English Literature A Level and GCSE Audio Tutorials

Romeo and Juliet

Romeo and Juliet is one of Shakespeare's greatest and best loved tragedies. In this series for GCSE English Literature we analyse all aspects of the play ensuring that you gain a full understanding of the various complexities, including key themes, characters, context and structure. As with Macbeth we have brought together Stella Vassilou and Catherine Hartley, both of whom received Masters in English Literature from Oxford and Cambridge University and are now teaching GCSE English Literature.

Eduqas Poetry Anthology - 1789 to Present Day

Welcome to our analysis of the poems in the Eduqas Poetry Anthology for GCSE English Literature, written by Rebecca Kleanthous, a specialist poetry examiner. The Eduqas selection of poetry provides a rich heritage of poets from the 18th century all the way to the present day, including romantic poets, war poets and modern day poets, providing a wonderfully varied selection for study. Each poem is analysed in detail, including the context, key ideas, content and the structure and form used, helping prepare GCSE students throughout their coursework and in preparation for their exams. There is a narration of each poem as well as three podcasts at the end that provide techniques to aid in analysing poems, how to compare poems and how to tackle the unseen poem.

A Christmas Carol

A Christmas Carol is amongst the most famous of Dickens’ works, and Ebenezer Scrooge, the chief character, is perhaps the best-known and most distinctive of all his creations. Our Eduqas GCSE English Literature series for A Christmas Carol will guide you through everything you need to know about this classic of Victorian literature and help you understand how best to approach it in your exams.

Blood Brothers

In these podcasts on Willy Russell's Blood Brothers, we’ll be revising each section of the play in some depth, and picking out ideas or details which might come up in your Literature exam. In addition, there are in-depth podcasts on the characters within the play and the first couple of podcasts will give you a bit of background which will, hopefully, help you get the most out of your reading of the text.

Never Let Me Go WJEC

Never Let Me Go is the haunting story of a group of friends whose purpose in life is far removed from that which any of us might expect. The GCSE podcast series for Ishiguro’s novel will take you on a journey through the book and help you prepare for your exams at the end of the school year. The podcast series examines all the different genres associated with the book, the importance of context, the core themes including art and creativity, ethics of cloning, outsider status and mortality. There are detailed overviews of the characters involved and an analysis of the book itself, chapter by chapter. It is brought to you by experienced head of English and exam board specification writer, Stephen Lucas and Dr Laura Salisbury, Senior Lecturer in English Literature at Exeter University

Of Mice and Men

In John Steinbeck's classic novella, we see two friends working through the farmlands in California during the time of the Great Depression. In this study guide for GCSE, we examine Of Mice and Men in detail, looking at the myriad of themes involved, the key characters, its context, the structure and setting as well as giving a detailed step by step guide to each chapter, so that you can easily follow the book and to prepare you for your exams. The final two tutorials will furnish you with key quotations and how to use them as well as equipping you with exam techniques. Our series has been written by Hannah Walsh, who, when she was studying for her PGCE at Exeter University, won the Ted Wragg Award for Outstanding Trainees in recognition of the high standard of her English teaching.

The History Boys - WJEC

The History Boys is Alan Bennett's award winning play including the Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Play and the 2006 Tony Award for Best Play. All of our tutorials take you through all you need to now for your GCSE, including genre, context, analysis of key characters and the major themes that run through the play, including sexuality and education. The final podcast will give you an overview of what questions you should expect and how to answer them.

Great Expectations – Charles Dickens - WJEC

Our series on Great Expectations is written and recorded by Ian Brinton, a former Head of English for Dulwich College and Sevenoaks School, and also a prolific writer on Dickens. The series analyses the major characters and themes that run through the book. There are individual podcasts on MIss Havisham, Estella, Wemmick and Magwitch, there and on the key themes including prisons, the concept of a gentleman and guilt. It also looks at the different endings Charles Dickens wrote.

An Inspector Calls - WJEC

The GCSE podcast series for JB Priestley’s play, An Inspector Calls, will give you invaluable insight for your GCSE and help you prepare for your exams at the end of the school year. It looks at the genre, structure and plot, why the play is enduring, the context of the play and how it was a voice for Priestley’s beliefs, gives a detail overview of the characters involved and then includes a detailed analysis of the play itself as well as giving hints and tips on exams techniques.

Pride and Prejudice - WJEC

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen was one of the most popular novels of its day and it continues to be so, with many film and small screen adaptations. In this series we examine all the key aspects that you will need to know and understand for GCSE English Literature, ranging from its context, major themes, character analysis and look at all the different chapters. It's penultimate tutorial examines some of the most pertinent of quotations, including; "It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.”, which gives a clue to the type of book it is. Written by Jan Heron, a English teacher of many years and one who holds 5 stars on the Rate My Teacher website, Jan is also an exam board examiner so knows what is required to achieve good grades.