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The A Level Exam - Paper 2
A Level Language exam guide to print and keep
There are two sections:
Section A - Diversity and Change
One question from a choice of two:
Either: an evaluative essay on language diversity (could be on Language and Occupation, Gender, Accent and Dialect, Multicultural English or Social Groups) (30 marks)
Or: an evaluative essay on language change (30 marks)
Section B - Language Discourses
Two texts about a topic linked to the study of diversity and change.
A question requiring analysis of how the texts use language to present ideas, attitudes and opinions (40 marks)
A directed writing task linked to the same topic and the ideas in the texts (30 marks)
Specimen AS Paper 2 (for revision only)
Student responses to specimen paper 2 with Principal Examiner's commentaries.
Excellent Internet Resources for all Diversity Topics (see @GSAENGLANG for updates)
Lexis podcast - Broadcast for A Level students - lots of debate to help you clarify your understanding of ideas and concepts in English language.
Lexicon Valley podcasts - John McWhorther
http://englishlangsfx.blogspot.co.uk - Dan Clayton
Radio 4 Word of Mouth - discussions on current language use
Language and Occupation
Language and Occupation
Practice Exam Questions:
Practice Exam Questions:
Section A question on Language and Occupation - Sally and Mary question
Section B article task on Language and Occupation - getting rid of jargon question.
Section B article task on Language and Occupation - the baffling world of business jargon.
Articles for Wider Reading
Small talk in the workplace - New Zealand study
Some examples of workplace jargon
Scream inducing business jargon - Telegraph article
From decks to moats: the complete guide to modern office jargon - Steven Poole - The Guardian
An A-Z of Modern Office Jargon - Steven Poole - The Guardian
Language and Gender
Language and Gender
Articles on Language and Gender:
Guardian article on sexism in the English language -Eight words that reveal the sexism at the heart of the English language | David Shariatmadari | Opinion | The Guardian
There is a gender neutral word that could replace 'Mr' and 'Mrs' | indy100
Online resources
Online resources
Video of Mayam Bialik taking issue with calling women 'girls'
Mary Beard lecture on language used to describe women gaining power
Practice Exam Questions
Practice Exam Questions
Accent, Dialect and Multicultural English
Accent, Dialect and Multicultural English
Practice Exam Questions:
Practice Exam Questions:
Practice Section A question - Accent and Dialect
Practice Section B question on Accent and Dialect - article on banning dialects in schools
Articles for Wider Reading
Articles for Wider Reading
Alleyways of language: regional words for ‘alleyway’ - OED blog
Accents don't hurt patients, attitudes do by Ranjana Srivastava
Leave off, will you? Britain should celebrate ‘regional’ accents - Rob Drummond
Skepta, grime and urban British youth language: a guide - Rob Drummond
‘Gimme dat ting’ Word initial TH-stopping among urban British youth
London English has a new pronoun
Maybe it’s a grime [t]ing: TH-stopping amongst urban British youth - Rob Drummond
Thoughts on Lindsay Johns and 'Ghetto Grammar' - Rob Drummond
Other online resources
Other online resources
http://accentism.org/media/ - run by Rob Drummond at Manchester Metropolitan University and is all about accent prejudice
Language and Social groups
Language and Social groups
Articles for Wider Reading
Drummond, Rob (2015) ‘Youth Slang in the official Scrabble word list’ UrBEn-ID.
Young women, give up the vocal fry and reclaim your strong female voice - Naomi Wolf
Erin Reilly responds to Naomi Wolf's article on Vocal Fry
Deborah Cameron's response to Naomi Wolf
LANGUAGE AND ADOLESCENT PEER GROUPS - PENELOPE ECKERT
Language Change
Language Change
History of the English Language
History of the English Language
Open University video - The History of the English Language in 10 minutes
The influence of the King James Bible - Guardian article
Idioms that come from the King James Bible - The Guardian
BBC article on the influence of Shakespeare on the English language
Text with first use of LOL (and some of the first texting abbreviations)
Grammatical Change
Grammatical Change
E-magazine article: Grammar - little words Professor Ron Carter
Language Change Debates
Language Change Debates
Independent article on Jean Aitcheson's language change metaphors
E-magazine article - Beyond Caricatures of Prescriptivism and Descriptivism - Dan Clayton
E-magazine article: Prescriptivism and Descriptivism: A Satirical Short Story
E-magazine article: At War with the Pedants: an Interview with Henry Hitchings - Dan Clayton
E-magazine article: Prescriptivism in Language - Matt Carmichael
E-magazine article: The Role of the Dictionary in Fixing the English Language - Tricia Lennie
National Grammar Day: What language pedants and fashion victims have in common - Rob Drummond
Txting is killing the English language - TED talk - John McWhorter
Daily Mail article about words Radio 4 listeners cannot stand
World Englishes
World Englishes
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