AQA Advice

AS and A-level English Language
Preparing to Teach
Copyright © AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved.
Summer 2015
Slide 1 Follow us on Twitter @AQACPD.

Structure of the session
AS Component 1 and A-level Component 1 Section A
AS Component 1 and A-level Component 2 Section A
AS Component 1 and A-level Component 2 Section B
A-level Component 1 Section B
Non-exam assessment requirements at A-level
Schemes of work and other support and resources available
Slide 2 Copyright © AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved. Follow us on Twitter @AQACPD.

Aims of the session
Walk through the differences between the AS and the A-level in terms of content
and assessment
Consider the nature of external assessments and their implications for teaching and
learning
Consider the nature of non-exam assessments and their implications for teaching
and learning
Explore ways of structuring and co-teaching the AS and A-level courses
Provide some planning techniques and opportunities to discuss and develop plans
for teaching next year
Provide some teaching materials for use and development

Co-teaching AS and A-level
Slide 4 Copyright © AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved.

AS and A-level – what are you doing?
Separate classes for AS and A-level?
All students doing A-level also take AS?
Some students take the AS within an A-level group?
AS as a 1 year course?
AS as a 2 year course?
Any other patterns?
How do we plan and structure our course accordingly?

The new AS specification

AS: Specification at a glance
Component 1:
Language and
the individual
Written Paper
1 hour 30 mins
50% Textual variations and representations
Two texts, linked by topic or theme.
• A question requiring analysis of one text
(25 marks)
• A question requiring analysis of a second
text (25 marks)
• A question requiring comparison of the two
texts (20 marks)
Component 2:
Language
varieties
Written Paper
1 hour 30 mins
50% Section A – Language diversity
• A discursive essay on language diversity,
with a choice of two questions (30 marks)
Section B – Language discourses
• A directed writing task on attitudes to
language (40 marks)

AS content and skills – Component 1
Students should study a range of texts:
• about various subjects
• from various writers and speakers
• for various audiences
• for various purposes
• in a variety of genres
• using a variety of modes (written, spoken, electronic).

When analysing texts, students should explore how language is:
• shaped according to audience, purpose, genre and mode
• shaped according to context
• used to construct meanings and representations
• used to enact relationships between writers, speakers and audiences or
between participants within a text.

AS content and skills – Component 1 and 2
Methods of language analysis
• phonetics, phonology and prosodics: how speech sounds and effects are
articulated and analysed
• graphology: the visual aspects of textual design and appearance
• lexis and semantics: the vocabulary of English, including social and
historical variation
• grammar, including morphology: the structural patterns and shapes of
English at sentence, clause, phrase and word level
• pragmatics: the contextual aspects of language use
• discourse: extended stretches of communication occurring in different
genres, modes and contexts.

The new A-level specification

A-level: Specification at a glance
Component 1:
Language, the
individual and
society
Written Paper
2 hours 30 mins
40% Section A – Textual variations &
representations
2 texts (1 contemporary + 1 older text) linked by
topic or theme.
• Analysis of one text (25 marks)
• Analysis of second text (25 marks)
• Comparison of the two texts (20 marks)
Section B – Children's language
development
• Discursive essay on children’s language
development, with a choice of two questions
with data provided on spoken, written or
multimodal language (30 marks)

A-level content and skills – Component 1
Students should study a range of texts:
• about various subjects
• from various writers and speakers
• for various audiences
• for various purposes
• in a variety of genres
• using a variety of modes (written, spoken, electronic)
• from different times
• from different places (global, national, regional).

AS and A-level examination questions

Question types: AS Paper 1
1) Analyse how Text A uses language to create meanings and
representations.
2) Analyse how Text B uses language to create meanings and
representations.
3) Compare and contrast Text A and Text B, showing ways in which they are
similar and different in their language use.

Question types: A-level Paper 1 Section A
1) Analyse how Text A uses language to create meanings and
representations.
2) Analyse how Text B uses language to create meanings and
representations.
3) Explore the similarities and differences in the ways that Text A and Text B
use language.
3) Compare and contrast Text A and Text B, showing ways in which they are
similar and different in their language use.

Exemplar responses

Question types: AS Paper 1 vs A-level 1 Section A
Activity
• Looking at the top band of the specimen mark schemes, what skills and
approaches do students need to demonstrate?
• What differences are there in the expectations of an A-level student?

Planning for AS Paper 1 & A-level 1 Section A
Activity
• Review texts that you currently use.
• Choose texts to use in your new scheme of work to cover a range of textual
variations and to help cover a range of linguistic methods.
• What additional texts do you need to find?

The new AS specification

AS-level: Specification at a glance
Component 1:
Language and
the individual
Written Paper
1 hour 30 mins
50% Textual variations and representations
Two texts, linked by topic or theme.
• A question requiring analysis of one text
(25 marks)
• A question requiring analysis of a second
text (25 marks)
• A question requiring comparison of the two
texts (20 marks)
Component 2:
Language
varieties
Written Paper
1 hour 30 mins
50% Section A – Language diversity
• A discursive essay on language diversity,
with a choice of two questions (30 marks)
• A directed writing task on attitudes to
language (40 marks)

• Students should study a range of examples of language in use and research
data to inform their study of diversity:
• texts using different sociolects (include social & occupational groups,
gender)
• texts using different dialects (include regional/national varieties in the
British Isles)
• texts that use language to represent the different groups above
• (written, spoken and electronic texts about a range of subjects, for various
audiences and purposes in a variety of genres)
• items from collections of language data (eg dictionaries, online resources,
language corpora)
• research findings (eg tables, graphs, statistics).

• When analysing texts and data, students should explore:
• how language varies because of personal, social and geographical
contexts
• why language varies, developing critical knowledge and understanding of
different views and explanations
• how identity is constructed
• how language is used to enact relationships
• attitudes to language diversity.

Students will need to develop skills in:
• writing discursively about language issues in an academic essay
• writing about language issues in a variety of forms to communicate their
ideas to a non-specialist audience.

Activity: Discussion
What social and occupational groups might you focus on?
What regional/national dialects and accents might you look at?
What texts do you have? What do you need to collect?
What other data would you use?
What ideas from language study do you need to cover?
What kinds of writing will students need to practise?

The new A-level specification

Component 2:
Language
diversity and
change
Written Paper
2 hours 30 mins
40% Section A – Diversity and change
One question from a choice of two:
• evaluative essay on language diversity or
language change (30 marks)
Two texts on a topic linked to the study of
diversity and change.
• Analysis of how the texts use language to
present ideas, attitudes and opinions (40
marks)
• Directed writing task linked to the topic and
ideas in the texts (30 marks)

• Students should study a range of examples of language in use and research
data to inform their study of diversity:
• texts using different sociolects (include social & occupational groups, gender
and ethnicity)
• texts using different dialects (include regional/national varieties in the British
Isles and international varieties)
• texts that use language to represent the different groups above
• texts from different periods from 1600 to the present day
• (written, spoken and electronic texts about a range of subjects, for various
audiences and purposes in a variety of genres)
• items from collections of language data (eg dictionaries, online resources,
language corpora)
• research findings (eg tables, graphs, statistics).

• When analysing texts and data, students should explore:
• how language varies because of personal, social, geographical and
temporal contexts
• why language varies and changes, developing critical knowledge and
understanding of different views and explanations
• attitudes to language variation and change
• the use of language according to audience, purpose, genre and mode
• how language is used to enact relationships.

Language discourses
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.
Students will explore how texts are produced to convey views and opinions
about language issues.
• They will explore how texts:
• represent language
• construct an identity for the producer
• position the reader and seek to influence them
• are connected to discourses about language.

Students will need to develop skills in:
• writing discursively about language issues in an academic essay
• writing analytically about texts as parts of discourses about language
• writing about language issues in a variety of forms to communicate their
ideas to a non-specialist audience.

AS and A-level examination questions

Question types: AS Paper 2 Section A
Question 1
• Discuss the idea that a person’s language might be affected by their
occupation.
Question 2
• Discuss the idea that women and men use language differently.

Question types: AS Paper 2 Section A
Activity

Question types: AS vs A-level Paper 2 Section A
A-level
• Evaluate the idea that spoken interactions between men and women
are characterised by miscommunication.
AS
• Discuss the idea that women and men use language differently.

Question 1
• Evaluate the idea that spoken interactions between men and women are
characterised by miscommunication.
Question 2
• Evaluate the idea that the English language is changing and breaking up
into many different Englishes.

Activity

Exemplar responses

Activity
• Write a series of ideas about language that could be discussed for AS.
• Write a series of ideas about language that could be evaluated for A-level.

A-level Paper 2 Topics
• sociolects (to include social and occupational groups, gender and ethnicity)
• dialects (to include regional, national and international varieties of English)
• language that represents these groups
• how language varies - personal, social, geographical and temporal contexts
• why language varies and changes
• critical knowledge and understanding of different views and explanations
• attitudes to language variation and change
• the use of language according to audience, purpose, genre and mode
• how language is used to enact relationships.

Planning for A-level Paper 2 Section A
Activity
• Use Component 2: Topic planner to plan a topic for teaching.

Question types: A-level Paper 2 Section B
Language discourses: Question 3
Analyse how language is used in Text A and Text B to present views about
the nature of language change. In your answer you should:
• examine any similarities and differences you find between the two texts
• explore how effectively the texts present their views.

Activity
• How helpful would the text ‘Yes, we are judged on our accents’ be in
preparing for these examination tasks?

A-level Paper 2 Section B: Further resources
Further resources
• Legacy ENGA3 and ENGB3 texts and data with attitudes to language.
• Dan Clayton’s blog: http://englishlangsfx.blogspot.co.uk/

Question types: AS vs A-level Paper 2 Section B
AS Question 3
Text B is the start of an article in which a newspaper columnist discusses
a celebrity who changed her local accent.
Write an opinion article in which you discuss the issues surrounding people
changing their accents. Before writing your article you should state your
intended audience.
A-level Question 4
Write an opinion article about language change in which you assess the
ideas and issues raised in Text A and Text B and argue your own views.

A-level Paper 2 Section B
Activity: Finding a form
http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/series/what-im-really-thinking
http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/series/aletterto
http://www.theguardian.com/media/mind-your-language
What persona could you use / person could you write to in order to explore a
language issue?

Activity: Finding a focus - Writing carousel
Write an arresting opening for an article:
In a publication for university students applying for jobs
In a local newspaper about a primary school’s language policy
And ....

Component 1:
Language, the
individual and
society
Written Paper
2 hours 30 mins
40% Section A – Textual variations &
representations
2 texts (1 contemporary + 1 older text) linked by
topic or theme.
• Analysis of one text (25 marks)
• Analysis of second text (25 marks)
• Comparison of the two texts (20 marks)
Section B – Children's language
development
• Discursive essay on children’s language
development, with a choice of two questions
with data provided on spoken, written or
multimodal language (30 marks)

Question 4
“Interaction with caregivers is the most important influence on a child’s
language development.”
Referring to Data Set 1 in detail, and to relevant ideas from language study,
evaluate this view of children’s language development.
Question 5
“Accuracy is more important than creativity.”
Referring to Data Set 2 and Data Set 3 in detail, and to relevant ideas from
language study, evaluate this view of children’s language development.

Question
“Interaction with caregivers is the most important influence on a child’s
language development.”
Referring to Data Set 1 in detail, and to relevant ideas from language study,
Question Structure
“View for debate.”
Referring to Data Set in detail, and to relevant ideas from language study,

A-level Non-exam assessment

Component 3:
Language in action
Non-exam
assessment
3,500 words
20% • Language investigation
2,000 words excluding data
(50 marks)
• 1 piece of original writing
with commentary
1,500 words total
(50 marks)

NEA 1: Language Investigation
What is it?
• A student led enquiry into an aspect of language
• The choice of topic is free – it does not have to arise from a taught area
• The student needs to ask questions
• The data will be collected by the student
• The outcome will be a report
• The word count is 2000 words excluding data
• It is worth 10% of the total marks for the A-level

The Report
• Introduction
• Methodology
• Analysis
• Conclusion
• References
• Appendices

The Assessment
• AO1: Apply appropriate methods of language analysis, using associated
terminology and coherent written expression. (15 marks)
• AO2: Demonstrate critical understanding of concepts and issues relevant to
language use. (15 marks)
• AO3: Analyse and evaluate how contextual factors and language features are
associated with the construction of meaning. (20 marks)

The Assessment
AO1: Apply appropriate methods of language analysis, using associated
terminology and coherent written expression
Level 5 (marks 13-15) students are likely to:
• apply linguistic methods and terminology identifying patterns and complexities
• select and apply appropriate methods, allowing valid conclusions to be drawn
• describe language features in depth, establishing patterns of use and
engaging with complexity
• guide the reader
• guide the reader structurally and linguistically, using controlled, accurate
expression

The Assessment
AO2: Demonstrate critical understanding of concepts and issues relevant to
language use
• demonstrate a synthesised, conceptualised and individual overview of issues
• show a conceptualised overview of theories which illuminate the discussion
• use data and findings to challenge viewpoints making evaluative comment
• evaluate methodology and explore alternative additional approaches
• provide detailed bibliography

The Assessment
AO3: Analyse and evaluate how contextual features are associated with the
construction of meaning
• evaluate use of language and representations according to context
• explore analysis within wider social and cultural contexts
• evaluate how language is influenced by different contexts
• evaluate meanings and representations
• explore data in light of relevant wider social and cultural contexts
• present data and findings to support reflective and cautious conclusions

Discussion: Issues and Questions
• When should we do it?
• How long should we give to it?
• What preparation will students need?
• What are the implications of students never having done ‘coursework’ in
English?
• What makes for a successful investigation?

NEA 2: Original Writing
What is it?
• A student led piece of original writing
• The writing submitted will be based on one of:
• the power of persuasion
• the power of story-telling
• the power of information
• The student will submit a piece of writing
• The student will submit a commentary examining a style model, discussing
their writing process and evaluating their final piece.

What is it?
• The word count for the piece of writing is 750
• The word count for the commentary is 750
• Original Writing is worth 10% of the total marks for the A-level

The Assessment

Issues and Questions
• When should we do it?
• How long should we give to it?
• Do we do all three options in our scheme of work?
• Do we teach these as discrete topics or can NEA preparation/assessment
be linked to other elements of the course?
• What preparation will students need?
• What are the implications of students never having done ‘coursework’ in
English?
• What makes for a successful original writing task?

Supervising NEA
• http://www.jcq.org.uk/exams-office/coursework

Support and resources for AS and A-level

AQA support and resourcing
AQA tools to help you:
• AQA website
• e-AQA
• ERA (Enhanced Results Analysis)
• Secure Key Materials
• Training courses
• Cambridge University Press is the approved AQA publisher for this
specification
A-level English Language for AQA Student Book (print and digital resources).
Publication expected June 2015
AQA–related resources:
• Exampro
• Teach it

AQA approved textbooks
7 of 33
Version 1.0
• We only approve student textbooks (print and digital) –
though see approved publishers’ websites for the full range of
resources to support each specification.
• Textbooks must be matched to the specification to be AQA
approved.
• Each approval process consists of a detailed 4-stage review by
our reviewers (ie senior examiners or Chairs).
• Published textbooks which do not have the AQA approved
badge are not ‘AQA approved’. Prior to publication publishers
will advise that these books have entered the AQA approval
process.
• See the AQA website (All about us) for full details.

Contact points for more information and guidance
• Customer Support Managers
General email English-gce@aqa.org.uk
Tel no 0161 953 7504
• Teacher Support and CPD Managers
General email teachercpd@aqa.org.uk
Tel no 0161 957 3646
• AQA Website www.aqa.org.uk
Have you completed a Commit to teach form?

Copyright © AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved.Slide 73
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