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Subject Description

Teacher in Charge: Mr C. Reed.

Student voice:

In A2 Language, students study a range of written and spoken texts and are required to show a critical appreciation of them: how writers use language to shape meaning, as well as writing for a specific purpose and audience using appropriate vocabulary, tone and style. They also study spoken language and social groups, or English as a Global Language, and language acquisition by children and teenagers.

Students are required to build upon the knowledge and understanding established at AS Level, and to concentrate their study on four specialised subject areas: language change, child language acquisition, English in the world, language and the self. Similarly, the skills and techniques required at A Level expand upon those required at AS Level: Paper 3 primarily focuses on skills and techniques related to analytical reading, while the emphasis in Paper 4 is on discursive writing.

Paper 3 Language Analysis: Students should familiarise themselves with a comprehensive set of tools, strategies and conventions for studying language. This should include the following: developing frameworks for analysing and comparing unseen texts; assimilating a range of appropriate technical terminology; assessing, evaluating and synthesising sources of evidence; carrying out independent research into language concepts; contextualising their views in relation to theories; and understanding language data presented in the form of transcripts, tables and graphs.

Paper 4 Language Topics: Throughout the syllabus, students are encouraged to move beyond the practical application of English language, and to engage in a deeper consideration of a number of theoretical issues related to its use. They should develop their ability to engage in discussion on how the diverse forms of English that exist across the world interact both with one another and with other languages, and, how language use contributes to the construction and development of the self.

2 - CAMBRIDGE Courses AS and A Level English Courses