English Language

The A level English Language course is incredibly broad. There will be some areas of study with which you may be familiar from GCSE, including text analysis and creative writing, but also many topics that will be new and stimulating. A level study introduces you to topical debates within linguistic study, raising questions such as whether grammar rules really matter and whether technology is having a negative impact on language use. Sociolinguistic topics regarding how language shapes social identity are covered, including the relationship between gender, language and power. We also explore the origins of the English language and draw on psycholinguistic studies to help us understand how children acquire language. There is an original writing component where you develop your own skills at shaping language for a variety of genres and audiences. English language A level also involves the completion of a coursework folder, requiring you to investigate an area of language change of your own choosing with support from your teachers.

Classroom work is varied and there is an expectation that students will be actively involved in the lessons. This means that you might find yourself participating in discussions, carrying out debates, collaborating on small group tasks and sharing ideas with your classmates. As well as teachers explaining new topics and concepts, students frequently deliver mini-lessons and presentations to their peers. There is a lot of emphasis on developing excellent text analysis and writing skills, so we will work both collaboratively and individually on honing exam techniques. This can involve group writing tasks and timed writing, including peer and teacher assessment. As you need to write in a journalistic style for one of the exam questions, we also spend time working on more creative skills and producing texts such as newspaper articles, persuasive speeches and blog posts.

Class size is normally around 18-22 students.

We read a lot on the Language course. We read a wide range of different kinds of texts from different sources so as to get a good familiarity with writing of all types. This includes material such as newspapers, magazines, websites, social media, advertising and legal writing. This allows you to develop understanding of many genres and how to learn how to write creatively. We do not read whole books and focus on non-fiction rather than fiction.

English language opens the door to a wide range of career options. The ability to read perceptively, analyse and evaluate is really useful for careers in law, public relations, information management and teaching. The skills of understanding audiences, shaping language and creativity are excellent for careers in journalism, advertising, marketing and media production.

Generally, 70-75% of our students get A*-B grades. This is often 20-30% higher than the national average.