The Cambridge International AS and A Level English Language (9093)

The Cambridge International AS and A Level English Language (9093) syllabus focuses on developing students’ understanding and use of the English language in various forms and contexts. The course explores both written and spoken language, offering students the opportunity to develop their analytical and communication skills. It is ideal for students interested in linguistics, communication, media studies, or pursuing careers that require strong language proficiency.

Key Areas of Study:

1. Language and Context:

  • Textual Analysis:
    • Detailed analysis of written and spoken texts from various sources, including newspapers, advertisements, speeches, and conversation.
    • Understanding how language varies according to purpose, audience, context, and genre.
  • Register and Style:
    • Exploration of formal and informal language registers, tone, and style.
    • The effect of tone, diction, and language structure on meaning and reader/audience engagement.
  • Language and Social Contexts:
    • How language reflects and constructs identity, power dynamics, gender, social status, and ethnicity.
    • Understanding language variations (dialects, sociolects, and idiolects) and their significance in communication.

2. Writing for Specific Purposes:

  • Creative and Directed Writing:
    • Developing writing skills for various genres and purposes, such as descriptive writing, narrative writing, argumentative writing, and discursive writing.
    • Writing with clarity, structure, and an awareness of audience and purpose.
  • Transforming Texts:
    • Rewriting or transforming texts from one form to another (e.g., turning a narrative into a dialogue or reworking a formal letter into an informal blog post).
    • Focus on how meaning changes with changes in language, tone, and audience.

3. Language Change and Diversity:

  • Language Development:
    • Understanding how the English language has evolved over time, including the influence of historical events, technology, and globalization.
    • Study of the impact of loanwords, neologisms, and shifts in grammatical norms on modern English.
  • World Englishes:
    • Exploration of English as a global language and its different varieties around the world (British English, American English, Indian English, etc.).
    • The role of English as a lingua franca and its implications for communication in a globalized world.
  • Language and Identity:
    • The relationship between language and identity, including the role of accent, dialect, and code-switching in expressing cultural or social identity.

4. Spoken Language:

  • Spoken Texts:
    • Analysis of transcripts of real-life spoken communication, including conversations, interviews, speeches, and broadcasts.
    • Examining features of spoken language such as turn-taking, register, fillers, and pauses.
  • Speech and Language Features:
    • Understanding the differences between spontaneous speech and scripted speech.
    • Exploring rhetorical devices in speeches (e.g., repetition, rhetorical questions, figurative language) and how these influence the audience.
  • Conversation Analysis:
    • Study of how people use spoken language to interact, build relationships, and convey meaning in everyday situations.

5. Language Analysis and Investigation:

  • Discourse Analysis:
    • Study of how language is used in longer texts (written or spoken) to convey meaning, ideology, and argument.
    • Exploration of narrative structures, argumentation strategies, and how language conveys attitude, bias, or perspective.
  • Linguistic Features:
    • Analysis of grammatical structures, word choice, sentence variety, and punctuation in both written and spoken language.
    • Understanding syntax, morphology, and phonology as tools for analyzing language patterns and choices.
  • Language Investigations:
    • Independent research projects where students investigate a specific aspect of language use, such as language in the media, gendered language, or dialect variation.

Assessment:

AS Level:

  1. Paper 1: Reading (50%)
    • Section A: Text Analysis: Students analyze how language is used in a single or a pair of texts, focusing on meaning, form, and structure.
    • Section B: Directed Writing: Students write a piece based on the style and form of a given text, adapting it for a different purpose or audience.
  2. Paper 2: Writing (50%)
    • Section A: Imaginative Writing: Creative or descriptive writing based on a prompt or stimulus.
    • Section B: Writing for an Audience: Writing for a specific purpose and audience, such as a speech, article, or formal letter.

A Level (includes AS content):

  1. Paper 3: Language Analysis (50%)

    • Section A: Spoken Language: Students analyze spoken language transcripts or audio material, focusing on language features like tone, context, and interaction.
    • Section B: Language in Context: Students explore language variation and how language changes according to social, cultural, and historical contexts.

  2. Paper 4: Language Topics (50%)

    • Section A: English in the World: Students explore how English is used globally and its various forms across different cultures.
    • Section B: Language and Identity: Focus on the connection between language, culture, identity, and society, including the study of language and gender, social class, and ethnicity.

Skills Developed:

  • Critical Thinking and Analysis: Students learn to critically evaluate language in context and analyze how it is used to communicate meaning.
  • Creative Writing: Building creative writing skills across different genres and styles.
  • Research and Investigation: Students develop the ability to conduct linguistic research and investigations on various aspects of language use.
  • Effective Communication: Improving both written and spoken communication skills for diverse audiences and purposes.

Career Pathways:

English Language provides a strong foundation for careers in journalism, media, communications, marketing, publishing, law, education, and public relations. It is also excellent preparation for further studies in linguistics, language studies, or communication fields.

The A-Level syllabus offers students a comprehensive understanding of how language works, its significance in human interaction, and how it reflects cultural and social identities. Through the study of language, students develop both academic and practical skills, enhancing their ability to analyze, create, and communicate effectively.

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