There is no coursework component needed to complete AQA AS English Language (7701), AQA A Level English Language (7702), Cambridge International AS and A Level English Language (9093), Pearson Edexcel AS English Language (XEN01), or Pearson Edexcel A Level English Language (YEN01). That is, students can attain the qualification by examination only. It is possible to complete AQA AS English Language (7701) by examination only, but the AQA A Level English Language qualification (7702) requires a non-exam assessment (NEA) and may pose difficulties for private candidates, external candidates or home educators.
Make sure to choose carefully!
Each exam board uses a syllabus or specification to clearly state, among other things, the subject course content and methods of final assessments. Additionally, each exam board will give suggested textbooks and other resources, some of which are endorsed (that is, they carefully follow the specific syllabus or specification). Teachers and students can choose the best resources to facilitate learning. You don't need all the suggested resources, but it is useful to have one or two textbooks as a scaffold, alongside the syllabus or specification and online resources as needed.
I have tutored students in Cambridge AS and A Level English Language so I am familiar with the syllabus content, varied teaching and learning strategies for individual students, and preparation for assessments (examinations). CAIE examinations were easier for my four home educated children to access, and I have been teaching or tutoring CAIE examination subjects in school or online since 2007.
I will pass on what I have used, at one time or another, to teach Cambridge AS and A Level English Language (9093). I will also give suggested resources for anyone interested in accessing AS and A Level English Language offered by AQA and Pearson Edexcel exam boards.
Make sure to choose carefully!
Each exam board uses a syllabus or specification to clearly state, among other things, the subject course content and methods of final assessments. Additionally, each exam board will give suggested textbooks and other resources, some of which are endorsed (that is, they carefully follow the specific syllabus or specification). Teachers and students can choose the best resources to facilitate learning. You don't need all the suggested resources, but it is useful to have one or two textbooks as a scaffold, alongside the syllabus or specification and online resources as needed.
I have tutored students in Cambridge AS and A Level English Language so I am familiar with the syllabus content, varied teaching and learning strategies for individual students, and preparation for assessments (examinations). CAIE examinations were easier for my four home educated children to access, and I have been teaching or tutoring CAIE examination subjects in school or online since 2007.
I will pass on what I have used, at one time or another, to teach Cambridge AS and A Level English Language (9093). I will also give suggested resources for anyone interested in accessing AS and A Level English Language offered by AQA and Pearson Edexcel exam boards.
Syllabuses and specifications
To have the most success in final assessments (exams), read the syllabus or specification carefully. Consider this as the rule book, as it gives clear details about the subject.
Here are the links for the AS and A Level English Language courses at AQA, CAIE, and Pearson Edexcel:
Here are the links for the AS and A Level English Language courses at AQA, CAIE, and Pearson Edexcel:
AQA AS and A-Level English Language (7701, 7702)
https://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/english/as-and-a-level/english-language-7701-7702
Cambridge AS and A Level English Language (9093)
https://www.cambridgeinternational.org/programmes-and-qualifications/cambridge-international-as-and-a-level-english-language-9093/
Pearson Edexcel International Advanced Level English Language (XEN01, YEN01)
https://qualifications.pearson.com/en/qualifications/edexcel-international-advanced-levels/english-language-2015.html
https://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/english/as-and-a-level/english-language-7701-7702
Cambridge AS and A Level English Language (9093)
https://www.cambridgeinternational.org/programmes-and-qualifications/cambridge-international-as-and-a-level-english-language-9093/
Pearson Edexcel International Advanced Level English Language (XEN01, YEN01)
https://qualifications.pearson.com/en/qualifications/edexcel-international-advanced-levels/english-language-2015.html
Past paper practice
One of the best ways to understand how well you will do in the final assessments is to complete some past papers, mark them, and reflect on your strengths and challenges. Then repeat the process. Strong AS and A Level knowledge and skills are built through practice, so you should make sure to get support from teachers, tutors, or mentors as necessary. In the meantime, visit the examination board's website and look for past papers, the mark schemes (answer keys or rubrics) and the examiners' reports. All these documents will be helpful in honing your skills in this subject.
Suggested textbooks
There are endorsed textbooks that are closely aligned to exam board courses and these will be the best resource to use as a scaffold for learning. Each exam board also suggests other textbooks and resources for each subject course. The choice of books for teaching and learning is yours, but I have always relied on one or two endorsed textbooks, and then used other resources to supplement my own learning and teaching.
Here are some useful suggested textbooks for AS and A Level English Language:
Here are some useful suggested textbooks for AS and A Level English Language:
AQA AS and A-Level English Language (7701, 7702)
- Giovanelli, M. (Ed) (2015) A/AS Level English Language for AQA: Student Book. ISBN: 9781107465626 [Endorsed]
- Giovanelli, M. (Ed) (2015) A/AS Level English Language and Literature for AQA: Student Book. ISBN: 9781107465664 [Endorsed]
Cambridge AS and A Level English Language (9093)
- Kemp, B. (2019) Cambridge International AS & A Level English Language: Student's Book. ISBN: 98780008287603 [Endorsed for 2021 syllabus]
- Gould, M. & Rankin, M. (2019) English Language for Cambridge International AS & A Level: Coursebook. ISBN: 9781108455824 [Endorsed for 2021 syllabus]
- Pattison, J. & Williams, D. (2014) English Language for Cambridge International AS and A Level. ISBN: 97880198300120
- Thorne, S. (2008) Mastering Advanced English Language. ISBN: 9781403994837
Pearson Edexcel International Advanced Level English Language (XEN01, YEN01)
I had some difficulty navigating the Pearson Edexcel website for Edexcel-endorsed textbooks. I did find the Getting Started Guide useful as there are suggested resources within the document, so I would read it first. Then I would use the specification as my scaffold and research the most relevant resources to closely align to the knowledge and skills building of A Level English Language. I would also use online resources to complement learning.
Useful websites for AS and A Level English Language
Using an endorsed textbook alongside the syllabus or specification is always my first strategy in teaching or tutoring AS and A Level English Language. Then I look through the online resources to supplement and complement what is being learnt, and I am constantly researching new resources.
Here are a few resources you might find useful:
Here are a few resources you might find useful:
http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/
Aimed at students, this free site has plenty of grammar and language exercises.
http://www.englishplus.com/grammar/
Aimed at students, or it can be modified by teachers, this free site explains the rules of English grammar and usage.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree
There are plenty of examples of argumentative and discursive writing to view on this paper’s website. It can be used by students to get a flavour of how to argue or discuss a topic logically and coherently.
http://www.englishbiz.co.uk/
This GCSE and A Level site is worth looking at by students, and is full of information that can be used for specific purposes (such as tips on how to write effectively), textual analysis, and revision for the exams.
http://www.virtualsalt.com/rhetoric.htm
This is a useful resource for students and teachers to define literary vocabulary.
http://www.explorewriting.co.uk/
This site has been written by professional writers, and can be a very useful site for the ablest students, or to supplement teachers’ notes.
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/
This online writing lab from Purdue University has a wealth of resources for the writing process, subject-specific writing, and English as a second language, etc. There are also specific exercises for students.
http://www.webenglishteacher.com/
This American resource is filled with study guides, professional resources for teachers, or suggestions for student reading – it is well worth a visit.
www.geoffbarton.co.uk
The teacher, Geoff Barton, has provided free resources for teachers and worksheets for IGCSE and A Level students. The site can be used for teachers’ notes or for the students, especially for revision purposes.
http://www.universalteacher.org.uk/
This site of Andrew Moore’s is very comprehensive for English Language and Literature. It is a useful reference site for teachers and students.
http://www.englishtutes.com/contents.shtml
There is quite a bit of advertising on this site, but it can be a quick reference tool for students who need reminding about the basics of the English Language.
http://www.reading.ac.uk/internal/studyadvice/StudyResources/Essays/sta-writingessay.aspx
From the University of Reading, this site helps with essay writing.
http://www.bl.uk/reshelp/findhelprestype/webres/electtext/etexts.html
Electronic text archives are useful resources if you cannot get the text. Not everything is available on these websites, but it is worth looking.
http://www.putlearningfirst.com/language/topics.html
This is a great resource for language and linguistics by Duncan Grey. Bookmark it and visit it often, especially for newer elements of the A Level course.
http://www.thinkib.net/englishalanglit/page/3007/advertising-techniques
Though this site is for International Baccalaureate (IB) students, it has useful content on advertising techniques.
http://www.bl.uk/learning/langlit/sounds/index.html
Interesting website, UK specific, on how the English language sounds in different regions, dialects, and so on.
http://www.omniglot.com/writing/writingvspeech.htm
The differences between writing and speeches.
http://www.worldwidewords.org/
Michael Quinion helps to keep us updated with the ever changing world of the English language, with new vocabulary, history of the language and more. I love it when someone is enthusiastic about his or her work and is happy to share.
https://archive.org
The Internet Archive is a treasure trove of books, magazines, music, movies and more. A great resource, but easy to lose a lot of time searching around.
http://bibliomania.com
This website has a useful research section, including dictionaries and Roget's thesaurus.
http://web.cn.edu/kwheeler/schemes.html
http://web.cn.edu/kwheeler/resource_rhet.html
Dr Wheeler's website has an easily understandable section on figures of speech. Have a look around, for more rhetorical devices.
http://www.literaryconnections.co.uk/resources/lang.html
This is a great website to bookmark and revisit. Plenty of links to other online resources too.
https://www.ucl.ac.uk/internet-grammar/
An online course on grammar by a leading university. Well worth a look.
Websites need to be checked often to make sure they are still relevant and the links are still active. All websites were checked and updated: April, 2021.
Aimed at students, this free site has plenty of grammar and language exercises.
http://www.englishplus.com/grammar/
Aimed at students, or it can be modified by teachers, this free site explains the rules of English grammar and usage.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree
There are plenty of examples of argumentative and discursive writing to view on this paper’s website. It can be used by students to get a flavour of how to argue or discuss a topic logically and coherently.
http://www.englishbiz.co.uk/
This GCSE and A Level site is worth looking at by students, and is full of information that can be used for specific purposes (such as tips on how to write effectively), textual analysis, and revision for the exams.
http://www.virtualsalt.com/rhetoric.htm
This is a useful resource for students and teachers to define literary vocabulary.
http://www.explorewriting.co.uk/
This site has been written by professional writers, and can be a very useful site for the ablest students, or to supplement teachers’ notes.
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/
This online writing lab from Purdue University has a wealth of resources for the writing process, subject-specific writing, and English as a second language, etc. There are also specific exercises for students.
http://www.webenglishteacher.com/
This American resource is filled with study guides, professional resources for teachers, or suggestions for student reading – it is well worth a visit.
www.geoffbarton.co.uk
The teacher, Geoff Barton, has provided free resources for teachers and worksheets for IGCSE and A Level students. The site can be used for teachers’ notes or for the students, especially for revision purposes.
http://www.universalteacher.org.uk/
This site of Andrew Moore’s is very comprehensive for English Language and Literature. It is a useful reference site for teachers and students.
http://www.englishtutes.com/contents.shtml
There is quite a bit of advertising on this site, but it can be a quick reference tool for students who need reminding about the basics of the English Language.
http://www.reading.ac.uk/internal/studyadvice/StudyResources/Essays/sta-writingessay.aspx
From the University of Reading, this site helps with essay writing.
http://www.bl.uk/reshelp/findhelprestype/webres/electtext/etexts.html
Electronic text archives are useful resources if you cannot get the text. Not everything is available on these websites, but it is worth looking.
http://www.putlearningfirst.com/language/topics.html
This is a great resource for language and linguistics by Duncan Grey. Bookmark it and visit it often, especially for newer elements of the A Level course.
http://www.thinkib.net/englishalanglit/page/3007/advertising-techniques
Though this site is for International Baccalaureate (IB) students, it has useful content on advertising techniques.
http://www.bl.uk/learning/langlit/sounds/index.html
Interesting website, UK specific, on how the English language sounds in different regions, dialects, and so on.
http://www.omniglot.com/writing/writingvspeech.htm
The differences between writing and speeches.
http://www.worldwidewords.org/
Michael Quinion helps to keep us updated with the ever changing world of the English language, with new vocabulary, history of the language and more. I love it when someone is enthusiastic about his or her work and is happy to share.
https://archive.org
The Internet Archive is a treasure trove of books, magazines, music, movies and more. A great resource, but easy to lose a lot of time searching around.
http://bibliomania.com
This website has a useful research section, including dictionaries and Roget's thesaurus.
http://web.cn.edu/kwheeler/schemes.html
http://web.cn.edu/kwheeler/resource_rhet.html
Dr Wheeler's website has an easily understandable section on figures of speech. Have a look around, for more rhetorical devices.
http://www.literaryconnections.co.uk/resources/lang.html
This is a great website to bookmark and revisit. Plenty of links to other online resources too.
https://www.ucl.ac.uk/internet-grammar/
An online course on grammar by a leading university. Well worth a look.
Websites need to be checked often to make sure they are still relevant and the links are still active. All websites were checked and updated: April, 2021.