OCR A LEVEL ENGLISH LANGUAGE
A STUDENT’S GUIDE
(COMPLETE Year 12 AND Year 13)
This booklet contains an overview of all the content that you need to know for the examined units
of the OCR A Level English Language course.
CONTENTS
PART A: APPROACHING THE EXAM
OVERVIEW OF A LEVEL ENGLISH LANGUAGE- WRITTEN ASSESSMENT
OVERVIEW OF THEORIES, CONCEPTS AND TERMINOLOGY
PAPER 1, SECTION A: LANGUAGE UNDER THE MICROSCOPE
PAPER 1, SECTION B: TOPICAL LANGUAGE ISSUE
PAPER 1, SECTION C: COMPARING AND CONTRASTING TEXTS
PAPER 2, SECTION A: CHILD LANGUAGE ACQUISITION
PAPER 2, SECTION B: LANGUAGE IN THE MEDIA
PAPER 2, SECTION C: LANGUAGE CHANGE
PART B: Year 12
WRITTEN LANGUAGE- TERMINOLOGY
SPOKEN LANGUAGE- TERMINOLOGY AND THEORIES
RHETORIC- TERMINOLOGY
LANGUAGE AND POWER- TERMINOLOGY AND THEORIES
LANGUAGE AND GENDER- TERMINOLOGY AND THEORIES
PART C: Year 13
LANGUAGE AND TECHNOLOGY- TERMINOLOGIES AND THEORIES
LANGUAGE IN THE MEDIA- TERMINOLOGY AND THEORIES
LANGUAGE CHANGE- TERMINOLOGY AND THEORIES
CHILD LANGUAGE ACQUISITION- TERMINOLOGY AND THEORIES
Year 13 also includes a non-examined assessment (coursework) which is with 20%
of the A Level course with 40 marks available.
1
, OCR A LEVEL ENGLISH LANGUAGE
APPROACHING THE EXAM
PART A
CONTENTS
OVERVIEW OF A LEVEL ENGLISH LANGUAGE- WRITTEN ASSESSMENT
OVERVIEW OF THEORIES, CONCEPTS AND TERMINOLOGY
PAPER 1, SECTION A: LANGUAGE UNDER THE MICROSCOPE
PAPER 1, SECTION B: TOPICAL LANGUAGE ISSUE
PAPER 1, SECTION C: COMPARING AND CONTRASTING TEXTS
PAPER 2, SECTION A: CHILD LANGUAGE ACQUISITION
PAPER 2, SECTION B: LANGUAGE IN THE MEDIA
PAPER 2, SECTION C: LANGUAGE CHANGE
2
,OVERVIEW OF A LEVEL ENGLISH LANGUAGE- WRITTEN ASSESSMENT
P1: Exploring language P2: Dimensions of linguistic variation
(80 marks) (80 marks)
2 hours 30 minutes 2 hours 30 minutes
SA: Language under the microscope (20 SA: Child language acquisition (20 marks)
marks)
SB: Topical language issue (24 marks) SB: Language in the media (24 marks)
SC: Comparing and contrasting texts (36 SC: Language change (36 marks)
marks)
Assessment Objectives
AO1 Apply appropriate methods of language analysis, using associated terminology and
coherent written expression.
AO2 Demonstrate critical understanding of concepts and issues relevant to language use.
AO3 Analyse and evaluate how contextual factors and language features are associated
with the construction of meaning.
AO4 Explore connections across texts, informed by linguistic concepts and methods.
AO5 Demonstrate expertise and creativity in the use of English to communicate in
different ways. Note: This assessment objective must be targeted with at least one of
AO2, AO3 or AO4, either in the same task or in two or more linked tasks.
Component AO distribution (% of A Level)
AO1 AO2 AO3 AO4 AO5
P1 11% 6% 11% 6% 6%
P2 11% 11% 12% 6% 0%
3
, LANGUAGE LEVELS- BASIC TERMINOLOGY
GRAMPS - Genre, register, representation, audience, mode, purpose, subject matter and style
Register- mode, manner/tenor, field
Lexis
- High/ low frequency lexis
- Polysyllabic, disyllabic, monosyllabic
- Jargon, technical vocabulary, taboo
- Under-specificity, over-specificity
- Hyperbole, oxymoron
Semantics
- Connotation, denotation
- Hyponymy, hypernym, hyponym
- Synonym, antonym, metonym, semantic field
- Dysphemism, euphemism, pun
- Figurative language, metaphor, conceptual metaphor, personification, simile
Grammar
- Adverbial phrases, noun phrases, prepositional phrase, verb phrase
- Adverb, adjective, modifiers
- Pronoun, proper noun, common noun, concrete noun, abstract noun
- Main clause, subordinate clause, syntax
- Dynamic verbs, stative verbs, imperative verbs, modal verbs, main verb, auxiliary verb
- Simple, compound, complex, minor sentence
- Cohesion, conjunction
- Determiner, preposition
- Declarative, imperative, exclamatory, interrogative
Pragmatics
- Implied meaning
- Grice’s maxims
- Pragmatic rules
- Implication of context, social practices
Discourse
- Features of written mode and conventions
- Lists, narrative, analysis
- Sections, bullet points, sub-headings
- Discourse markers
4
A STUDENT’S GUIDE
(COMPLETE Year 12 AND Year 13)
This booklet contains an overview of all the content that you need to know for the examined units
of the OCR A Level English Language course.
CONTENTS
PART A: APPROACHING THE EXAM
OVERVIEW OF A LEVEL ENGLISH LANGUAGE- WRITTEN ASSESSMENT
OVERVIEW OF THEORIES, CONCEPTS AND TERMINOLOGY
PAPER 1, SECTION A: LANGUAGE UNDER THE MICROSCOPE
PAPER 1, SECTION B: TOPICAL LANGUAGE ISSUE
PAPER 1, SECTION C: COMPARING AND CONTRASTING TEXTS
PAPER 2, SECTION A: CHILD LANGUAGE ACQUISITION
PAPER 2, SECTION B: LANGUAGE IN THE MEDIA
PAPER 2, SECTION C: LANGUAGE CHANGE
PART B: Year 12
WRITTEN LANGUAGE- TERMINOLOGY
SPOKEN LANGUAGE- TERMINOLOGY AND THEORIES
RHETORIC- TERMINOLOGY
LANGUAGE AND POWER- TERMINOLOGY AND THEORIES
LANGUAGE AND GENDER- TERMINOLOGY AND THEORIES
PART C: Year 13
LANGUAGE AND TECHNOLOGY- TERMINOLOGIES AND THEORIES
LANGUAGE IN THE MEDIA- TERMINOLOGY AND THEORIES
LANGUAGE CHANGE- TERMINOLOGY AND THEORIES
CHILD LANGUAGE ACQUISITION- TERMINOLOGY AND THEORIES
Year 13 also includes a non-examined assessment (coursework) which is with 20%
of the A Level course with 40 marks available.
1
, OCR A LEVEL ENGLISH LANGUAGE
APPROACHING THE EXAM
PART A
CONTENTS
OVERVIEW OF A LEVEL ENGLISH LANGUAGE- WRITTEN ASSESSMENT
OVERVIEW OF THEORIES, CONCEPTS AND TERMINOLOGY
PAPER 1, SECTION A: LANGUAGE UNDER THE MICROSCOPE
PAPER 1, SECTION B: TOPICAL LANGUAGE ISSUE
PAPER 1, SECTION C: COMPARING AND CONTRASTING TEXTS
PAPER 2, SECTION A: CHILD LANGUAGE ACQUISITION
PAPER 2, SECTION B: LANGUAGE IN THE MEDIA
PAPER 2, SECTION C: LANGUAGE CHANGE
2
,OVERVIEW OF A LEVEL ENGLISH LANGUAGE- WRITTEN ASSESSMENT
P1: Exploring language P2: Dimensions of linguistic variation
(80 marks) (80 marks)
2 hours 30 minutes 2 hours 30 minutes
SA: Language under the microscope (20 SA: Child language acquisition (20 marks)
marks)
SB: Topical language issue (24 marks) SB: Language in the media (24 marks)
SC: Comparing and contrasting texts (36 SC: Language change (36 marks)
marks)
Assessment Objectives
AO1 Apply appropriate methods of language analysis, using associated terminology and
coherent written expression.
AO2 Demonstrate critical understanding of concepts and issues relevant to language use.
AO3 Analyse and evaluate how contextual factors and language features are associated
with the construction of meaning.
AO4 Explore connections across texts, informed by linguistic concepts and methods.
AO5 Demonstrate expertise and creativity in the use of English to communicate in
different ways. Note: This assessment objective must be targeted with at least one of
AO2, AO3 or AO4, either in the same task or in two or more linked tasks.
Component AO distribution (% of A Level)
AO1 AO2 AO3 AO4 AO5
P1 11% 6% 11% 6% 6%
P2 11% 11% 12% 6% 0%
3
, LANGUAGE LEVELS- BASIC TERMINOLOGY
GRAMPS - Genre, register, representation, audience, mode, purpose, subject matter and style
Register- mode, manner/tenor, field
Lexis
- High/ low frequency lexis
- Polysyllabic, disyllabic, monosyllabic
- Jargon, technical vocabulary, taboo
- Under-specificity, over-specificity
- Hyperbole, oxymoron
Semantics
- Connotation, denotation
- Hyponymy, hypernym, hyponym
- Synonym, antonym, metonym, semantic field
- Dysphemism, euphemism, pun
- Figurative language, metaphor, conceptual metaphor, personification, simile
Grammar
- Adverbial phrases, noun phrases, prepositional phrase, verb phrase
- Adverb, adjective, modifiers
- Pronoun, proper noun, common noun, concrete noun, abstract noun
- Main clause, subordinate clause, syntax
- Dynamic verbs, stative verbs, imperative verbs, modal verbs, main verb, auxiliary verb
- Simple, compound, complex, minor sentence
- Cohesion, conjunction
- Determiner, preposition
- Declarative, imperative, exclamatory, interrogative
Pragmatics
- Implied meaning
- Grice’s maxims
- Pragmatic rules
- Implication of context, social practices
Discourse
- Features of written mode and conventions
- Lists, narrative, analysis
- Sections, bullet points, sub-headings
- Discourse markers
4
