AQA A-Level English Language Revision

Year 12

• Textual variations and representations
  • 1.1 Students should study a range of texts
  • 1.2 from various writers and speakers
  • 1.3 for various purposes
  • 1.4 using a variety of modes (written, spoken, electronic)
  • 1.5 shaped according to audience, purpose, genre and mode
  • 1.6 used to construct meanings and representations
  • 1.7 This exploration will include
  • 1.8 how identity is constructed
  • 1.9 the functions of the texts
  • 1.10 how representations are produced
• Methods of language analysis
  • 4.1 Students will be required to use methods of language analysis to
  • 4.2 identify and describe features of language diversity
  • 4.3 research diversity
  • 4.4 The following list is a guide to the areas of language students are expected to examine
  • 4.5 phonetics, phonology and prosodics: how speech sounds and effects are articulated and analysed
  • 4.6 graphology: the visual aspects of textual design and appearance
  • 4.7 lexis and semantics: the vocabulary of English, including social and historical variation
  • 4.8 grammar, including morphology: the structural patterns and shapes of English at sentence, clause, phrase and word level
  • 4.9 pragmatics: the contextual aspects of language use
  • 4.10 discourse: extended stretches of communication occurring in different genres, modes and contexts
• Language diversity
  • 3.1 Students should study a range of examples of language in use and research data to inform their study of diversity
  • 3.2 texts using different sociolects (to include social and occupational groups, and gender)
  • 3.3 texts that use language to represent the different groups above
  • 3.4 written, spoken and electronic texts about a range of subjects, for various audiences and purposes in a variety of genres
  • 3.5 items from collections of language data (eg dictionaries, online resources, language corpora)
  • 3.6 When analysing texts and data, students should explore
  • 3.7 how language varies because of personal, social and geographical contexts
  • 3.8 why language varies, developing critical knowledge and understanding of different views and explanations
  • 3.9 how language is used to enact relationships
  • 3.10 attitudes to language diversity

Year 13

• Children’s language development
  • 1.1 Students should explore how children develop their spoken and written skills. To achieve this, students should study
  • 1.2 the functions of children’s language
  • 1.3 phonological, pragmatic, lexical, semantic and grammatical development
  • 1.4 different genres of speech and writing
  • 1.5 different modes of communication (spoken, written, multimodal)
  • 1.6 theories and research about language development
• Language diversity and change
  • 2.1 Students should study a range of examples of language in use and research data to inform their study of diversity and change
  • 2.2 texts using different dialects (to include regional, national and international varieties of English)
  • 2.3 texts from different periods, from 1600 to the present day
  • 2.4 research findings (eg tables, graphs, statistics)
  • 2.5 how language varies because of personal, social, geographical and temporal contexts
  • 2.6 attitudes to language variation and change
  • 2.7 how language is used to enact relationships
  • 2.8 how identity is constructed
  • 2.9 the functions of the texts
  • 2.10 how representations are produced
• Language discourses
  • 3.1 Students will study a range of texts that convey attitudes to language diversity and change. The texts studied will include those written for non-specialist audiences
  • 3.2 Students will explore how texts are produced to convey views and opinions about language issues. They will explore how texts
  • 3.3 represent language
  • 3.4 construct an identity for the producer
  • 3.5 position the reader and seek to influence them
  • 3.6 are connected to discourses about language