely able and want to do more

Oratory1
Because it gives flexibility.
I've taught students in y13 who shouldn't have been allowed to continue to y13 having underperformed in their AS and had a poor attitude to learning, low work ethic, felt the world owed them an a level etc.
With 4 subjects, students would drop their weakest at the end of y12.
With 3, they have to do well in all 3 regardless.