It is important you use the summer productively.   You should be reading every day, and you should be thinking as you read.   To help you do this, below are two common strategies used by students.

Reading is done at two levels:

·          Reading for meaning and analysis – this is your coursework texts.

·          Reading for depth and breadth of knowledge – this is your wider reading.

Coursework Texts – Romeo & Juliet

A very high level of detail is needed for this kind of reading, because your extended essay will be very detailed and also three thousand words long.

TASK: Read Romeo & Juliet and take notes for every scene.   Notes can be brief, but you must highlight key technical devices, themes, symbolism and characterisation.   These notes are due the first day back in September.

This website will be very helpful:

·          http://www.sparknotes.com/shakespeare/romeojuliet

You could also try to find a performance of Romeo & Juliet – that would be well worth your time.

Failing that, it’s definitely worth a trip to London to see anything at Shakespeare’s Globe theatre.   This summer they are staging Much Ado About Nothing (one of my personal favourites) and All’s Well That Ends Well.   It would be very helpful to see how Shakespeare had to work on stage.

Wider Reading – Drama, novels, short fiction.

This kind of reading is more about gaining a wide knowledge of literature.   The objective here is not to analyse in detail, but rather to have a critical personal response.

TASK: Read four books (one drama text, two novels and a collection of short stories). Keep a reading journal – write about 1000 words for each book.   The journal should be a thoughtful, personal response showing you are engaging with what you are reading.   If you write smaller amounts regularly as you read, the journal will be more effective. This journal is due the first day back in September. 

UPDATE:  Here is a link to the department's recommended reading list for A2.