GCSE English Language

The AQA GCSE English Language course requires candidates to demonstrate their understanding of English in real-life contexts and allows for the development of students’ analysis, inference, evaluation and creativity.

You will continue to progress with literacy skills initially built upon in Key Stage 3; reading, writing, oracy and accuracy.

Students will develop their abilities to write stories, articles, leaflets, letters and speeches – a wide range of writing designed to meet the needs of the different purposes and audiences.

Students will also have the ability to respond and react to a variety of texts through analytical study and discussion.

Students will study as a part of their course:

• Reading fiction and non-fiction from the 19^th century through to the 21^st century.
• Narrative writing
• Descriptive writing
• Writing to argue, inform, persuade, argue and explain
• Speaking and listening

You will be assessed by your teacher throughout the two years as preparation for the exam. However, the English Language course is 100% exam based.

Language Paper 1 – 1 hour 45 minutes – 80 marks – 50% of the course (Explorations in Creative Reading and Writing)

Language Paper 2 – 1 hour 45 minutes – 80 marks – 50% of the course (Writer’s viewpoints and perspectives)