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Thinking AloudEnglish Blog
An occasional blog concerned with the world of English Language and Literature. Featuring insights from examiners and past students as well as encouraging and inspiring everyone to pick up a book and get lost in a new world.
Hamlet: the Character in search of Certainty in an Uncertain World
I was working with one of my lovely A Level students the other day, and we were deep into our discussion of Hamlet - when it happened. I got it. I got Hamlet.
Sophie Welsh
2 days ago2 min read
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Naming a Puppy: A Literary Minefield
There are some decisions in life that require deep contemplation. Applying for a job. Choosing a partner. Picking your Desert Island Discs. And then, there’s naming a puppy.Â
Sophie Welsh
3 days ago2 min read
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ChatGPT + Hamlet + Revision = A Tragicomedy
Easter is nearly upon us, hurrah, up to three weeks for your child to revise for their exams. Are you ready? Are they?Â
Sophie Welsh
Mar 262 min read
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2 comments
Rejected First Time Around: the Art of Revision
Rejection: the gut-punch every writer faces. History is full of books dismissed before becoming literary classics.Â
Sophie Welsh
Mar 242 min read
12 views
1 comment
The Blarney Stone and the Art of Eloquence (Exam-Board Approved)
For those of us in the business of literature, St Patrick's day is a chance to celebrate Ireland’s unrivalled literary legacy.
Sophie Welsh
Mar 172 min read
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The Dogs of Literature
Reading a book or watching a film and a dog appears, steel yourself. It is most likely about to be devastating shorthand for human despair.
Sophie Welsh
Mar 132 min read
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Reading Between the Lines: The Bee Sting, Paul Murray
And that’s the power of reading, isn’t it? Stories settle differently in the mind when they pass through the eyes rather than the ears.Â
Sophie Welsh
Mar 82 min read
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World Book Day: Has It Had Its Day?
Yes, World Book Day is upon us once again: that annual festival of hurriedly Amazon-Primed costumes and polyester-fuelled meltdowns.
Sophie Welsh
Mar 72 min read
15 views
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You Only Have 2 Months; You Have Ages... It's Revision Season
Fear not. Be it GCSE, IB, or A Level English Language and/or Literature, here are a few survival strategies... chocolate is involved.
Sophie Welsh
Mar 13 min read
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Dystopian Fiction: Holding a Mirror up to our Reality
In a world where the news reads like a rejected Black Mirror script, it’s no wonder dystopian fiction is having a moment.Â
Sophie Welsh
Feb 222 min read
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Blood, Betrayal, and the Lost Heir: Why This 'Macbeth' Stays With You.
For parents navigating the GCSE Literature grind, this 'Macbeth' is pure gold: layered, unsettling, and packed with meaty analysis. Max...
Sophie Welsh
Feb 102 min read
46 views
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Lost in Literature? Good! Interpretation's the Whole Point.
It is a truth universally acknowledged that an English student in possession of a novel must be in want of the right answer.
Sophie Welsh
Feb 43 min read
40 views
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'Tis the Season of the Snake
While Western culture often casts snakes in a sinister light (looking at you, Bible), the Chinese interpretation is far more nuanced...
Sophie Welsh
Jan 282 min read
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The Power of Maggie O'Farrell
If I Am, I Am, I Am is about the individual’s fight for survival, Hamnet is about the collective weight of loss.Â
Sophie Welsh
Jan 73 min read
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New Year, New (English) Skills: Fun Resolutions for GCSE Success
Ah, January - the time of year we vow to eat kale, embrace exercise, and Marie Kondo our lives, only to end up binge-watching TV...
Sophie Welsh
Dec 31, 20243 min read
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Mock Literature Revision Looming?
The game at iGCSE/GCSE level is all about how they handle the question, develop an argument, and structure their essay.
Sophie Welsh
Dec 15, 20242 min read
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Pushing Boundaries: Lessons from Bacon, Bowie, and the Brave
There’s nothing quite like a Francis Bacon exhibition to remind you that life is equal parts grotesque, tragic, and utterly captivating.Â
Sophie Welsh
Dec 10, 20242 min read
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Why We Need to Stop Squirming at Compliments (and how it can improve higher level essays)
Because here’s the thing: good literature essays demand a belief in your argument.
Sophie Welsh
Nov 28, 20242 min read
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Structural Analysis: The Parallel Parking of the English GCSE
For many , structural analysis is the academic equivalent of parallel parking: everyone agrees it’s important, but few are confident.
Sophie Welsh
Nov 20, 20243 min read
19 views
1 comment
The Buddha of Suburbia - Theatrical Triumph and Timeless Tale of Growing Up.
What a treat - theatre night out in London with pals. And hurrah, the RSC’s production of The Buddha of Suburbia  was nothing short of...
Sophie Welsh
Nov 12, 20242 min read
14 views
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