The study of English Language at A Level gives insights into the development and uses of both written and spoken English. To some extent, it calls upon your own existing knowledge and experiences. The course will encourage you to think about, and discuss, not only what people say and how they say it, but also our attitudes to the way people speak. Initially, students embark on an introductory unit, learning about key features of different approaches to the study of English Language, key concepts and methodologies for the study of language. A wide variety of texts in both the written and the spoken modes are studied, to develop awareness of textual variations and representations linked to individual and social factors. This section of the course develops analytical skills as students discover how texts are shaped according to audience, purpose, genre and mode, taking the importance of context into account. The examination questions are text based and ask you to explore how language is being used to create meanings. A wide and diverse range of written and spoken data is also studied to see how language changes over time, from 1600 to the present day, looking closely at the familiar topics of audience, purpose, genre and mode. Students examine the process of language change but also focus on social attitudes to and debates about language diversity and change. In particular, students draw on theories to support analysis of accent and dialect, social and occupational groups, ethnicity, class, age, gender, sexual orientation and disability. We will look at electronic texts to see how the internet has affected language as well as the standardisation process which affects all language.