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English Language

ENGLISH LANGUAGE SPECIFICATION B AQA

This is a wide- ranging and very popular course and one which tends to allow students of all abilities to fulfil their potential. It provides an introduction to linguistic concepts and opportunities for students to develop their own skills as writers in a variety of modes. The course is likely to be of interest to students whose career aspirations include linguistics, journalism, psychology, sociology and politics, as well as speech therapy, teaching and working with children, amongst many others. In addition to its practical value as a career qualification, the course can provide interest and breadth to complement a wide range of other A level subjects, including English Literature, other Arts and Humanities courses, Science, Maths and more practical subjects.

Among the skills and knowledge to be assessed are:

AS Units

Unit 1: Categorising Texts Exam 2 hours

This unit covers the introductory aspects of the study of language, and includes a variety of ‘mini-texts’ in the exam to group and categorise using linguistic frameworks. In addition it focuses on three specific social contexts in this data based exam: Language and Power, Language and Gender, Language and Technology.

Unit 2: Creating Texts Coursework 2500-3500 words

In this unit candidates are encouraged to develop their own writing skills by looking at style models and producing two real –life pieces in different genres for different audiences and purposes, (writing to persuade, entertain, inform, advise/instruct). Candidates also write commentaries on their own pieces.

A2 Units

Unit 3: Developing Language Exam 2 ½ hours

This unit builds on the knowledge and skills developed in AS studies, as well as having an additional focus on two new specific areas of language study: Child Language Acquisition (both spoken and early literacy) and Language Change. Both sections of the exam are data based, using transcripts and facsimiles of texts.

Unit 4: Investigating Language Coursework 2500-3500 words

In this unit candidates apply their knowledge of linguistic methods and concepts acquired over the course to two separate pieces of writing: a language investigation of their own choice and an informative media text to accompany this.