Unlock Top Marks: How to Choose Perfect English Advanced Related Texts

English Advanced Related texts are a major part of the Year 12 Common Module, with students introduced to them in Year 11. However, selecting the right English Advanced related text is difficult to do – there are so many options that it can feel overwhelming, and not all texts allow you to demonstrate the depth of analysis the syllabus requires. Choosing wisely not only strengthens your essay but also shows NESA your ability to think critically, compare perspectives, and engage with ideas across different contexts.

This guide breaks down what to look for so you can choose perfect English Advanced related texts!

What are English Advanced related texts?

According to the NESA English syllabus, students must demonstrate the ability to:

“Analyse and evaluate how texts represent human experiences and values”
and
“Make connections between texts to explore common or contrasting ideas.”

A related text is any text beyond the prescribed school list that connects thematically or conceptually to your main module text. Essentially, for English Advanced related texts this is where you choose another text that connects to the themes or ideas of your main prescribed text and helps you make comparisons in your analysis.

This could be:

• A film, poem, short story, song, or article.
• A speech, podcast, visual artwork, or advertisement.
• Even a social media campaign or digital narrative.

For example, a related text to Bruno Mars’ When I Was Your Man would be Miley Cyrus’ Flowers.

They make strong English Advanced related texts not just because Cyrus makes references to Mars’ original lyrics, but because they present contrasting perspectives on universal themes heartbreak and self-worth. Mars’ song is a regretful reflection in which the speaker acknowledges his failures in a past relationship, expressing guilt and longing. However, Flowers responds with empowerment, showing a woman reclaiming independence after heartbreak and recognising her own value without relying on a partner. Together, the texts highlight how different voices represent emotional experience, responsibility, and healing after the end of a relationship.

Why are English Advanced related texts important?

Ultimately, they prove you can think deeper about your prescribed text, understanding it’s overarching themes and messages. English Advanced related texts are important because they show your ability to think beyond a single text, make meaningful connections, and apply the module’s ideas to a wider range of contexts. By choosing and analysing a related text, you demonstrate higher-order skills such as comparison, evaluation, and conceptual understanding – all of which are essential in Advanced English.

Related texts also help deepen your insight into themes like identity, human experience, or storytelling by letting you examine how different composers represent similar ideas in different ways. Ultimately, they strengthen your essays, broaden your perspective, and allow you to meet key NESA syllabus outcomes with more sophistication.

How do I chose an English Advanced related texts?

When choosing strong English Advanced related texts, you must consider a text that will:

1. Align with the module concept – can be directly linked to syllabus terms like “individual and collective human experience,” “power of storytelling,” or “anomalies, paradoxes and inconsistencies.” as this is the main thing markers look for
2. Offer a distinct perspective or medium – a text with fresh insights on the shared theme will allow meaningful comparison.
3. Be rich enough for analysis – language, structure, form and context must all contribute to meaning. Always make sure you understand the text deeply and find it easy to connect to as this will make writing about it simpler.
4. Be accessible – you should be able to find reliable context and techniques without overcomplicating your essay.
5. Be unique – don’t choose overused texts. Knoji posts monthly reading recommendations, which can be a great starting point to introduce yourself to new texts that could become a great related text!

Top 5 English Advanced related texts for George Orwell’s 1984:

1. Black Mirror “Nosedive” (Season 3, Episode 1) – Charlie Brooker (2016). This episode of Black Mirror is a chilling look at social control through rating systems, perfect for comparing modern surveillance to Orwell’s totalitarian watchfulness.
2. V for Vendetta – James McTeigue (2005). This film explores state propaganda, rebellion, and identity; great for analysing how fear and media shape truth.
3. Fake News Blues – Gang of Youths (2022). This song focuses on disinformation, mistrust, and media distortion; great for discussing ideological control.
4. The Social Dilemma – Jeff Orlowski (2020). This documentary exposes the power of algorithmic surveillance on behavioural control; a direct modern parallel to Big Brother.
5. The Hunger Games – Suzanne Collins (2008). This novel aligns closely with 1984 because both texts explore how authoritarian governments use fear and propaganda to eliminate relationships and maintain absolute control over their populations.

Top 5 English Advanced related texts for Arthur Miller’s The Crucible:

1. The Lottery – Shirley Jackson (1948) – This short story thematically aligns by exposing the dangers of conformity and tradition.
2. The Stanford Prison Experiment – Kyle Patrick Alvarez (2015). This film shows how ordinary people internalise roles and power structures which is great for comparing authority, fear, and moral collapse.
3. Half Hanged Mary – Margaret Atwood (1995). This dramatic monologue is from a woman wrongly accused of witchcraft, directly paralleling the themes of persecution, injustice, and gendered power found in The Crucible.
4. Do Revenge – Jennifer Kaytin Robinson (2022). This Netflix film shows how rumours, revenge, and social power structures create toxic cycles which mirrors the destructive accusation culture in Salem.
5. Don’t Look Up – Adam Mckay (2021). A dark comedy film reflecting how misinformation, panic, and political manipulation create mass hysteria; a modern parallel to Salem’s truth distortions.

Top 5 English Advanced related texts for Anthony Doerr’s All The Light We Cannot See:

1. Jojo Rabbit – Taika Waititi (2019). This film blends humour and tragedy to explore childhood innocence under Nazi ideology. It is ideal for comparing how children perceive war.
2. 21 Guns – Green Day (2009). This song addresses the futility of war, surrender, and moral exhaustion, making strong parallels to Werner’s internal struggle between duty and conscience.
3. The Sniper – Liam O’Flaherty (1923). This short story is an exploration of how war dehumanises individuals and forces them into morally devastating acts that blur the line between enemy and human.
4. Life is Beautiful – Roberto Benigni (1997). This film explores a father’s attempt to protect his child’s innocence amid World War Two. It highlights how love and imagination can persist even in the darkest circumstances.
5. Disabled – Wilfred Owen (1917). This poem explores the physical and emotional scars left on young soldiers, linking closely to the novel’s theme of war’s lasting invisible wounds.