Teaching ideas AS and A-level English Language Spark their imaginations this year
We ve put together this handy set of teaching ideas so you can explore new ways to engage your AS and A-level English Language students this year.
Introduction to mode and textual variation Learning objectives Students will develop understanding of mode as a concept, focusing on: spoken language computer-mediated communication genre and text type.
Introduce your class to spoken language using short extracts from different genres of talk (political speeches, interviews, casual chat, teacher talk, coaching etc.). This could include: discussion and analysis in groups, pairs or as a class about selected extracts from Computer Mediated Communication (CMC) channels including Twitter, email, text messages, Facebook, WhatsApp, WattPad, Shapchat, online forums and You Tube comments playing your class recordings and transcriptions of spoken and CMC data grouping and text classification activities from a series of selected extracts (ill-fitting pairings, etc). This could form the basis of introducing your class to your chosen major assignment on textual variation. Introduction to modes and textual variation
Introduction to sociolinguistics Learning objectives Students will work from individual language styles out towards different groups and communities, focusing on: language and the individual (idiolect) language and social groups (sociolect, ethnolect & occupational language) start to look at ideas of standard and non-standard forms in vocabulary and grammar.
Ask your students to produce their own individual language maps. This could begin by asking students to look at their own language use and map it out towards the social and occupational groups they are part of, the communities they belong to and the areas they are from. Introduce your students to language levels. This could entail using language variation to explore vocabulary, grammar and phonology. Start to look at ideas of standard and non-standard forms in vocabulary and grammar. This could form the basis of introducing your class to the chosen major assignment on language variation. Introduction to socioliguistics
Sociolinguistics Learning objectives Students will: develop to look at attitudes to variation and diversity start to look in more detail at models for explaining attitudes: complaint tradition; prescriptivism and descriptivism; discrimination and language issues start to integrate text analysis skills with grasp of wider issues around language.
Look at media representations of different varieties of English i.e. articles on accent discrimination, gender differences, multicultural London English and youth speak. Use your own wider reading resources to explore attitudes to diversity and variation in language. This could form the basis of introducing your class to the chosen major assignment on analysis of articles on media representations of language variation and diversity. Socioliguistics
Language diversity Learning objectives Students will: revisit language diversity topics from Year One and add world Englishes explore concepts, theories and ideas around diversity, variation and attitudes to them essay writing practice.
In groups, pairs or as a class, look at case studies of specific varieties of regional, social and world Englishes. Explore ideas with your students and then ask them to work on pairs of texts for analysis and evaluation. Language diversity
Introduction to language change Learning objectives Start work on how and why language changes.
Introduce some selected older texts to your class (use alongside other texts from mode and textual variation). Ask your students to work in groups, pairs or as a class to look at examples of language change (technology, social change, movement of people) and attitudes to change (link to attitudes to diversity). Introduction to language changes.
For more inspiration for your lesson plans this year, visit: aqa.org.uk/english
Supporting you as you begin a year of new possibilities.