English Language

Any A Level subjects can be combined. A Levels can also be studied alongside a BTEC Level 3 Certificate.
You will study an AS Level in the first year of this course.

Language is a powerful tool. It can be used to inspire, influence and change the world. This course focuses on sociolinguistics which means that we will study and analyse the ways in which society and language influence one another. This could be in the form of key concepts and issues such as power or gender, or looking at how children learn to talk, read and write. Our course is incredibly varied and will provide you with opportunities to further develop your own interests – if it has language in it, we can study it!

This course is ideal if you are interested in popular culture, current affairs and the development of the English Language in society. You will study an AS Level in the first year.
Assessment will be through external examination and a small component of non-exam assessment in the second year.

What topics will I study?

The course covers the study of written, spoken and multi-modal texts, so you will study a range of texts and you will need to be an enthusiastic reader of both non-fiction texts, including magazines and newspapers, and literary genres. You should also be curious about the nature of conversations, speeches and spoken interactions in different contexts.

Some elements of the course will also require you to develop expertise as a writer and to have a clear understanding of linguistic frameworks for analysis of your own creative work. Investigations into language will include topics related to Global English, Gender Identity, Journalism, Power and Regional Variation.

You will:

• Gain an in depth understanding of how language is constructed
• Develop creative skills and expertise as a writer, experimenting with different styles
• Explore how language varies and changes over time
• Develop transferable skills relating to the interpretation and analysis of different types of communication
• Study how language develops from childhood
• Explore language related issues, such as global English, gender identity, power, journalism and regional language variation

What experiences will I get?

We offer a wide variety of events and talks with visiting speakers to enhance your learning experience. Previous events include guest lectures from Aston University’s Dr Urszula Clark, UWE Bristol University’s Dr Luke Rudge, and world renowned linguist David Crystal – we are always adding more speakers to the list.

What can I study alongside this course?

A Level English Language also goes well with most other subject areas. It goes particularly well with Modern Foreign Languages, Humanities, social science, and creative subjects.

Next steps: You could go on to university level education, and/or a range of careers. A Level English Language is an incredibly versatile qualification. English Language students have gone on to work in some of the following careers but it is not limited to these fields: Teaching, Advertising, Public Relations, Marketing, TV and Radio, Journalism, Publishing, Copywriting, Editing, Law, Speech and Language Therapy and many more.

You will need eight GCSEs at grade 4 or above (including English Language and Maths).

It will be possible to discuss the differences in the content of this course compared with GCSE at interview.

Our teaching rooms have a wide variety of books and resources available for you to use. We also have access to an excellent university-style lecture theatre which we use for revision lectures, film screenings and events. Our Learning Resource Centres (LRCs) include access to books, articles, journals and electronic resources to help you with your studies.

There are some additional costs of materials and resources.