A Level English Language

 

To study this course you should have an interest in language in all its forms and a wish to become an increasingly accomplished user of it.  To achieve this, you need to become something of a linguistic explorer.  You will learn how to describe language precisely and to classify it in many different ways, developing an appropriate terminology for the purpose.

 

AS Units

 

ENGB1 – Categorising Texts

This introduces you to ways of investigating and understanding better the diversity of uses and contexts for spoken and written English in the modern world and in your own life. In this module you will be required to use linguistic methods to analyse and investigate a variety of texts taken from everyday sources. 

You  will be required to study how spoken and written texts reproduce ideas about cultural values and assumptions, with a key focus on the following topic areas:

Language and Gender

Language and Occupation

Language and Technology

 

ENGB2 – Creating Texts

This gives you a chance to be creative – to develop your own expertise as writers.  You are advised to choose tasks that reflect your own interests and for which you perceive a realistic audience.

The following are examples of the types of original writing that could be chosen:

Writing to entertain, persuade, inform, advise or instruct…the list is endless.  Your coursework file will consist of two pieces and should be between 1500 – 2500 words.  This will be accompanied by two commentaries totalling 1000 words.

A2 Units

 

ENGB3- Developing Language

This  module of your A2 course consists of two distinct areas of study – the development of language in children – language acquisition – and the developments in the English language that have taken place over time – language change. This unit takes further the study of social contexts, genres of speech, writing and multi-modal texts first explored at AS by embedding questions about language development in particular contexts of use.  The whole module counts for 30% of the total A level marks.

 

ENGB4 – Investigating Language

The aim of this module is to encourage you to apply your knowledge of frameworks to a small research project in a chosen aspect of spoken or written English in use. Your choice of topic and data are recognised as valuable aspects of learning but your choice must be manageable and assessable.

Your investigation will be between 2500 and 3500 words and is worth 20% of your total A level marks.

On completion of the investigation you will be expected to use your findings to produce a media text (e.g. Newspaper or magazine article) highlighting the ideas and issues surrounding your chosen topic.

 

UNIT

LEVEL

NAME

EXAM/

Coursework

AS

WEIGHTING

A2

WEIGHTING

ENGB1

AS

Categorising Texts

2 hours

60%

30%

ENBGB2

AS

Creating Texts

Coursework

 

40%

20%

ENGB3

 

A2

Developing

Language

2 hours and 30 minutes

 

30%

ENGB4

 

A2

Investigating

Language

Coursework

(2500-3500words)

 

20%

 

Progression

Studying English Language could lead to many exciting career paths including public relations, the media (publishing, journalism, advertising etc), teaching and administration. Past students have gone on to study a wide range of subjects at University and most of them acknowledge that the skills they acquire in this subject help them with their under-graduate study and in their world of work and leisure.

 

Exam board

AQA