English Language A2 OCR

Hi, I am doing A2 English on the OCR exam board and the exam questions that I have handed in over the past few months have been B's and A's. I can photocopy some of my example essays if you'd like, what topic are you struggling with the most? I also have resources on Language Change theorists and Child Language Theorists. Language is my favourite subject so I have plenty of stuff for it - can you specify what you're looking for?

Hope this helps

Thanks so much for taking time to reply. Also I think it would be extremley helpful if I could look at an essay of yours.

Anyway, I'm alright with all the content and terminology it's just applying it and structuring it so that it all makes sense. Also, my teacher says I'm quite vague when explaining how the concepts link to the purpose. I also think I struggle with the first and third section on paper 1, due to having to having to write so much in half an hour for both lexis and grammar. And then they you're meant to structure and apply concepts in section 3).

Then language change is alright but I also find it difficult to structure and explain the purpose of why they've been used I.e. The impact of the long s, or how amelioration would link to concept. With, child acquisition I have no clue how to structure tbh as do all of my class, due to our teacher constantly focusing on her English Lit students so I'm quite baffled about the structuring.

Overall, I would say it's the structure and how to apply the concepts but any help would be useful.

Okay, so what I can do is basically help you section by section. For example, I'll discuss the structuring of Language Under The Microscope first (which is Q1 of P1), and once you kind of get the jist of that, we could move onto looking at the next section that you want help with.

I'm more than happy to do all of this with you because, at the end of the day, I'm re-jogging my memory and revising from it too.

How does that seem to you?

Yeah that's a great idea. That would be really helpful, thank you!

I don't have any model answers for LUTM (Language Under The Microscope) but what we're taught is the acronym GRAMPS: Genre Register Audience Mode Purpose and Subject matter.

I'm not sure if you already use this but basically it's applied to everything across the whole exam and the most important ones are Genre, Audience and Purpose.

So, say you get an advert as the text, you analyse it looking for linguistic features and how the genre, audience, and purpose impact them:
e.g. 1st person pronouns are used because this creates a closer relationship with the audience which is because of the purpose to persuade.
OR low register because it has an audience of children.

Is that making sense?

In regards to writing this stuff down in an essay... try this:

This text uses..... (AO1: linguistic feature) such as.....[quotes] which helps/does.... This is created because of the genre/audience/purpose of...

How does that look? (btw, don't be scared to just say if it doesn't make sense or anything )

It makes perfect sense lol. I'm used to the GAP method too, though I've never heard of GRAMPS. But this makes sense. My worry is, I don't know whether my paragraph will be long enough; although it is quality over quantity.
Also, do you think it would be wise to write a short introduction? I usually do and link it to my first point but it does take up some time.

Yeah I totally get what you mean. You have to remember that this question is your chance to show off all of your linguistic knowledge and shine. It needs to be packed full of AO1.

You could even take the approach of 'The genre is... this is evident through AO1, AO1, AO1, AO1'!!

BUT! If the exam question says: focusing on lexis and semantics/pragmatics/semantics/grammar then you're obviously best off starting with 'In regards to semantics...', 'Considering grammar,...', ect. Then you'll flip around what I previously showed you. So, show off all your linguistic features that fit into that linguistic sections then say how it's impacted by the G/A/P

In terms of an intro, I'm taught to do a brief round up: What is this text? Who wrote it (if provided)? What's the genre? Who's the audience? What's the purpose?

As you said before, this is only a short section with the least marks. You wanna look at doing about a 3 pages (all depending on your handwriting size) for it, which could be 3 decent sized paragraphs.

This looking any better?

Yeah it does! The way you've explained it has made it easier to understand. I just need to work on my time management more and also continue my writing, because I tend to start over when I don't like something I've written, which in itself is a bad habit. Also I need to be more "tentative" and "less vague", as my teacher would say but then again that's with all the sections LOL.
But again, the way you've explained it makes total sense.

Hm, I see what you mean, because I do tend to make my work overly complicated to seem more sophisticated, maybe not the best way but idk (I feel like I'm trying to replicate my teacher's writing style). But yeah, I do need to practise more, especially during this half term, and I'll be definitely using that framework! I'll probably do a practise now and send it over to you, and see what you think of it, if that's okay with you?

So nice to see a chat for English Language.

I really struggle on Language as it turns out my context is always dragging my grade down.

I use GAP but my teacher always says it's not detailed or specific enough and is too generic. Any tips?

Hm, I see what you mean, because I do tend to make my work overly complicated to seem more sophisticated, maybe not the best way but idk (I feel like I'm trying to replicate my teacher's writing style). But yeah, I do need to practise more, especially during this half term, and I'll be definitely using that framework! I'll probably do a practise now and send it over to you, and see what you think of it, if that's okay with you?

I made this resource: https://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/g/revision-cards/english-language-ocr-language-under-the#1

Thank you so much, I'm gonna use this right now!

Anyone got any example essays for Language Under the Microscope and Language in the Media? Don't really see the difference between the two, feel as though they're the same.

Anyone got any example essays for Language Under the Microscope and Language in the Media? Don't really see the difference between the two, feel as though they're the same.