Why study A level English language?

This course will enable you to understand where English has come from, how it has changed over time, how we learn it, and how it is used. You will have the opportunity to explore a variety of fiction and non-fiction texts, with ample scope to develop and showcase your creative and imaginative writing skills—enhancing your ability to use language to persuade, inform, instruct, and entertain.

The course also deepens students’ understanding of language acquisition and how communication can vary according to gender, social circumstances, occupation, and region. It is an engaging and exciting course for students looking to pursue pathways in media, journalism, law, academia, or literature.

Course type

A level

Examination board

AQA

Entry requirements

Grade 5 in English language

How will A level English language be delivered?

Year 12

  • Introduction to sociolinguistics: Working from individual language styles out towards different groups and communities.
    • Language and the individual (idiolect)
    • Language and social groups (sociolect, ethnolect & occupational language)
    • Language and regions (dialect)
  • Mini-text work to introduce and develop analysis, interpretation and understanding of language levels: vocabulary, grammar, graphology, discourse, pragmatics
  • Original Writing
    • Look at style models for range of different tasks and create an independent piece of writing.

Year 13

  • Creative writing tasks leading into creative assignment (perhaps based on exploration of a particular variety of language)
  • Analysing spoken language using short extracts from different genres of talk (political speeches, interviews, casual chat, teacher talk, coaching etc.)
  • Analysis and discussion of extracts of blended mode texts (e.g. Twitter, email, texting, Facebook, WhatsApp, Shapchat, online forums, You Tube comments etc.)
  • Recording and transcription of spoken and written data
  • Grouping and text classification activities
  • Major assignment on textual variation

Assessment

  • Examinations
  • Coursework

Future pathways and careers

  • Digital copywriter
  • Editorial assistant
  • English as a foreign language teacher
  • Lexicographer
  • Magazine journalist
  • Newspaper journalist
  • Publishing copy-editor/proofreader
  • Writer