English Language

Assessment

Paper 1: Language, the Individual and Society (7702/1) - 40% of total A Level marks Exam: 2 hours 30 minutes 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 can understand and express themselves through language. Section A - Textual Variations and Representation Two texts (one contemporary and one older text) linked by topic or theme. One question requires an analysis of one text (25 marks), one question requires an analysis of a second text (25 marks) and one question requires a comparison of the two texts (20 marks). Section B - Children's Language Development A discursive essay on children’s language development, with a choice of two questions where the data provided will focus on spoken, written or multimodal language (30 marks). Paper 2: Language and Diversity (7702/2) - 40% of total A Level marks Exam: 2 hours 30 minutes 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. Section A - Diversity and Change One question from a choice of two: Either: an evaluative essay on language diversity (30 marks) Or: an evaluative essay on language change (30 marks). Section B - Language Discourses Two texts about a topic linked to the study of diversity and change. One question requiring analysis of how the texts use language to present ideas, attitudes and opinions (40 marks) and a directed writing task linked to the same topic and the ideas in the texts (30 marks).