English Language

Course summary

In Year 12: Students will explore how language is used to create meanings and representations in a range of spoken and written texts. Students will be taught to analyze language through the application of six language levels: lexis and semantics (words and their meanings), grammar (morphology and syntax), phonology (the sounds of words), pragmatics (politeness and implicature), discourse structure (conversational structures and the formulation of texts), and graphology (layout, images, and font). Students will also explore historical and contemporary changes in the English Language from Late Modern English (approximately 1600) to the present day. In Year 13: Students will study language acquisition in children from 0-11 years, focusing on how children learn to speak, read, and write. They will also engage with the nature vs nurture debate, considering how far children’s language development is innate and how far children’s language development is influenced by social and environmental factors. Students will also explore how language varies within and across different social groups, such as occupational groups, regional groups, social class, age, and gender.