OCR A Level English Language H470/02 Dimensions of
linguistic variation Combined Question paper & Marking
Scheme A+ June 2025
Oxford Cambridge and RSA
Wednesday 4 June 2025 – Afternoon
A Level English Language
H470/02 Dimensions of linguistic variation
Time allowed: 2 hours 30 minutes
You must have:
• The OCR 12-page Answer Booklet
• The Resource Booklet
INSTRUCTIONS
• Use black ink.
• Write your answer to each question in the Answer Booklet. The question numbers must be
clearly shown.
• Fill in the boxes on the front of the Answer Booklet.
• Answer all the questions.
• Use the Resource Booklet to answer all the questions.
INFORMATION
• The total mark for this paper is 80.
• The marks for each question are shown in brackets [ ].
• This document has 4 pages.
ADVICE
• Read each question carefully before you start your answer.
Turn over
, 2
List of Phonemic Symbols and Signs (RP)
1. Consonants of English
/f/ — fat, rough
/v/ — very, village, love
/θ/ — theatre, thank, athlete
/ð/ — this, them, with, either
/s/ — sing, thinks, losses
/z/ — zoo, beds, easy
/∫/ — sugar, bush
/ʒ/ — pleasure, beige
/h/ — high, hit, behind
/p/ — pit, top, spit
/t/ — tip, pot, steep
/k/ — keep, tick, scare
/b/ — bad, rub
/d/ — bad, dim
/g/ — gun, big
/t∫/ — church, lunch
/dʒ/ — judge, gin, jury
/m/ — mad, jam, small
/n/ — man, no, snow
/ŋ/ — singer, long
/l/ — loud, kill, play
/j/ — you, pure
/w/ — one, when, sweet
/r/ — rim, bread
2. Pure Vowels of English
/iː/ — beat, keep
/ɪ/ — bit, tip, busy
/e/ — bet, many
/æ/ — bat
/Λ/ — cup, son, blood
/ɑː/ — car, heart, calm, aunt
/ɒ/ — pot, want
/ɔː/ — port, saw, talk
/ə/ — about
/3ː/ — word, bird
/ʊ/ — book, wood, put
/uː/ — food, soup, rude
3. Diphthongs of English
/eɪ/ — late, day, great
/aɪ/ — time, high, die
/ɔɪ/ — boy, noise
/aʊ/ — cow, house, town
/əʊ/ — boat, home, know
/ɪə/ — ear, here
/eə/ — air, care, chair
/ʊə/ — jury, cure
© OCR 2025 H470/02 Jun25
, 3
Section A
Child language acquisition
You should spend about 40 minutes on this section.
Read Text A in the Resource Booklet and answer the question.
1 Using the appropriate terminology to explain your findings, examine the language development stage
of the child-participant as evidenced in the transcript. You should identify and analyse the phonology,
grammar and meaning of her utterances.
Use your knowledge of theories and concepts of child language acquisition to support your answer. [20]
Section B Language in
the media
You should spend about 45 minutes on this section.
Read Text B in the Resource Booklet and answer the question.
2 Using your understanding of relevant ideas and concepts, investigate how language features and
contextual factors construct meanings in this text. [24]
Section C Language
change
You should spend a maximum of 1 hour and 5 minutes on this section.
Spend 15 minutes reading and preparing your answer and about 50 minutes writing your answer. Read Texts C
and D in the Resource Booklet and answer the question.
3 By detailed analysis of the writing in both passages, discuss and illustrate the variations in language
between the 20th and 21st centuries. In your answer you should explore the ways language is used in
each text, as well as how contextual factors influence the way meaning is constructed. [36]
END OF QUESTION PAPER
© OCR 2025 H470/02 Jun25
, 4
Oxford Cambridge and RSA
Copyright Information
OCR is committed to seeking permission to reproduce all third-party content that it uses in its assessment materials. OCR has attempted to identify and contact all copyright holders whose work is used
in this paper. To avoid the issue of disclosure of answer-related information to candidates, all copyright acknowledgements are reproduced in the OCR Copyright Acknowledgements Booklet. This is
produced for each series of examinations and is freely available to download from our public website (www.ocr.org.uk) after the live examination series.
© OCR 2025 H470/02 Jun25
linguistic variation Combined Question paper & Marking
Scheme A+ June 2025
Oxford Cambridge and RSA
Wednesday 4 June 2025 – Afternoon
A Level English Language
H470/02 Dimensions of linguistic variation
Time allowed: 2 hours 30 minutes
You must have:
• The OCR 12-page Answer Booklet
• The Resource Booklet
INSTRUCTIONS
• Use black ink.
• Write your answer to each question in the Answer Booklet. The question numbers must be
clearly shown.
• Fill in the boxes on the front of the Answer Booklet.
• Answer all the questions.
• Use the Resource Booklet to answer all the questions.
INFORMATION
• The total mark for this paper is 80.
• The marks for each question are shown in brackets [ ].
• This document has 4 pages.
ADVICE
• Read each question carefully before you start your answer.
Turn over
, 2
List of Phonemic Symbols and Signs (RP)
1. Consonants of English
/f/ — fat, rough
/v/ — very, village, love
/θ/ — theatre, thank, athlete
/ð/ — this, them, with, either
/s/ — sing, thinks, losses
/z/ — zoo, beds, easy
/∫/ — sugar, bush
/ʒ/ — pleasure, beige
/h/ — high, hit, behind
/p/ — pit, top, spit
/t/ — tip, pot, steep
/k/ — keep, tick, scare
/b/ — bad, rub
/d/ — bad, dim
/g/ — gun, big
/t∫/ — church, lunch
/dʒ/ — judge, gin, jury
/m/ — mad, jam, small
/n/ — man, no, snow
/ŋ/ — singer, long
/l/ — loud, kill, play
/j/ — you, pure
/w/ — one, when, sweet
/r/ — rim, bread
2. Pure Vowels of English
/iː/ — beat, keep
/ɪ/ — bit, tip, busy
/e/ — bet, many
/æ/ — bat
/Λ/ — cup, son, blood
/ɑː/ — car, heart, calm, aunt
/ɒ/ — pot, want
/ɔː/ — port, saw, talk
/ə/ — about
/3ː/ — word, bird
/ʊ/ — book, wood, put
/uː/ — food, soup, rude
3. Diphthongs of English
/eɪ/ — late, day, great
/aɪ/ — time, high, die
/ɔɪ/ — boy, noise
/aʊ/ — cow, house, town
/əʊ/ — boat, home, know
/ɪə/ — ear, here
/eə/ — air, care, chair
/ʊə/ — jury, cure
© OCR 2025 H470/02 Jun25
, 3
Section A
Child language acquisition
You should spend about 40 minutes on this section.
Read Text A in the Resource Booklet and answer the question.
1 Using the appropriate terminology to explain your findings, examine the language development stage
of the child-participant as evidenced in the transcript. You should identify and analyse the phonology,
grammar and meaning of her utterances.
Use your knowledge of theories and concepts of child language acquisition to support your answer. [20]
Section B Language in
the media
You should spend about 45 minutes on this section.
Read Text B in the Resource Booklet and answer the question.
2 Using your understanding of relevant ideas and concepts, investigate how language features and
contextual factors construct meanings in this text. [24]
Section C Language
change
You should spend a maximum of 1 hour and 5 minutes on this section.
Spend 15 minutes reading and preparing your answer and about 50 minutes writing your answer. Read Texts C
and D in the Resource Booklet and answer the question.
3 By detailed analysis of the writing in both passages, discuss and illustrate the variations in language
between the 20th and 21st centuries. In your answer you should explore the ways language is used in
each text, as well as how contextual factors influence the way meaning is constructed. [36]
END OF QUESTION PAPER
© OCR 2025 H470/02 Jun25
, 4
Oxford Cambridge and RSA
Copyright Information
OCR is committed to seeking permission to reproduce all third-party content that it uses in its assessment materials. OCR has attempted to identify and contact all copyright holders whose work is used
in this paper. To avoid the issue of disclosure of answer-related information to candidates, all copyright acknowledgements are reproduced in the OCR Copyright Acknowledgements Booklet. This is
produced for each series of examinations and is freely available to download from our public website (www.ocr.org.uk) after the live examination series.
© OCR 2025 H470/02 Jun25
