Course information
English Language
The Sixth Form College Colchester - Essex
01206500700
North Hill, Colchester, CO1 1SN
Course summary

WHY SHOULD I STUDY A LEVEL ENGLISH LANGUAGE? Do you speak like the people on Made in Chelsea or Ru Paul’s Drag Race? Are you ever in ‘Goblin Mode’? Do you style-shift your language for SnapChat? Whatever your answers to these questions, you will approach English from a completely new direction on the English Language A Level course. You will investigate how we really communicate – the accents we use, the identities we choose, even the language rules we abuse and why we do so. You will study written, spoken and computer-mediated language and discover where English came from, how it has spread across the globe and how it is continually changing. Studying English Language will help you develop your writing skills in a variety of analytical and creative ways and will provide you with a new perspective on how we use language to interact with the people around us. COURSE CONTENT The two-year course involves the study of a variety of language topics: Language Diversity and Change You will study how social groups, different occupations, and genders communicate and how the English language has changed over time as well as how technologies like social media and digital communication have a dramatic effect on the words we use and how we express our ideas. You will learn about research undertaken by linguists, patterns of language use that affect us every day mold the views of society, and examine how writers express opinions about language topics. Child Language Development You will also discover how children learn to speak, read, and write – something we have all been through!

Entry requirements

At least 5 GCSE subjects at grade 4 - 9. Grade 5 GCSE English Language. AND Grade 4 GCSE English Literature.

How you'll be assessed

Two written examination papers were taken at the end of the second year, alongside the non-examined assessment (language investigation and original writing). Paper 1: (40%) An analysis of language and representation and an essay on child language development. Paper 2: (40%) An essay on an aspect of language variation or change, an analysis of texts written about a current language debate and your own opinion piece. Non-Examined Assessment: (20%) A focused analysis of examples of language chosen by you and a piece of original writing based on a style model of your choice.

School Info

About Education Provider

RegionEast of England
Local AuthorityEssex
Ofsted RatingGood
Gender TypeCo-Educational
AddressNorth Hill, Colchester, CO1 1SN