English GCSE in 2018

[Rahmanmum]

Does anyone know what books the kids will be studying for GCSE in English in 2018? DS says it will be Macbeth but I'm not sure.

[JaneEyre]

Hi Rahmanmum,

Your child will not only Study Shakespeare but also other works, like a 19th century novel, a modern text and some poetry.

Each board has its own lists of books; for example, if you download the AQA specification on that webpage
http://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/english/ ... ature-8702" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; you will be able to read that concerning Shakespeare works, schools having chosen this particular board have the choice between:
Macbeth
Romeo and Juliet
The tempest
The Merchant of Venice
Much Ado About Nothing
Julius Caesar

Within a school, different English teachers can choose different plays! So you cannot guess now what your child will study for his GCSE in 2018. However, what you can do is instilling in him a love and curiosity for Shakespeare plays!

[Tinkers]

My DD will be doing eduqas GCSEs English lit and will be studying The merchant of Venice, but I think they get several options to choose from.

[Stokers]

And, on the topic of enjoying Shakespeare, 'The Hollow Crown' series (Richard II onwards) is on iplayer right now - we watched the first half of Richard II last night with the divine Ben Whishaw. They might not be plays your children will be studying but they will give a fantastic feel for the use of language and, because there's the visual dimension, you don't need to understand every word to get the general gist of what's going on! Cumberbatch as Henry (V?VI? - I'm not brilliant at the historical plays) is coming up soon, I believe, as part of the 400 celebrations.

[Guest55]

Even within the same schools different classes will probably study different texts - teachers have their own preferences and it saves buying lots of the same book.

Ask at school - most send a letter or a booklet home with the options clearly explained.

[Daogroupie]

OP, what year is your ds in? There is no one list of books , it will depend on the board and the choice of your teachers. In your GCSE booklet it should say what board you are doing. DG

[Rahmanmum]

Very useful, many thanks

[piggys]

Your ds will be studying a pre 20th century novel and will need to know it pretty well; A lot of schools are doing Jane Eyre but some are managing to wangle Jekyll and Hyde (which is a novella really).in addition to the Shakespeare and other texts, he will be studying a poetry anthology and also need to compare and contrast two unseen poems in the poetry lit exam. In tomorrow's exam it is only one.

Now, all they need to do is re-introduce the latter (as well as unseen prose) into the A level paper again and I will be happy. Or at least, happier