AQA ENGLISH LANGUAGE AS (7701)Topic Questions

3.1 Language and the individual

3.1.1 Textual variations and representations

• 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).

3.1.2 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.

3.2 Language varieties

3.2.1 Language diversity

• texts using different sociolects (to include social and occupational groups, and gender)
• texts using different dialects (to include regional and national varieties of English within 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.

3.2.2 Methods of language analysis

• identify and describe features of language diversity
• research diversity.
The following list is a guide to the areas of language students are expected to examine:
• 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.

3.2.3 Writing skills

• writing discursively about language issues in an academic essay
• writing about language issues in a variety of forms to communicate their ideas to a nonspecialist audience.