A Level AQA English Language

• Assessment Objective 1: To apply appropriate methods of language analysis using associated terminology and coherent written expression
• Methods of language analysis determine relevant terminology for the text, question, and response
• Expected to understand all terminology to make informed linguistic choices
• Terminology guidance includes:

  • Lexis: vocabulary of English, changes over time
  • Semantics: analysis of word meanings
  • Grammar: rules governing language structure
  • Pragmatics: social use of language
  • Phonetics and phonology: study of speech sounds
  • Prosodic features: speech features like pitch and tone
  • Graphology: visual aspect of text design
  • Discourse: written or spoken communication
  • Register: language variation based on audience or purpose
  • Idiolect: individual's unique way of speaking
  • Dialect: language variation based on social or geographical influence
• • Social act: language use by specific social groups
• Coherent written expression requires accurate communication and expression
• Context analysis essential for correct method use
• Structure answers logically using point evidence explain (P) paragraphs
• Demonstrate accurate and perceptive knowledge of key terms for impressive answers
• Lexis and Semantics:

  • Lexis refers to vocabulary of a language
  • Semantics studies word meanings and their influence on readers
  • Writers use semantics to manipulate reader thoughts and actions
• Semantic Field:

  • Relationship between words or phrases in a text
  • Words create semantic fields to hint at deeper meanings
• Grammar:

  • Includes word classes, syntax, morphology, sentence structures
  • Internalized rules of grammar learned implicitly
• Pragmatics:

  • Meaning of utterances influenced by social and historical context
  • Consider impact of power, gender, culture, relationships on text and reader
• Phonetics is the study of sound and focuses on how phonemes are created by different parts of the mouth and the sounds they produce
• Phonology is the study of how sounds are structured and combined to create meaning
• The smallest unit of sound is called a phoneme and there are about 44 phonemes in English
• Each phoneme is given a symbol to ensure accurate pronunciation
• Prosody is the use of pitch, pace, tone, volume, intonation, stress, rhythm, pauses, tempo, etc. that can reveal things about a speaker
• Graphology features such as layout, presentation, text boxes, lists, bullets, font choices, underlining, italics, color, etc. can impact a reader and be linked to semantics and pragmatics
• Discourse is language longer than a sentence with meaning and purpose, and discourse analysis considers context to understand how it affects meaning and reception
• Discourse structure refers to recognizable patterns in the organization of a text
• Register is adapting language to suit a situation, while code switching is moving between variations of language in different contexts
• Idiolect is the unique speech style specific to an individual influenced by context, background, age, social class, audience, and mode of communication
• Accent refers to how words are pronounced and regional accents differ in pronunciation of phonemes
• Received Pronunciation is considered prestigious and doesn't contain geographical clues about a speaker
• Dialect refers to the choice of vocabulary and grammar influenced by geographical regions or social contexts
• Social act is the language used by a particular social group and is dependent on social class, age, occupation, or ethnic group