All about A level English Language – course information

There are four units in the Edexcel A level. Language Variation, unit 1, deals with the differences between spoken and written language. This may sound rather “dry” but is in fact rather interesting. We observe, for example, how many modern written texts employ features of the spoken style of English to engage with their audience, e.g. advertisements.

In unit 2, a popular part of the course, we look at how children learn to speak and to write English. This involves learning some of the symbols of the IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet). This helps us to explain why a child might say “fink” instead of “think”. (Answer: it’s harder to say “th” when you are three.)

In unit 3, students look at the topic of language and power. What we study varies from year to year. In the past we have studied the language of “agony aunts” and, another year, the language used in educational settings to “control” students (!) The fourth unit is the coursework.

It would be good if you have a 6 in English Language GCSE. However, the main thing is that you should like reading. So, a student who chooses English Language rather than English Literature because they don’t like reading books (something I have heard in the past) would be unwise.

As unit 1 involves comparing extracts from any time after 1550, it would be best if students enjoy reading Shakespeare, for example, and are prepared to do some reading of texts from the centuries before the present. With this in mind, I issue a reading list of literary texts. It is better to be reading this sort of text rather than linguistic texts before starting this A level.

A well-known nineteenth century text, “The Idea of a University” draws a distinction between “utilitarian” and “liberal” ideas of education. Thus, I am not going to say what jobs the A level leads to. I hope the A level will lead to an enhancement of understanding of and interest in language and literature. Employers look at what university you go to and what class of degree. A student who has studied, say, History or French could well end up with a good job in finance or law (after a law-conversion course).

This A level, which is demanding academically, would form part of a very credible portfolio in terms of university entrance. The main consideration is whether you are committed enough to get good grades. That’s what counts, though of course your A levels also need to suit the subject of the degree.

Like any A level, undertaking to study a subject in a year is certainly quite a big ask. As I have said above, a good level of literacy and a reading habit are most likely to make doing the A level have the sort of outcome students are looking for. And this applies a fortiori if the subject is being studied over a reduced time frame.

All major examination boards offer English Language A Level and most have a built-in coursework (NEA) unit. The Edexcel A level is no exception. The coursework counts for 20% of the qualification. I have outlined the structure of the course briefly above. More detailed accounts of the three units which are examined follow below:

Unit 1: Language Variation

This unit has two parts. The first question deals with how people use language to create a personal and social identity. Students are asked to assess two twenty-first century texts, usually a spoken transcript and a written piece, although the syllabus does mention “multimodal” texts too. (This just means the text may have pictures, as is common in our time owing to technological advances in printing.) The second question is based on two texts from any time from 1550 to the present day. This is usually a fairly modern text and an older one. Students need to show what the differences in language usage are. For example, “meat” in Shakespeare’s time meant “food” while today it refers to the flesh of an animal. This is known as “semantic change”.

Total time available: 2 hours 15 minutes

Unit 2: Child Language

In this unit students will be given either a transcript of child spoken language, usually involving an adult, or examples of a child’s or children’s written work. This work is selected to show development in written language over time. We look at the language of children up to the age of eight. As part of the study of spoken language we study the IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) which is helpful in the transcript as it shows how

children pronounce words. This is linked to “motor skills” which means how children develop the ability to make sounds, some of which are more difficult. With the written data we look at “virtuous errors”; for example, a child may spell “sea” as “see”. The “ee” sound is the same as the “ea” sound in English and so this is an intelligent try at spelling.

Total time available: 1 hour 15 minutes

Unit 3: Investigating Language

This unit is based on a study of Language and Power, which covers such topics such as the language of government documents, which may be highly formal and use a more Romance (derived from Latin and French) choice of words to sound impressive. The exam board issues a “microtopic” on December 1st of the year of the exam. In the past these microtopics have included “motivational language” (e.g. the language of a sport coach) and the language of “agony aunts”. The exam board also gives us a reading list which students must use in developing their knowledge of the microtopic. The exam comprises two questions. The first question will be based on a transcript (or, in the board’s words, “unseen data”) and will ask how typical the transcript is of, say, motivational speech. The second part of the exam is an essay question on the microtopic. To write the essay effectively, students will need to have memorised the names of theorists and of quotations from them to be able to write for an hour. So, to help with this, students develop their own individual “quote banks”, which students need to learn.

Total time available: 1 hour 45 minutes