A2 AQA B Eng Lang - Child Acquisition

Don't worry I think everyone is!

For both acquisition and change my advice would be to make sure you structure your answer around the data and let this lead you to some sort of point or conclusion - don't just list the features that you can see.

It is always important to consider the wider context - for language acquisition look at what the child is doing (more for spoken language) and how this may affect their use of language. Confidence, power, play, schools, talking to adults - all of these may have an effect. Once you have made a point about the child's development, e.g. "this shows that social interaction is pivotal in the child's linguistic development" - here is where you want to support your statement with a theorist e.g. Bruner.

With language change, it is much harder to fit theories in, but one really good way to show you're aware of the wider context is to consider how and why the text was produced - who was it aimed at? Did the language change due to the intended audience? Alongside all the other many, many influences. :|

Basically, your essays need to go somewhere. Structure is key for AO1 marks. Like AS, use frameworks to help you - phonology, grammar, orthography... AS theorists are also applicable

I'm sure you know this anyway, sorry if I went on a bit!

Which area of acquisition have you focused on? I haven't learnt anything for writing and which do you find best?

Attached is a powerpoint on language change, and this link is a good rev document!

http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/wiki/Revision:Language_Change_and_Language_Acquisition

Hope this helps in some way!!!!

That powerpoint on Language Change is marvelous! Thanks so much for posting it

No worries - good luck!!!!!!!!