English Language

Course summary

This two-year course offers the opportunity for students to develop their subject expertise by engaging creatively and critically with a wide range of texts and discourses.Students will develop their skills, writing discursively about language issues in academic essays and articles. They will develop their analytical skills and extend their vocabulary, using new linguistic terminology. Students will also gain confidence writing in a variety of styles when producing their own original writing.Students will be entered for A Level at the end of the two-year course. Component 1: Language, the Individual and Society – 2 ½ hour exam (40% of A level) ‘Language, the Individual and Society.’ The aim of this part of the subject content is to introduce students to language study, exploring textual variety as well as children’s language development. It introduces students to methods of language analysis to explore concepts of audience, purpose, genre, mode and representation Section A: This section requires the analysis of two texts on a common theme, one of which will be an older text.Students will explore similarities and differences between the texts, their meanings, and contexts. Section B: This section requires an essay (based on given data) discussing different ideas about children’s language development. Component 2 ‘Language Diversity and Change.’ The aim of this area of study is to allow students to explore language diversity and change over time. Students will study language in its wider social, geographical and temporal contexts. They will explore processes of language change from 1600 to the present day. This part ofthe subject content also requires students to study social attitudes and why our language is so diverse. Section A: This section requires an essay evaluating different ideas about language change and diversity. Section B: Language discourses –involves two tasks: 1. Analysis of two given texts on the topic of language diversity and change. 2. A writing task, where students will be directed to write on the topic covered by the texts. Component 3 ‘Language in Action’ (coursework). The aim of this area of study is to allow students to explore and analyse language data independently and reflect upon their own writing expertise. Students will produce:* a language investigation (2,000 words),* a piece of original writing and commentary (750 words each).