This is a handout with several extracts from linguistic theory pertaining to young people and language which I collated for my students. It is useful for Language and Social Groups as well as the Directed Writing task on paper two, section B.

This is a PowerPoint I use to introduce Language Discourses, i.e. common discussions about language use in the media such as disease, decay, decline etc. The first extract is already analysed and then the rest should be shared out amongst students for their own analysis of lexis, grammar, discourse and graphology . Students should then feed back their findings and discuss with the class.

This is a matching exercise I used as a starter activity at the beginning of the Accent and Dialect unit. Students should match up dialect words with their definitions. There are two different versions on the first document. The second document has the answers.

A brief PP introducing the theory of upward and downward accent convergence accompanied by two Guardian articles about attitudes to regional accents.

This is a PowerPoint I put together to introduce the subject of Accent Levelling. It draws on the research of Paul Kerswill and goes through the historical, economic and social causes of the phenomenon. I have found the following website (https://aggslanguage.wordpress.com/2009/09/20/dialect-levelling/#:~:text=have previously clashed.-,Dialect levelling is a form of standardisation whereby local variations,may never have previously clashed.) extremely useful and acknowledge its contribution to the PP. There is a short research task at the end.

This is a resource for revising key concepts and theorists for accent + dialect, social groups and ethnicity for paper 2 section A. It is a collation of notes, many taken from Internet sources along with a very useful exercise investigating the connection between UK positions of power, accent and education. My students have used the results of this as original research in exam essays.

A handy sheet covering nouns, adjectives, verbs and adverbs to familiarise students with these terms. Suitable for preparing students for both English Language papers. They can be stuck into exercise books or laminated for use use during the lesson.

A wordsearch made up of the players in Shakespeare’s theatre. Includes the answers!

A free PowerPoint and script for a school (secondary) assembly about the history of libraries starting with Qarawiyyan Library in Tunisia. The resource also contains clips of famous films/tv programmes involving libraries from Agatha Christie to Ghostbusters. Originally written for a World Book Day and presented by a group of students, the script can be split up for several readers.

This resource was made for an English faculty assembly about famous women writers starting with Aphra Behn and ending with J. K. Rowling. There is a PowerPoint with quotations from each writer, and a script which tells the stories from the writers’ points of view.

A quiz to check students can identify significant characters from Romeo and Juliet. Includes answers.

This is a sheet I made for students, clearly outlining the skills for each English Language paper as well as the different levels of response, e.g. Level 4 Perceptive, detailed, Level 3 Clear, relevant, Level 2 Some, attempts, Level 1 Simple, limited. It was very useful as an overview of what is expected by the two exam papers.

Simple step-by-step exercises for lower-ability students taking them through writing a description of a character. Covers simple metaphors and similes too. Culminates in a three paragraph description.

This is the script and PowerPoint for an assembly I made about courageous women. I tried to include some women who weren’t familiar at all to students as well as ones like Greta Thunberg. There are some YouTube clips included as well. Courageous women: The Night Witches, Nancy Wake, Edith Cavell, Charlotte Marsh, Rosa Parks, Ei Thinzar Maung , Maslala Yousafai, Jocelyn Bell Burnell, Greta Thunberg.

I made this PowerPoint as part of the Language Change unit for A level English Language, paper 2. It briefly introduces some of the main influences on English spelling from Caxton, to the Great Vowel Shift to standardisation and finishes with a video called “Why is English spelling so weird?”

A lesson resource for GCSE English Literature, An Inspector Calls focussing on Gerald. It has a list of quotations by or about Gerald in Act Two which students should sort into categories matching a list of statements. This is followed by a set of discussion points for students to work on in pairs. They are then asked to plan and write the essay: In Act Two of An Inspector Calls, Priestley presents Gerald as a dislikeable character. Discuss this statement with close reference to the play Pages 3 and 4 have the quotations which should be cut up for students to organise into groups. I found this a really useful way to consider Gerald’s role in the play in the context of patriarchy and capitalism. It also asks students to consider the subtleties of his character which make him more believable.

This is a PowerPoint thoroughly presenting contextual factors in Romeo and Juliet including: religion + sin, patriarchy, setting and Artistotle. This resource is extremely useful for introducing AO3 factors (exploration of ideas/perspectives/contextual factors ) present in the play with references and some suggestions for discussion.

A level English Language resource for paper 1 section B, child language development. It is a worksheet exploring language acquisition and the brain, with information about Wernicke’s area, Broca’s area etc. I use it to encourage discussion about which of the main theories - Innateness, Behaviourist and Social Interactionist - are supported by the physical aspects of the brain.

A group activity worksheet focussing on key concepts in Romeo and Juliet - e.g. fate, youth/age, love, honour - for AO1, level 6 of the markscheme. Students should work in groups to find appropriate extracts, make a list of key points and then write an opening paragraph to an analysis. Their finished copies can be printed out so that they have a revision resource about concepts in Romeo and Juliet. Full guidance for teachers given.

This is a PowerPoint introducing the stages of grammatical development in young children’s speech - holophrase, two-word, telegraphic etc - for the Paper 1 Section B topic. It has one or two short tasks for students to consider how language develops.