The Student Room Group

A-Level AQA English Language (7702) - 6th and 8th June 2018 [Exam Discussion]

Seems like not many people are taking these two exams. Only 3 weeks to go!

I'm not sure how to revise all the diversity areas - any ideas on where to start?

Overview:



Paper 1 - Textual variations and CLA



Section A - Textual variations and representations

Analyse how Text A uses language to create meanings and representations [25 marks]

Analyse how Text B uses language to create meanings and representations (will always be an older text) [25 marks]

Explore the similarities and differences in the way Texts A and B use language. [20 marks]



Section B - Child language development

Two questions with statements about CLA, one for reading / speaking and one for writing. You can choose from either one. Both are 30 marks.



Paper 2 - Language change, diversity and discourses



Section A - Language change and diversity

Two questions on any of the following diversity areas:

"Evaluate the idea that..."

Gender
Occupation
Age
Accents & Dialects
Sexuality
Power
Language change (technological, historical, semantic, grammatical etc.)
Social group

Both worth 30 marks

Section B - Discourses

Question 3: You're given two texts in the insert which will be about language change.

Analyse how language is used in Text A and B to present views about the nature of language change. In your answer you should:

explore any similarities and differences you find between the two texts

explore how effectively the texts present their views.


30 marks

Question 4: Write an article about language change in which you assess the ideas and issues raised in Text A and B and argue your own views.

40 marks




Scroll to see replies

Reply 1
hey,
do you have any revision notes on the topics other than gender? im soo stuck
Reply 2
Original post by hirallnb
hey,
do you have any revision notes on the topics other than gender? im soo stuck


Occupation - https://quizlet.com/114176567/language-occupation-terms-theorists-flash-cards/
Age - https://quizlet.com/180871243/a-level-english-language-age-theories-flash-cards/
Accents & Dialects - https://quizlet.com/43549032/accent-and-dialect-theories-flash-cards/
Language change - https://quizlet.com/86064695/english-language-a2-language-change-revision-flash-cards/
World Englishes - https://quizlet.com/214248629/a-level-english-language-world-englishes-flash-cards/
Sexuality - https://quizlet.com/210142521/diversity-sexuality-theories-diagram/

I don't imagine a gender question will come up in the exam since it came up in the last. I'd say accents / dialects, world englishes and occupation or age are most likely to come up.

Language change is definitely likely to come up in the discourses section, but again you can't be too sure.
Just to let you know I have added this to the exam thread directory that you can find here.

Good luck with your exams, I hope the revision is going well! :biggrin:
Reply 4
[QUOTE=Fovyqapu;77919676
thank you!!
Reply 5
do you have any tips or notes for paper 1, as well as CLA
Original post by Fovyqapu
Occupation - https://quizlet.com/114176567/language-occupation-terms-theorists-flash-cards/
Age - https://quizlet.com/180871243/a-level-english-language-age-theories-flash-cards/
Accents & Dialects - https://quizlet.com/43549032/accent-and-dialect-theories-flash-cards/
Language change - https://quizlet.com/86064695/english-language-a2-language-change-revision-flash-cards/
World Englishes - https://quizlet.com/214248629/a-level-english-language-world-englishes-flash-cards/
Sexuality - https://quizlet.com/210142521/diversity-sexuality-theories-diagram/

I don't imagine a gender question will come up in the exam since it came up in the last. I'd say accents / dialects, world englishes and occupation or age are most likely to come up.

Language change is definitely likely to come up in the discourses section, but again you can't be too sure.





This is literally beyond helpful thank you so much
Reply 7
Anyone have any prediction that may come for CLA for Paper 1 and anything for Paper 2
Reply 8
Original post by hirallnb
do you have any tips or notes for paper 1, as well as CLA


Section A - Textual Variations can be tackled with a simple toolkit called TRAMP-G:

Tone - what formality is the text in? Is it formal or casual? Is there a level of intimacy involved?
Register - is there a semantic field present? What choices has the text made?
Audience - who is the text for? Is it for a specialist or general audience? How are they represented through certain words?
Mode - is the text written or spoken? Is there an element of both? What does this allow the text to do?
Purpose - what is the text trying to achieve? What methods does it use to achieve it?
Genre / Context - what format is the text in? Is it a broadsheet or a tabloid? Or an online forum perhaps?

Additionally, where applicable, you can expand this to Graphology (any images / emoji / colours present) and Voice (is the text in the active (present tense) voice or the passive (past tense) voice)

For Questions 1 and 2, annotate word classes (noun phrases, adverbial phrases, pronouns, possessive determiners, definite articles etc) and establish what each of the six features are. Then talk about how these word classes represent the reader, writer and topic.

I would follow an answer structure like:

An introduction - mention what the tone, register, audience, mode, purpose and genre are, plus graphology and voice if applicable

How the reader is represented / any meanings or stereotypes created

How the writer is represented

How the topic is represented



Question 3 can be done using multiple methods, although the one I find to make the most sense is:

A paragraph on similarities between the text

A paragraph on differences

A summary as a whole.



Section B - CLA is entirely a matter of pot luck when it comes to the kind of questions you'll get (you can choose from either the speaking question or the writing question), so there's no real way to prepare for it. Definitely make sure that you know the key theories:

Behaviourism - language is a result of conditioning. Skinner, operant conditioning, positive / negative reinforcement

Nativism - children have innate ability to learn language. Chomsky, Language Acquisition Device (LAD), universal grammar rules

Interactionism - children learn best when interacting with caregivers. Bruner, Language Acquisition Support System, scaffolding

Cognitive theory - Piaget's stages of development



and the A-Level's own stages of development:

Pre-verbal / babbling - cooing, baby sounds etc

Holophrastic - one word utterances

Two-word - two word utterances

Telegraphic - sentences without grammatical words, akin to a telegram

Post-telegraphic - complete sentences, resemble adult speech



CLA also has its own linguistic classes: recasts, reduplication, deletion, addition, assimilation etc.

I myself am going for the speaking question since my teacher spent more time teaching us about it before we had to wrap up for mock exams, so I practically don't know anything about child writing development. Needless to say, if anyone can share knowledge that'd be great.
(edited 5 years ago)
Does anyone have any predictions for what might be asked for the child language question?
Reply 10
Original post by sophiabok
Does anyone have any predictions for what might be asked for the child language question?


Anything other than Child Directed Speech since it was in the last paper:

“Child directed speech is a major factor in the development of a child’s language.”
what should I revise for paper 1? someone please help
Original post by jameshancock0708
what should I revise for paper 1? someone please help


CLA and annotating texts with PPGGLSD n that
I'd assume it'd either be about CDS, the environment, play or something to do with nativism as those are the main kind of things they could ask?
Original post by sophiabok
Does anyone have any predictions for what might be asked for the child language question?


I'd assume something around either CDS, the child's environment, play or something to do with nativism/'innate system' as those are the main areas they can really ask about?
Yeah that’s what I was thinking, because even if they ask about how language of their peers affect their development that’s still essentially CDS.
Original post by tmansfield039
CLA and annotating texts with PPGGLSD n that


whats PPGGLSD ahahhah!
Reply 17
Does anyone know how to answer Question 3 in Paper 2? I'm struggling with it
Original post by Fovyqapu
Seems like not many people are taking these two exams. Only 3 weeks to go!

I'm not sure how to revise all the diversity areas - any ideas on where to start?

Overview:




Paper 1 - Textual variations and CLA




Section A - Textual variations and representations

Analyse how Text A uses language to create meanings and representations [25 marks]

Analyse how Text B uses language to create meanings and representations (will always be an older text) [25 marks]

Explore the similarities and differences in the way Texts A and B use language. [20 marks]



Section B - Child language development

Two questions with statements about CLA, one for reading / speaking and one for writing. You can choose from either one. Both are 30 marks.




Paper 2 - Language change, diversity and discourses




Section A - Language change and diversity

Two questions on any of the following diversity areas:

"Evaluate the idea that..."

Gender
Occupation
Age
Accents & Dialects
Sexuality
Power
Language change (technological, historical, semantic, grammatical etc.)
Social group

Both worth 30 marks

Section B - Discourses

Question 3: You're given two texts in the insert which will be about language change.

Analyse how language is used in Text A and B to present views about the nature of language change. In your answer you should:

explore any similarities and differences you find between the two texts

explore how effectively the texts present their views.


30 marks

Question 4: Write an article about language change in which you assess the ideas and issues raised in Text A and B and argue your own views.

40 marks









Do you have any advice on opinion articles?? I honestly haven't touched it in my revision and couldn't even tell you what topics it could be on??
Is it supposed to be a response to those two texts????? How long should it be (going by a4 lied paper)? HELPPPP
Original post by Katyphillips2468
Do you have any advice on opinion articles?? I honestly haven't touched it in my revision and couldn't even tell you what topics it could be on??
Is it supposed to be a response to those two texts????? How long should it be (going by a4 lied paper)? HELPPPP


you reference the texts in your article so its based on the same stuff pretty much. I would probably write like 3 sides.

Remember its for as unspecialised reader/audience so you have to explain any linguistic terms/theories you mention

Quick Reply

Latest