Page 29 - The Sixth Form Course 2021

Entry Requirements
Experience has shown that students who attain grade 7(A) or above in GCSE English do better at A Level.
This A Level would suit candidates who...
• Like the idea of taking language apart, and who are keen to develop a new
metalanguage (a language to describe language)
• Are interested in the origins of English, and the way in which they learnt to
speak, read and write
• Want to undertake some creative writing which might take them from
broadsheet journalism to travel writing or crafting the opening of a Mills and
Boon novel!
• Enjoy studying a subject which is relevant to their own lives and experiences
through the language which is used and is evolving all around them
• Would like to consider studying English, a language or linguistics or who
would like to complement their other subject choices with a course which has the skills of communication at its heart
Course Content and Examinations
Studying AQA ALevel English Language enables students to understand how language is used in both writing and speech. They explore how English has evolved, how children learn to speak and write, the relationship between words and who holds power, how the language is used around the UK and across the globe and how texts are produced for different purposes, including those we encounter everyday. Students are taught the skills needed to analyse a variety of discourses in depth and are encouraged to engage with a range of media to help them comprehend how English is still continuing to change.
The specification requires students to produce a coursework portfolio of two written tasks, including creative writing inspired by texts they have encountered during the course, which is worth 20% of the total mark, and two external examinations, worth 80%.
Where could this subject take you?
English Language
Course Specification A Level ⏐ AQA7702
Head of Department ⏐ Miss S Hill
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This subject could support an application for any of the subjects related to English, Languages or Linguistics at university. It complements the Arts and Humanities well, but also subjects such as Biology and Psychology due to its refining of students’ analytical skills and exploration of how the language shapes social interactions and self-identity.