English Literature A Level and GCSE Audio Tutorials

Great Expectations – Charles Dickens

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.

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 OCR 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.

AQA Poetry Anthology Love and Relationships

This podcast series, written by Charlotte Unsworth, a prolific blogger on English Literature and English Teacher at Skipton Girls High School, will examine each of the 15 poems you are required to study across AQA's Love and Relationships poetry anthology for GCSE. From Seamus Heaney's Follower to Charlotte Mew's The Farmer's Bride, each poem will be fully examined, looking at structure, form and language so that you will gain an in-depth understanding and be prepared for those all important exams. Our actors have also read each poem to help bring them to life. We recommend that you listen to them before and after you have listened to the actual podcast discussing the poem.

AQA Poetry Anthology - Power and Conflict

The AQA Power and Conflict poetry anthology is a collection of extremely powerful and moving poems. In this audio tutorial series, Mrs Rebecca Kleanthous, an English teacher and an examiner who specialises in poetry, explores the themes and ideas across the poems, analyses the technique used by the poet, including language and structure and provides suitable comparisons with other poems within the cluster. You can listen to a narration of the poems first and then listen to the analysis that follows

The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, or sometimes known more simply as Jekyll & Hyde has entertained readers for over 100 years. Written by Robert Louis Stevenson the novella has impacted our natural language with the phrase "Jekyll and Hyde" coming to mean a person who is vastly different in moral character from one situation to the next. Our GCSE series has been written to give a complete analysis of Jekyll and Hyde including discussing the context, genres, themes and characters of this wonderful novella. To be used both by schools as an alternative resource and for individuals to help across their studies, including coursework, essays and revision for Jekyll and Hyde.

Frankenstein

Written by Mary Shelley, Frankenstein has horrified and enthralled readers for nearly 200 years. In this series, especially written for GCSE students, Alex Blott and Alexandra Campbell take you through all the chapters and provide a detailed analysis of all the key elements of this sublime novel, from its context and genre, to an in-depth discussion of all the characters.

Macbeth

Our Macbeth series for GCSE English Literature is one of our favourites. Our authors, Catherine Hartley and Stella Vassiliou, two fabulous teachers (both 1st class honours graduates from Oxbridge) bring to life and explain one of Shakespeare's most famous tragedies. We are also delighted to have the renowned Shakespearean actor, Guy Henry, play Macbeth throughout the series.

An Inspector Calls by J.B. Priestley

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.

The History Boys - AQA

The History Boys is Alan Bennett's multi award winning play, scooping both the Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Play and the 2006 Tony Award for Best Play. Our series is designed to the AQA specification and will take you through all you need to know for your GCSE. We examine genre, context, analysis of key characters and the major themes that run through the play, including sexuality and education. We also take you through the action of the play. The final podcast will give you an overview of what questions you should expect and how to answer them.

Never Let Me Go GCSE Podcast series for AQA

The GCSE podcast series for Ishiguro’s novel, Never Let Me Go, will give you invaluable insight into the book and help you prepare for your exams at the end of the school year. It takes you through all you need to know and will ensure that you can answer the key questions you will receive in the exams. The podcast series examines all the different genres associated with the book, the importance of context, the core themes including the importance of art and creativity, ethics of cloning, outsider status and mortality, gives a detail overview of the characters involved and then includes a detailed analysis of the book itself, chapter by chapter.