A fun topical, general knowledge and Christmas themed quiz to be played in teams. 11 available rounds: Christmas Crackers, Name That Tune, Music, Science, Books & Art, History, TV & Film, Over The Rainbow, Find the Connection, Geography & Nature. Tie break round (if needed) The quiz is presented as a PowerPoint with hyperlinks that direct you to each round chosen from the menu and then back to the menu after each round. Answers to questions are provided in notes pane of PPT. NB - do not display this to class as you are using it!! Suggested play: 1 Each team devises their team name 2 Start with whole class round (teams confer and write down answers) - suggest Christmas Crackers Scores recorded on whiteboard at end of each round Scoring of round 1 determines in which order the teams gets to choose their individual round from the menu (slide 2) - highest or lowest first according to teacher preference. 3 Each team answers their own chosen round verbally. If incorrect or not known, questions are offered to whole class who can earn bonus points by stealing the question (first to raise hand) 4 After each team has particpated, play can return to whole class rounds (written answers) or if there are only 3 or 4 teams, another individual round can be chosen from the menu 5 Final round should be a whole class round chosen by the teacher 6 If there is a tie, use the tie break round The quiz is presented as a PowerPoint with hyperlinks that direct you to each round chosen from the menu and then back to the menu after each round. This was devised for sixth formers but can be played by bright groups from Year 10 upwards.

This is a package of materials to help the teacher support students in their preparation for Question 3 on Paper 1 of the OCR A Level English Language A Level; Comparing and contrasting texts (36 marks) IMPORTANT: These resources were devised for the OCR AS English Language Exam Paper 1 Question 2 which is also called Comparing and contrasting texts.This task is basically the same at both AS and A Level but the question wording, timing and marks available are different. Therefore the PPT should be amended with question wording, marks available and timings before use with A Level students to avoid confusion At A Level, students will be set a more diverse range of texts for comparison in the exam than in AS and it is also not guaranteed that one of the texts will be spontaneous spoken English. Therefore, during the exam preparation period, students should be presented with a wide variety of texts for comparison taken from past OCR exam papers and should compare their answers with the indicative content for these questions supplied by OCR and available on their website. This package consists of the following: PowerPoint outlining exam technique for the comparing and contrasting exam task Three spoken language revision sheets (map, recall practice and mode differences) (pdfs) Comparison practice of 2 texts linked by topic of ‘riots’ (pdf) Indicative content for these texts (Word doc). Exam essay plan suggestion (Word doc) Links to 5 videos connected the previous resources to help teachers to prepare for lessons or to share with students during their independent study time: Comparing and contrasting exam technique 15m13s Spoken language recall practice (normal speed with sound) 23m51s Spoken language recall practice (sped up x 4, no sound) 5m57s Comparing and contrasting 2 texts on topic of riots (normal speed with sound) 24m55s Comparing and contrasting 2 texts on topic of riots (sped up, no sound) 6m05s

This is a package of classroom materials (12 print, 4 PowerPoint and 4 videos) to help teachers support students prepare for Question 3 on Paper 2 (36 marks) - Language change It contains useful classroom material - for active use by students in the classroom as well as summary handouts for students to take away. The materials are accompanied by videos that teachers can either use themselves to prepare for class or to share with students when they start to revise independently. The materials include a demonstration of how to prepare and plan a change exam essay using 2 recipe texts. The revision materials are sequenced as follows: They start with the review of broad time periods (Mark scheme: AO3 “possible effect of contextual factors” “how context might account for variations”) to help orientate your students about what external factors might have impacted on the writing they will be presented with in the exam. Next they help students to revise key language concepts they have met over their 2 years of study to help remind them about how these could be used to best effect in this synoptic exam task to achieve highly in AO4 (Mark scheme: “appropriate linguistic concepts”) Finally, there is revision of language features especially useful for this exam question (AO1) arranged by language level to help students make a systematic comparative analysis (Mark scheme: “apply a range of appropriate methods in an assured and systematic way”) of the 2 texts within the exam. The package contains the following materials: AO3 revision - broad historical periods - blank grid (.doc) AO3 revision - broad historical periods - grid complete (.pdf) AO3 Broad historical context affecting language change - summary (.pppt) AO4 Useful key concepts for language change - full (.ppt) AO4 Useful key concepts for language change - summary (.ppt) AO4 How to apply conceptual knowledge in a language change comparative analysis (.doc) AO1 - using the language levels to approach the 2 change texts (.doc) AO1 Prompts for approaching the 2 texts - arranged by language level - blank (.doc) AO1 Prompts for approaching the 2 texts - arranged by language level - completed (.doc) AO1 and AO3 - Inferring context from language indicators (.doc) Suggested essay structure for language change comparative exam task (.pdf) How to approach a Language Change exam essay (Recipes) (.ppt) Recipe texts for comparison (.doc) Recipe texts - indicative content (.doc) Links to videos which support these documents (.pdf)

This package of materials helps you to support your students’ revision for the OCR A Level English Language Paper 2 Section B - Language in the Media In this task (worth 24 marks) students are presented with a text taken from contemporary media and are expected to examine the how the language in the text might: represent power and/or represent gender and/or show how technology might have affected the language in the text Students can take any approach to the text they feel is relevant, so do not have to make comment on all 3 of the above within the time they are given. They should, however, be led by the text and make judgements about what to focus on within their essay although their answer should include language concepts they have encountered over the 2 years of study. This package leads students through revision of** language concepts** related to the representations of power and gender as well as how technology has affected language. The package consists of the following: PPT: Representations of power - what to consider - linked to video below PPT: Representations of gender - what to consider - linked to video below pdf: Recall practice of AO2 concepts - language and technology PPT: Recalling AO2 concepts - of power and gender pdf: Representation of gender - concepts arranged by language level Word doc: contains links to 15 videos that contain: Recall practice for power, gender and technology concepts both at normal speed (with sound) and sped up versions (no sound) to share with students in their independent study Demonstrations of how to annotate the exam text and essay plan for 2 past paper texts: House of the Future and Spyware PPTs 1 and 2 (perhaps for use by the teacher in preparation for the revision sessions) Spyware annotated text - pdf

These materials start the students on their route to finding an investigation that suits them best for their NEA (worth 20% of the marks for the A Level). The materials were originally used within 2 x 90 minute lessons in order to prompt initial individual tutorials with the teacher. In our centre, we start the NEA in the last half term before the summer holidays once AS (or internal) exams are complete, aiming for the students to explore the feasibility of their top 3 ideas within the half term before settling on their preferred research investigation. Once this is approved by the teacher, we ask students to gather most of their data by the end of the summer term. This package includes a spreadsheet of all investigations done (and approved by OCR) by students over 5 years at one centre which may be very useful if your centre is new to teaching the syllabus and your students do not have access to work done by previous students. The list is not exhaustive and the investigations described are not intended to be replicated but merely to show the range of data that can be investigated and possible research focuses. This package includes the following: Booklet (Word) - Finding a topic Powerpoint - Finding a topic - reviewing past projects Excel spreadsheet containing a list of 138 investigations organised by power, gender, technology, representation and ‘other’ Powerpoint - Focus for independent work and tutorials with teacher More resources to help with the NEA Another small package (also on TES) called “Research Methods for Investigations” can be used as an additional starter (one 90 minute lesson) for the NEA investigation work (to be used before this series of lessons). Additional notes: A nice initial introductory exercise (not included with these resources) is to put students into small groups (3 - 4) and give them a bundle (1 per student) of previous years’ investigations that achieved different grades. Method: Once all students in each group have read all the projects they have been given, ask them to discuss and reach a consensus about a possible rank order and their justifications. Share the marks and comments for the projects with the students and ask the group collaboratively to devise a list of characteristics of “a successful investigation” according to their observations of projects and markers’ comments they have read. [NB: To comply with GDPR rules within your own institution, you may wish to remove identification from past projects unless students have given express permission for their work to be shared with future students.]

This is a lesson activity (90 mins) which can be used immediately before introducing the NEA to your students. It makes use of the prior learning of students in your groups who study A Level Sociology or Psychology as knowledge of the pros and cons of various social science research methods is central to their course and highly relevant to the English Language independent research project. It consists of the following: Powerpoint - Research methods for the NEA Student discussion grid (blank) Research methods (recap) As a final summary for students, I also recommend the article “Overcoming the observer’s paradox - collecting spoken language data” by Danuta Reah which can be found in emagazine (E49] September 2010 p12-15

This is a package of revision resources that can be used to recap what is required for Paper 1 Question 1 of the OCR A Level English Language exam. It consists of the following: Terminology pdf to learn for lexis and semantics for Q1 Part a (10 marks). Terminology pdf to learn for grammar (or more accurately the “construction of sentences”) for Q1 Part b (10 marks). A PPT for use in class that demands students recall these terms for themselves before the revision sheets are shared. Link to 3 videos on YouTube showing how to annotate the sample text from the OCR Delivery Guide (p15) of a page from The Three Little Pigs (Ladybird Book). I have included both the sped up version for showing in class after students have attempted to do this for themselves and the full length version which a teacher might want to use themselves before the class. I have also included a link to a 5 min video where I explain what the task is asking for and how to meet the AOs for this task - Paper 1 Q1 (Language Under the Microscope) . My annotated version of the Three Little Pigs text showing both lexis and semantic features and the “grammatical” (ie sentence) features that could be analysed. One slide PPT reminder of how to do well and hit the AOs on this question

A small package of resources for revising for this part of the OCR English Language A Level Exam Paper 1 - Writing About a Topical Language Issue (24 marks) It includes: A PPT How to do well at topical writing for use with students in class which explains what the examiner is looking for. This is directly related to the assessment objectives for this question (AO2 and AO5) Link to my video going into more detail about this PPT . This could be viewed by the teacher before using the PPT in class How to make it topical - a series of slides (on PPT) that show students how to search for recent, topical language-related material and make revision notes on these in case they might be able to use this topical material in their writing in the exam

This is a small package of materials to help teachers support their students preparing for Question 1 of Paper 2 OCR A Level English Language - Child language acquisition. The package consists of: An example of brainstormed recall practice for the CLA question A grid which shows stages of development arranged by approximate age and by the 3 different linguistic focuses demanded in this question: grammar, meaning and phonology A checklist of what language features (AO1) could be discussed in an exam essay related to theoretical or research findings (AO2) Links to 2 videos related to the above materials that could be used by teacher to prepare for lessons or shared with students to use in their own independent study i) How to structure a CLA exam essay ii) Stages of language development - discussion of the grid

A fun topical, general knowledge and Christmas themed quiz to be played in teams. 10 available rounds: Christmas Crackers, Name That Tune, Music, Science, Books & Art, History, TV & Film, Over The Rainbow, Find the Connection, Geography & Nature. Tie break round (if needed) Answers to questions are provided in notes pane of PPT. Suggested play Each team devises their team name Start with whole class round (teams confer and write down answers) - suggest Christmas Crackers Scores recorded on whiteboard at end of each round Scoring of round 1 determines in which order the teams gets to choose their individual round from the menu (slide 2) - highest or lowest first according to teacher preference. Each team answers their own chosen round verbally. If incorrect or not known, questions are offered to whole class who can earn bonus points by stealing the question (first to raise hand) After each team has particpated, play can return to whole class rounds (written answers) or if there are only 3 or 4 teams, another individual round can be chosen from the menu Final round should be a whole class round chosen by the teacher If there is a tie, use the tie break round The quiz is presented as a PowerPoint with hyperlinks that direct you to each round chosen from the menu and then back to the menu after each round. This was devised for sixth formers but can be played by bright groups from Year 10 upwards.

An introductory or induction lesson bundle which introduces an accessible topical language issue: attitudes to Americanisms. The materials are intended to get students talking to each other at the start of the course and generate topical language debate linked to lexis and language change. The materials include: Worksheet in Word containing 2 preparatory activities: a) simple research into loan words and b) listening to a BBC Radio programme called Americanize! (A hyperlink to the radio resource is contained in the worksheet.) This can be set an an enrolment challenge or first homework after an initial icebreaker meet-and-greet session. PowerPoint for first lesson use which includes the answers to the loan word research, a link to a Kahoot game and to a David Mitchell Soapbox video about Americanisms to stimulate debate into attitudes about Americanisms. This can be edited to set your own deadline or remove the homework task. Assignment sheet in Word for first homework