Course summary
The course is designed to heighten your understanding of how the English Language functions, how you use language yourself and the ways in which language is used to affect you. You will develop your interest and enjoyment in the use of English, through learning more about its structures and patterns, and drawing on your experience and knowledge of language in your own lives. Offering clear skills progression from GCSE, the course allows you to build on the skills already gained and prepare for the next steps. This course supports a number of career options
where confidence with language is at a premium. Assessment is linear with timed examinations at the end of the two year course. There is also an element of non-examined assessment (NEA).
What will I have to study?
Throughout the two year linear A Level course you will study:
Language Levels and Frameworks for the description of English: focus on speech, accent and dialect.
Variation in the Usage of English: for example, advertising, television / film, journalism, elanguages, the music industry, politics, finance, leisure and tourism.
Language Diversity: the study of language differences based on gender, power and culture.
Language in Action: this is the assembly of a coursework folder (NEA) complete with a language
investigation into a question of your choice, as well as a piece of writing for a precise audience and purpose.
Language Diversity and Language in Society: these are a wide range of language issues studied for examination, including how children acquire language, how language changes over time, and how language can be altered for a vast array of different audiences and agendas.
How will I be assessed?
You will be examined on your ability to respond to unseen texts and other forms of language data, combining close-language analysis with your knowledge of wider debates in your fields of study, regarding what language is and how it is used. In your exams, you will also be challenged to write
articles and other non-fiction pieces that deal with these same language debates, presenting them in accessible ways to a non-specialist audience. Finally 20% of your A Level qualification will be assessed through a coursework folder (NEA) that allows you to explore your own individual interests, giving you the freedom to write about topics that you personally want to explore.
Who can I contact for more information?
