English Language A Level Language Change

AQA English Language A Level Paper 2 Section A Language Change

A very high quality sequence of lessons covering the core content for teaching language change as part of A Level English language. Has been developed and refined over the years to assist my students in securing outstanding results. Includes a range of learning activities and resources.

The unit of learning covers the following content in an accessible, engaging and rigorous manner:

Prescriptivism and Descriptivism
Lexical and Semantic Change: loss and gain, causes, contextual factors, processes
Archaic and Obsolete Words
Language Reform
Top Down Language Change: Political Correctness, Prescriptivist Institutions, Hate Speech Laws, Euphemism Treadmill
Bottom Up/Grass Roots Language Change: Semantic Reclamation
Linguistic Determinism vs Linguistic Reflectionism
Models of Language Change:
Random Fluctuation Theory, The Substratum Theory, Functional Theory, The S-Curve, The Wave Model
Attitudes towards Language Change: Jean Aitchinson, Donald Mackinnon, Lesley Milroy