Term 1
Q1 Language under the Microscope
Knowledge:
- Language Levels: phonology, lexis, semantics, grammar, pragmatics and discourse
Skills:
- Understanding the different levels of language analysis
- Key linguistic terminology and how it applies to real texts in a range of genres
Useful Links
OCR Specification: https://www.ocr.org.uk
EMAGazine: https://www.englishandmedia.co.uk
British Library: https://www.bl.uk
Q2 Topical Issues
Knowledge:
- Understanding how language reflects current social, cultural and political issues
- Awareness of debates around language change, standard vs non-standard English, and prescriptivism vs descriptivism
- Knowledge of how public discourse (e.g. media, politics, social media) shapes attitudes to language
- Key terminology related to discourse, audience and purpose
Skills:
- Analysing how writers and speakers use language to present viewpoints
- Constructing balanced, discursive responses to contemporary language debates
- Using examples from current media to support interpretations
Useful Links
The Virtual Linguistics and Literature Campus
Linguistics | MIT Learn
Academic English Resources for Students and Teachers
Assessments:
Paper 1, Question 1: Language Under the Microscope (analysis task)
Paper 1, Question 2: Topical Issues (writing task)
Term 2
Q3 Comparing and Contrasting Texts
Knowledge:
- Understanding the different levels of language analysis
- Key linguistic terminology and how it applies to real texts
- How meaning is constructed through language choices
- Introduction to spoken vs written language features
Skills:
- Accurate application of linguistic terminology
- Close analysis of unseen texts
- Writing structured analytical responses
- Comparing how meanings are conveyed across two texts
Useful Links
British Library: https://www.bl.uk
Language and Gender
Knowledge:
- Key theories and theorists (e.g. Lakoff, Tannen, Cameron)
- Concepts such as dominance, difference and diversity models • Understanding how gender identities may be constructed and represented through language
- Awareness of changing attitudes to gender and inclusivity in language use
Skills:
- Applying linguistic theories to both spoken and written data
- Analysing transcripts to identify patterns in interaction
- Evaluating how far language reflects or challenges gender stereotypes
- Constructing analytical essays using evidence to support interpretations
Useful Links
The Virtual Linguistics and Literature Campus
Linguistics | MIT Learn
Academic English Resources for Students and Teachers
Assessments:
Paper 1, Question 3: Comparing and Contrasting Texts (analysis task)
Paper 1, Question 2: Topical Issues (writing task)
Term 3
Language and Power
Knowledge:
- Types of power: instrumental vs influential power
- How language is used in institutional contexts (e.g. education, media, law)
- Features of spoken interaction such as turn-taking, interruptions and politeness strategies
- Concepts of authority, control and representation
Skills:
- Analysing how speakers and writers assert or resist power
- Interpreting transcripts of real speech (e.g. interviews, workplace discourse)
- Evaluating the relationship between language, identity and authority
- Writing structured responses that explore how power operates in language
Useful Links
British Library: https://www.bl.uk
The Virtual Linguistics and Literature Campus
Linguistics | MIT Learn
Language and Gender
Knowledge:
- Key theories and theorists (e.g. Lakoff, Tannen, Cameron)
- Concepts such as dominance, difference and diversity models
- Understanding how gender identities may be constructed and represented through language
- Awareness of changing attitudes to gender and inclusivity in language use
Skills:
- Applying linguistic theories to both spoken and written data
- Analysing transcripts to identify patterns in interaction
- Evaluating how far language reflects or challenges gender stereotypes
- Constructing analytical essays using evidence to support interpretations
Useful Links
Academic English Resources for Students and Teachers
British Library: https://www.bl.uk
Technology and the Media
Knowledge:
- Impact of digital technology on language use (e.g. social media, texting, multimodality)
- Features of digital communication (abbreviations, emojis, non- standard grammar)
- Theories of language change linked to technological developments
- Understanding audience and purpose in online communication
Skills:
- Analysing online texts (tweets, posts, blogs, comments)
- Exploring how meaning is shaped through multimodal features (text, image, layout)
- Comparing traditional and digital forms of communication
- Writing analytical and evaluative responses on the impact of technology
Useful Links
The Virtual Linguistics and Literature Campus
Linguistics | MIT Learn
NEA
Knowledge:
- Understanding the requirements of the OCR Non-Exam Assessment (NEA)
- Methods of linguistic investigation, including data collection and analysis
- Awareness of ethical considerations when conducting research
- Knowledge of how to apply linguistic frameworks independently
Skills:
- Formulating an original research question
- Collecting, selecting and organising language data
- Applying appropriate linguistic methods and terminology
- Writing a structured investigation with clear analysis and conclusions
Useful Links
Academic English Resources for Students and Teachers
Assessments:
Paper 1, Question 1: Language Under the Microscope (analysis task)
Paper 1, Question 2: Topical Issues (writing task)
Paper 1, Question 3: Comparing and Contrasting Texts (analysis task)
