English Language AS/A Level

English Language is a vital part of our individual lives, the behaviour of social groups, and the structure of our whole society. We are continually talking and texting, listening to friends and employers, reading web sites, telling stories and giving advice - sometimes with original thought and language, and sometimes with very predictable words.

On this course you will:

• develop your skills as a writer
  
• analyse and interpret spoken and written texts
  
• take part in language research

As a writer, you will aim to produce texts to a publishable standard. For AS coursework you will write two pieces of your own choice; in A2 Editorial Writing you will develop the skills to create scripts, posters, articles, and brochures from given materials.

In language study you will analyse a wide variety of short texts - from conversations and political speeches to articles and cartoons - and develop skills of interpretation. You will observe language use, collect your own data (actual examples of spoken and written language) and learn to use research methods. These skills begin at AS and lead to A2 coursework, your own small-scale research investigation.

Some of the topics we focus on:

• Attitudes to accents and dialects
  
• The structure of conversations
  
• The variety of words in English
  
• Sentence structures and their effects
  
• Technology and language
  
• Power and language
  
• Child language
  
• Language change as part of social change

The course will provide you with essential analytical and communication skills relevant to most careers.

It is a substantial qualification for university entry to degrees such as journalism, creative writing, law, sociology, education and, in particular, to English Language and Linguistics.