English Language

STATEMENT OF INTENT FOR A LEVEL ENGLISH LANGUAGE

English Language A Level students at Charters School will develop interest in and enjoyment of the subject through reading widely, critically and independently across centuries, genre and gender. Students will gain an advanced understanding of language study and will develop their own writing style and identity to be able to write for a variety of audiences and purposes. By analysing language through the ages, students will discover how language is used and how it’s changed over time. We will also cover the variations and manipulations that have caused the English Language to evolve over centuries, up to the modern day. As well as covering the broader themes that affect language, students also study the technical and factual elements too. By understanding scientific elements such as phonology, syntax and grammar students enhance their knowledge of linguistics and their writing ability.

COURSE DETAILS

Component 1: ‘Language, the Individual and Society’. This component introduces students to language study, exploring textual variety and children’s language development. This area of study introduces students to methods of language analysis to explore concepts of audience, purpose, genre, mode and representation. It also introduces students to the study of children’s language development, exploring how children learn language and how they are able to understand and express themselves through language. The exam paper is split into two sections:

Section A - Textual Variations and Representations Section B - Children's Language Development

Component 2: ‘Language Diversity and Change’. The aim of this area of study is to allow students to explore language diversity and change over time. Students will study the key concepts of audience, purpose, genre and mode and will explore language in its wider social, geographical and temporal contexts. They will explore processes of language change. This part of the subject content also requires students to study social attitudes to, and debates about, language diversity and change. The exam paper is split into two sections:

Section A - Diversity and Change Section B - Language Discourses

Component 3: Non-exam assessment: ‘Language in Action’. The aim of this area of study is to allow students to explore and analyse language data independently and develop and reflect upon their own writing expertise. Students produce: • a language investigation (2,000 words excluding data)

COMPLEMENTARY SUBJECTS

English Language is a unique A Level in that it compliments such a wide range of other subjects, whilst developing vital skills that branch across all areas of study, such as essay writing, data analysis and the understanding and application of theory. More specifically, our module ‘Children’s Language Development’ complements Psychology perfectly as it focusses on human behaviours and how we learn in our younger years. Sociology and Geography link well as we explore social and geographical elements to language diversity and social attitudes in unit 2. If you love History, Language change over time is covered on this course as well as language representation in the Media, therefore working side-by-side with Media Studies A Level perfectly. Coursework requires students to carry out their own language investigation, recording, analysing and evaluating data which will help students with any STEM study at A Level too. Lastly, by focussing on the specific ‘building blocks’ of communication, English Language A Level accompanies study in MFL

FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES

As with English Literature, the future opportunities that are open to you by studying A Level Language are vast and diverse. All future prospects, whether this be Further Education or in the world of work, prize the ‘soft transferable skills’ such as communication, empathy, adaptability but this course will act as a transition for further study -the skills you learn will be invaluable for essay writing, dissertations, report writing and presentations which is vital in any University course no matter what the field of study. Possession of an English A Level is valued in professions such as Media, production, PR, Law, management, teaching, journalism, public relations, librarianship, information management and advertising, to name but a few. All future prospects listed under English Literature apply for English Language too.

BE INSPIRED BY EXPLORING FURTHER

Coursebook: A/AS Level English Language for AQA Student Book (ISBN: 978-1-1074-6562-6) Netflix-

‘Babies’ – two part series from 2020. ‘Explained’ – particularly series 1 episodes entitled ‘Political Correctness’ and ‘!’ as well as series 3 ‘apologies’. Lastly, the documentary ‘The Creative Brain’ is also an engaging watch. Podcasts‘The History of English Podcast’ by Kevin Stroud, ‘University of Oxford MSt English Language’ and ‘English: Language of Opportunity’ by the Open University. TED Talk - https://www.ted.com/playlists/228/how_language_changes_over_time Blog Read- https://www.english.com/blog/english-language-has-changed/ News article- https://www.theguardian.com/science/2019/aug/15/why-its-time-to-stop-worrying-aboutthe-decline-of-the-english-language

British Museum exploration - https://www.bl.uk/british-accents-and-dialects/articles/lexical-change-in-the -english-language

English A Level students will also be given premium access to subscription services such as Massolit and The English and Media Centre for their wider reading.