A Level English Language

Course summary

English Language focuses on the study of English in its broadest sense. It analyses how people use language in a wide range of real-life written, digital and spoken contexts, as well as exploring bigger questions to do with our attitudes to language and the role of language in society. Alongside this, you will be given opportunities to develop your own writing skills in a range of formats, as well as conducting your own language investigations. The key areas of study include: Studying a range of texts, both contemporary and historical, to see how text producers have used language to achieve their aims and suit their audiences. Exploring how children learn to speak and write, using theory and data. Analysing a wide range of varieties of English – including accents and dialects, genderlects, world Englishes, occupational jargon…. This will involve consideration of how and why language varies, as well as how this can lead to discrimination and prejudice. Studying how English has developed across time and what factors have driven these developments, as well as scrutinising attitudes to change. Developing your own writing skills in a range of styles . Conducting your own investigation into an aspect of language, choosing an area that interests you, collecting data and analysing how language is being used and why.