GCSE English Language Specification Specification (version 1.4)

GCSESpecificationEnglish LanguageFor exams January 2011 onwards andFor certification June 2012 onwards

Our specification is published on our website (http://www.aqa.org.uk). We will let centres know in writing aboutany changes to the specification. We will also publish changes on our website. The definitive version of ourspecification will always be the one on our website, this may differ from printed versions.Vertical black lines indicate a significant change or addition to the previous version of this specification.You can get further copies of this specification from:AQA Logistics Centre (Manchester)Unit 2Wheel Forge WayAshburton ParkTrafford ParkManchesterM17 1EHOr, you can download a copy from our website (www.aqa.org.uk)Copyright © 2009 AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved.CopyrightAQA retains the copyright on all its publications, including the specifications. However, registered centres forAQA are permitted to copy material from this specification booklet for their own internal use.The Assessment and Qualifications Alliance (AQA), is a company limited by guarantee, registered in Englandand Wales (company number 3644723), and a registered charity (number 1073334).Registered address:AQADevas Street,ManchesterM15 6EX

GCSE English Language for teaching from September 2010 onwards (version 1.4)Contents1 Introduction 21a Why choose AQA? 21b Why choose GCSE English Language? 31c How do I start using this specification? 41d How can I find out more? 42 Specification at a Glance 53 Subject Content 83a Unit 1: Understanding and producing non-fiction texts 83b Unit 2: Speaking and Listening 93c Unit 3: Understanding spoken and written texts and writing creatively 114 Scheme of Assessment 184a Aims and learning outcomes 184b Assessment Objectives 184c National criteria 194d Overlap between GCSE English and GCSE English Language 194e Centres in Wales 194f Previous Learning requirements 204g Access to assessment: diversity and inclusion 205 Administration 215a Availability of assessment units and certification 215b Entries 215c Private candidates 215d Access arrangements, reasonable adjustments and special consideration 225e Examination language 225f Qualification titles 225g Awarding grades and reporting results 235h Re-sits and how long unit results remain available to counttowards certification 246 Controlled Assessment administration 256a Authenticating that Controlled Assessment work is genuine 256b Malpractice 256c Teacher standardisation 266d Internal standardisation of marking 266e Annotation of Controlled Assessment work 266f Submitting marks and sample work for moderation 266g Factors affecting individual candidates 276h Keeping candidates’ work 277 Moderation 287a Moderation procedures 287b Consortium arrangements 287c Procedures after moderation 28Appendices 29A Grade descriptions 29B Spiritual, moral, ethical, social, legislative, sustainable development,economic and cultural issues and health and safety considerations 31C Overlaps with other qualifications 32D Wider Key Skills – Teaching, developing and providing opportunities forgenerating evidence 33E Assessment Criteria for Controlled Assessment 341

GCSE English Language for teaching from September 2010 onwards (version 1.4)1 Introduction11aWhy choose AQA?We, AQA, are the United Kingdom’s favouriteawarding body and more students get their academicqualifications from us than from any other board. Butwhy are we so popular?We understand the different requirements ofeach subject by working with teachers.Our GCSEs:help students achieve their full potentialare relevant for today’s challengesare manageable for schools and collegesare easy to understand by students of all levelsof abilitylead to accurate results, delivered on time; andare affordable and value for money.We provide a wide range of support services forteachers, including:access to subject departmentstraining for teachers, including practicalteaching strategies and methods that work,presented by senior examinersindividual support for Controlled Assessment24-hour support through our website andonline with Ask AQApast question papers and mark schemesa wide range of printed and electronicresources for teachers and studentsfree online results analysis, with EnhancedResults Analysis.We are an educational charity focused on the needsof the learner. All our income is spent on improvingthe quality of our specifications, examinations andsupport services. We don’t aim to profit fromeducation, we want you to.If you are already a customer we thank you for yoursupport. If you are thinking of joining us we lookforward to welcoming you.2

GCSE English Language for teaching from September 2010 onwards (version 1.4)Subject Content8 Summary of Subject Content1bWhy choose GCSE English Language?This specification allows candidates todemonstrate their ability in functional English;to investigate and analyse language; and, toexperiment and use language creatively.The specification offers a skills-basedapproach to the study of English. This enablescandidates to make ‘fresh’ and individualresponses to each element of assessment.The specification is most suitable for thosewho wish to explore English Language in moredepth, and (in combination with EnglishLiterature) experience greater breadth ofEnglish studies at this level.The scheme of assessment is unitised, offeringflexibility. This enables centres to take variedroutes in preparing candidates for assessment.Candidates can be entered when they areready to be assessed and may re-sit eachindividual unit.The examination paper and controlledassessments will be available twice a year.Exam papers will be available at Higher andFoundation Tiers, giving access to the coursefor candidates of all abilities.The externally examined unit is common toGCSE English. This gives teachers theflexibility to make late entry decisions wherethey may choose to enter candidates for eitherGCSE English (1 GCSE) or GCSE EnglishLanguage plus GCSE English Literature (2GCSEs).The specification covers the functionalelements of English. This is done mainlythrough the externally examined unit. The term‘functional’ should be considered in the broadsense of providing learners with the skills andabilities they need to take an active andresponsible role in their communities, in theireveryday lives, workplaces and educationalsettings.Speaking and Listening is internally assessedand is common to GCSE English and GCSEEnglish Language. This unit draws on thegood practice observed during the previousspecification and allows teachers to set tasksthat are relevant to their students. Candidatesneed to exhibit their ability to speak and listenin functional contexts which require them todiscuss and present. They also need todemonstrate their ability to role play in eitherfunctional or dramatic situations. This unit is anexcellent preparation for life beyond theclassroom.Extended reading in this specification isassessed through Controlled Assessment.Candidates may use a text they are studyingas part of GCSE English Literature or may usean additional text, including the possibility ofstudying a non-fiction text. Tasks will beselected from a bank of questions thatencourage the candidate to choose their ownaspect of study and develop a personalresponse.Creative writing is also assessed throughControlled Assessment. Drawing on the‘creative’ agenda in the National CurriculumProgramme of Study, candidates will beencouraged to be imaginative and toexperiment with language to create writing thatgoes beyond the ‘real life’ contexts of thewriting in the external unit.This specification introduces the ‘spokenlanguage study’ to Controlled Assessment.This is an investigative approach to the wayoral communication works and offers clearprogression to GCE English Language.This specification offers excellent preparationfor GCE English Language specifications.The specification has been developed inconsultation with practising teachers andsubject associations.13

GCSE English Language for teaching from September 2010 onwards (version 1.4)1cHow do I start using this specification?1To ensure you receive all the teaching andexamination material, it is important that the personresponsible for making the decision to teach AQAinforms both AQA and their Exam Officer.Step one:To confirm you will be teaching this specification gotowww.aqa.org.uk/signup and complete the onlineform. You will then receive your free GCSE EnglishLanguage welcome pack(s) that contain teaching andsupport material.Step two:Inform your Exam Officer of your choiceto ensure you receive all your examination material.Your Exam Officer will make sure that your centre isregistered with AQA and will complete the Intention toEnter and Estimated Entries when requiredto do so.If your centre has not used AQA for any examinationsin the past, please contact our centre approval teamat centreapproval@aqa.org.uk.1dHow can I find out more?You can choose to find out more about thisspecification or the services that AQA offers in anumber of ways.Ask AQAYou have 24-hour access to useful information andanswers to the most commonly asked questions atwww.aqa.org.uk/askaqaIf the answer to your question is not available, youcan submit a query through Ask AQA for our team.We will respond within two working days.Speak to your subject teamYou can talk directly to the GCSE English Languagesubject team about this specification either bye-mailing english-gcse@aqa.org.uk or by calling0161 953 1180.Teacher Support MeetingsDetails of the full range of our Teacher Supportmeetings are available on our website atwww.aqa.org.uk/support/teachers.php.There is also a link to our fast and convenient onlinebooking system for Teacher Support meetings atevents.aqa.org.uk/ebookingIf you need to contact the Teacher Support team, youcan call us on 01483 477860 or e-mail us atteachersupport@aqa.org.ukLatest information onlineYou can find out more including the latest news, howto register to use Enhanced Results Analysis, supportand downloadable resources on our website atwww.aqa.org.uk4

GCSE English Language for teaching from September 2010 onwards (version 1.4)2 Specification at a GlanceGCSE English LanguageUnit 1: Understanding and producing non-fiction textsExternal examination40% of the total GCSE marks2 hours15 minutes80 marksSection A: Reading20% of the total GCSE marksSection B: Writing20% of the total GCSE marks40 marks40 marks2PLUSUnit 2: Speaking and ListeningControlled Assessment20% of the total GCSE marks45 marksPLUSUnit 3: Understanding spoken and written texts andwriting creativelyControlled Assessment40% of the total GCSE marksPart a: Extended reading15% of the total GCSE marksPart b: Creative writing15% of the total GCSE marksPart c: Spoken Language Study10% of the total GCSE mark80 marks3–4 hours 30 marks3–4 hours 30 marks2–3 hours 20 marksNote that times indicates the production of fi nal written outcomes.5

GCSE English Language for teaching from September 2010 onwards (version 1.4)Summary of assessmentStructure of units and examination papersUnit 1: Understanding and producing non-fiction texts2Section A: ReadingAt Tier H candidates answer four compulsory questions based on three reading sources.At Tier F candidates answer fi ve compulsory questions, including those requiring short responses, based onthree shorter reading sources.Section B: WritingAt both Tiers candidates do two compulsory writing tasks – one shorter task worth 16 marks and one longertask worth 24 marks.Unit 2: Speaking and ListeningCandidates must be assessed on three equally weighted activities:• presenting;• discussing and listening;• role playing.Each activity will be marked separately out of 15 and the marks added together to give a fi nal mark out of 45.Unit 3: Understanding spoken and written texts and writing creativelyPart a: Extended reading – candidates choose one task from the bank of published titles for the yearin which they are entering this unit. They must consider one extended text which may be a text that they arealso using for GCSE English Literature. The defi nition of ‘extended text’ is given under the detailed guidancefor this unit in Section 3c. You will give one mark out of 30.Part b: Creative writing – candidates choose two tasks from the bank of published titles for the year inwhich they are entering this unit. The two tasks do not have to be equal in length as this will be determinedby the type of creative writing they choose to do. 20 marks are available for content and organisation and 10marks are available for accuracy. You will mark each writing task out of 10 marks and give an overall mark outof 10 for accuracy. The marks will be added together to give a fi nal mark out of 30.Part c: Spoken language study – candidates choose one task from the bank of published titles forthe year in which they are entering the unit. You will give one mark out of 20.Please refer to the Specimen Assessment Materials on aqa.org.uk for examples of examinationpapers and controlled assessment tasks for this specification.6

GCSE English Language for teaching from September 2010 onwards (version 1.4)Controlled AssessmentThere are three elements to Controlled Assessment:Task Setting: Who sets the taskTask Taking: How the students perform the tasksTask Marking: Who does the marking.Each stage has a level of control (high, medium or low) to ensure reliability and authenticity and to makeassessments more manageable for teachers and students.2AQA’s Controlled Assessment tasks have been designed to offer you maximum flexibility allowingyou to:choose texts for reading unitscontextualise tasks to meet the needs of your studentstimetable the assessment to meet your needsoffer assessment in January and June.7

GCSE English Language for teaching from September 2010 onwards (version 1.4)3 Subject ContentThis section covers the subject content of the three units:Unit 1: Understanding and producing non-fiction textsUnit 2: Speaking and ListeningUnit 3: Understanding spoken and written texts and writing creativelyEach section provides a summary of what candidates have to do, the assessment process and answers toquestions.3aUnit 1: Understanding and producing non-fiction textsUnit 1: Summary of what candidates have to do3Requirements: Candidates are required to read andunderstand a range of non-fiction texts, identifying thewriters’ crafts and transferring these skills into theirown writing for a range of genres, audiences andpurposes.The functional elements of English reading andwriting are embedded within this unit allowingcandidates to demonstrate that they are competentreaders and writers in their daily lives.Reading texts will be drawn from a range of nonfictiongenres. Some texts will be clearly functional incontext (such as information leaflets) and others willbe those which candidates can clearly expect to readin their daily lives including media sources (includingtexts with images, and/or other presentationaldevices) and literary non-fiction (such as traveloguesand biographies). In preparing for this unit,candidates should draw on a variety of text types andtransfer their reading skills.There will be two writing tasks, one shorter and onelonger. The shorter task will ask candidates to writeto inform, explain or describe; the longer task willrequire more developed and sustained ideas whichargue or persuade. Candidates will be required toadapt their style to fit audience and purposeUnit 1: Summary of assessmentThis externally examined unit is common to GCSEEnglish.8

GCSE English Language for teaching from September 2010 onwards (version 1.4)Subject Content3bUnit 2: Speaking and ListeningUnit 2: Summary of what candidates have to do:Candidates will be assessed on three speaking andlistening tasks although they may well do more thanone performance of each activity during the unit. Theywill be assessed on one activity in each of thefollowing categories:PresentingDiscussing and ListeningRole playing.In Speaking and Listening activities, candidatesshould:present and listen to information and ideasrespond to the questions and views of others,adapting talk appropriately to context andaudiencemake a range of effective contributions, usingcreative approaches to exploring questions,solving problems and developing ideasparticipate in a range of contexts, includingreal life uses of talk and audiences beyond theclassroom.3Unit 2: Summary of assessmentThis unit will be assessed by means of ControlledAssessment.Task Setting (limited control)AQA will provide guidance on the nature oftasks to be undertaken and you will then settasks. The tasks should be contextualised tomeet the needs of the candidates and enablea variety of approaches.Some examples of possible tasks are listed below.Within the Presenting strand typically candidatesmight:individually talk to the class about a topic ofinterest and then answer questionstalk to the class about an argument/cause, etcas part of a paired presentation (which mayinclude ICT support such as PowerPoint, visualmedia clips, etc) and then answer questionsinterview (or be interviewed by) an adult,perhaps focusing on an aspect of occupation,local current affairs, etclisten to a speech extract on television and representits main points and biases or listen toa school assembly and re-present its mainpoints and explain its methods of presentationdeliver a speech to a wider audience (such asschool assembly, another teaching group)either as an individual or as part of a team.Within the Discussing and Listening strandtypically candidates might:in a pair work together to plan a presentationto the classin a group of three or four undertake aproblem-solving exercise which is relevant tothe local community such as congestioncharging, public spending priorities, etcin a group of three or four discuss an issue ofinterpretation which arises from reading beingundertaken elsewhere on the coursein a group of three or four discuss the possibleschedules for a television station from a rangeof given possibilitieslisten to a speech extract on television anddiscuss its main points and biases or listen toa school assembly and discuss its main pointsand its methods of presentation.Within the Role playing strand typically candidatesmight:perform as a pair a media interview on arelevant issue, such as child welfareperform as a pair an interview betweendetective and suspect based upon anarrative from literature that has been studiedelsewhereas an individual perform a 5-minute input forbreakfast television called ‘what the paperssay today’9

GCSE English Language for teaching from September 2010 onwards (version 1.4)3Unit 3 Part a: Your Controlled Assessment questions answeredHow much time should I spend teaching this part ofthe unit?As the Controlled Assessment is worth 15% of theoverall mark, you are advised to spend 15% of theteaching time available to you on the text and topicyou have chosen for this unit. You should preparecandidates for the Controlled Assessment task byteaching approaches to the chosen text and topicand by studying style models before giving the task tocandidates.You should also ensure that candidates are familiarwith the assessment criteria for the ControlledAssessment task and are aware of the weightinggiven to each assessment objective.Which Assessment Objectives will the tasksaddress?The tasks will address all three bullet points ofassessment objective AO3 except the requirement tocollate, compare or cross-reference from differentsources.What approaches will the tasks offer?The tasks will offer a variety of approaches. Tasks willconsist of a single generic title that you cancontextualise. There will always be a number ofexemplar tasks showing how you can adapt the taskto meet the needs of your students. You may, forexample, make the title more specific or add bulletpoints.Can the assessment be based on parts of texts?Candidates’ responses must be informed byknowledge of whole texts but the main focus of theassessment can be based on part of a text (eg ascene from a play, a chapter from a novel, a smallnumber of poems or short story from a collection).Where candidates use a collection of short texts,there is no requirement to make comparisons.Do candidates need to address social, cultural andhistorical context?No. The reading assessment for GCSE EnglishLanguage does not require candidates to addresssocial, cultural and historical context.Will exemplars be available?Exemplar texts will be provided to indicate howcandidates can approach the tasks.Can candidates use texts during the controlledassessment?Candidates must use clean, unannotated copies oftexts during the assessment period.12

GCSE English Language for teaching from September 2010 onwards (version 1.4)Unit 3 Part b – Producing creative texts (creative writing)Unit 3 Part b: Summary of what candidates have to doCandidates will submit two pieces of writing prepared under controlled conditions chosen from two of thetopics in this unit.Unit 3 Part b: Summary of assessmentThis part of Unit 3 will be assessed by means ofControlled Assessment:Task Setting (high control)Tasks will be set by AQA. Each year we willprovide a bank of six tasks: two for each of thetopics covered in this unit:Moving Images (writing for or aboutmoving images)Commissions (responding to a givenbrief)Re-creations (taking a text and turning itinto another).Candidates will complete two of these tasks.Each task should be taken from a different topic.Tasks will predominantly expect candidates to write ina variety of non-fiction genres. The tasks aredesigned to develop candidate skills in writing forparticular audiences and purposes. Some tasks willencourage candidates to produce multi-modal textsin which they combine written language withaudio/visual devices.Task Taking (high control)Preparation and PlanningYou may choose to allow your candidates to dotwo tasks in the same period or to divide thetotal time available for this unit so yourcandidates do their two pieces at differentstages of the course that are most appropriate.ProductionCandidates must produce two pieces of worktotalling about 1200 words in a period of up tofour hours.The two pieces may be done in different timeperiods, for example at different times of theyear, as long as the total time taken does notexceed four hours.This word limit is for guidance only as it willvary with the nature of the task. The pieces donot have to be of equal length.Task Marking (medium control)You must mark all Controlled Assessments usingthe criteria published on pages 38–39 of thisspecification. You will mark each task out of10 marks and give an overall mark out of 10 foraccuracy. The marks will be added together togive a final mark out of 30. ControlledAssessment will be moderated by AQA accordingto the procedures outlined in Section 7.3Unit 3 Part b: Your Controlled Assessment questions answeredHow much time should I spend teaching this part ofthe unit?As the Controlled Assessment is worth 15% of theoverall mark, you are advised to spend a total of 15%of the teaching time available to you on the topics youhave chosen for this part of Unit 3. You shouldprepare candidates for the Controlled Assessmenttasks by teaching approaches to the chosen topicsand by studying style models before giving the tasksto candidates.You should also ensure that candidates are familiarwith the assessment criteria for the ControlledAssessment task and are aware of the weightinggiven to each assessment objective.Which Assessment Objectives will the tasksaddress?The tasks will address all three bullet points ofassessment objective AO4.What approaches will the tasks offer?The tasks will offer a variety of approaches. Tasks willconsist of a single title and may have a number ofbullet points which will help candidates to plan thestructure of their writing.13

GCSE English Language for teaching from September 2010 onwards (version 1.4)Unit 3 Part c – Spoken Language StudyUnit 3 Part c: Summary of what candidates have to do3Candidates will submit one spoken language study,in a written response, prepared under controlledconditions and chosen from the topics in this unit.The focus of this unit is investigative.In terms of Subject Content, within the broadcategory Studying Language, learners shouldUnderstand how spoken (and written) languageevolve in response to changes in society andtechnology, and how this process relates to identityand cultural diversity.More specifically within the Spoken LanguageStudy learners shouldreflect critically on their own and others’ usesof language in different contexts and how theyadapt to different listeners and tasks, exploringthese experiences in the contexts of widerlanguage use and variationengage with real life uses of talk andaudiences beyond the classroom and consideraspects of spoken language, eg how languagechanges over time, attitudes to standard andnon-standard forms and regional variations.Tasks will be set on topics within this broad area.Unit 3 Part c: Summary of assessmentThis unit will be assessed by means of ControlledAssessment.Task Setting (high control)Tasks will be set by AQA. Candidates willcomplete one task. Each year we will providea bank of six tasks; two tasks for each of thetopics covered in this unit:Social attitudes to spoken languageSpoken genresMulti-modal talk.The tasks should be contextualised to meetthe needs of the learners and enable a varietyof approaches. Candidates should beencouraged to investigate topics that are ofpersonal interest to them and collect their owndata when possible.Tasks will be based on the topics as follows:TopicSocial This will provide candidatesattitudes with an opportunity to thinkto spoken about the ways in which:languagecertain types of speech areprivileged in some societies,and others less so (forexample, standard and nonstandardvarieties)identity is established andconformity resisted orinfluence shownSpokengenresMulti-modaltalkhow attitudes vary over timeand place.This will allow candidates tostudy talk in various genres,including the media. They could,in particular, look at aspects ofspeech in different modes anddifferent genres.This will allow candidates tostudy ways in which:new technologies blurtraditional distinctionsbetween speaking andwriting, producing newhybrid genres which haveaspects of bothonline identity is establishedand negotiatedonline talk is seen ispotentially ambiguous.Although there is clearly much theoretical work in thisfield, it must be stressed that this piece of work,consisting of only 10% of the total assessment forthis specification, should be practically based andenjoyable: it should be driven by student enquiry, andreflect upon what the data might show rather than byextensive academic study. It will serve potentially asan introduction to further study of language.14

GCSE English Language for teaching from September 2010 onwards (version 1.4)ResearchAlthough candidates should be encouraged to collecttheir own data, if this is not possible you may providesome raw data for them. The data that studentshave collected will both inform their thinking and thenillustrate their Controlled Assessment response.Typically such data might be in the form of a videoand/or audio clip, a written transcript or a print-out ofa messaging exchange. Suitable research materialwould include chat logs, television/radio programmesor extracts from academic sources on regionaldialects, bilingualism, journalistic articles or commentabout topical issues such as non-standard varieties ofspoken language.As candidates may undertake research under limitedsupervision, they are able to investigate language inuse outside the classroom. Access to users oflanguage beyond the classroom could be in the formof recorded interviews with relatives, for example.Any research of this type should be recorded on theCandidate Record Form.Candidates may discuss topics or present findings aspart of their preparation for this study. You mayassess this for Unit 2, Speaking and Listening.Task Taking (high control)Candidates must produce one spokenlanguage study as a written response.The assessed piece will require data. The bestdata is likely to be in the form of speechtranscripts (but without complex markings),questionnaire data, media recordings, etc butit may also be more anecdotal, especiallywhere candidates are reflecting on aspects oflanguage in use.Final outcomes for candidates submittingwritten responses must be produced underformal supervision. Candidates may useresearch materials but these must notconstitute a detailed writing frame or a draftresponse to the task. The final outcomeshould be written work totalling 800–1000words in a period of two–three hours whichmay be divided to meet the timetablingrequirements of the centre.Research must be submitted with the finaldraft for assessment and moderation.Task Marking (medium control)You must mark all Controlled Assessmentsusing the criteria published on page 40 of thisspecification and submit sufficient writtenevidence to justify marks awarded on theCandidate Record Form. ControlledAssessment will be moderated by AQAaccording to the procedures outlined inSection 7.3Unit 3 Part c: Your Controlled Assessment questions answeredHow much time should I spend teaching this part ofthe unit?As the controlled assessment is worth 10% of theoverall mark, you are advised to spend 10% of thetotal teaching time available when teaching this partof Unit 3. You should prepare candidates for theControlled Assessment task by teaching approachesto the investigation, the chosen topic and possibly bystudying style models.You should also ensure that candidates are familiarwith the assessment criteria for the ControlledAssessment task and are aware of the weightinggiven to each assessment objective.Which Assessment Objectives will the tasksaddress?The tasks cover AO2: Explain variations in spokenlanguage; evaluate their own and others’ uses.Can candidates have access to the Internet duringthe Controlled Assessment?If candidates need to access the Internet to collectdata from MSN or multi-modal clips this should beallowed. Provided the assessment is based on thecandidate’s own data, access to the Internet can beallowed.15

GCSE English Language for teaching from September 2010 onwards (version 1.4)Unit 3: Your Controlled Assessment questions answered3Task SettingHow often do tasks change?Tasks will be replaced each year and the same taskswill be available for assessment in January and June.When are tasks published?Tasks for the following two years’ assessment serieswill be made available to centres from 1st April. Theywill be published on e-AQA.Task Taking: Preparation and PlanningHow do I approach preparation and planningHaving taught the topic(s) and studied relevant stylemodels you should give candidates the relevanttask(s).if you wish, you may give candidates a choiceof tasks on the topic(s) you have taughtyou are advised to give candidates the chanceto practise writing in this form and to prepareideas after you have given them the task(s)during this time candidates may make use ofany further resources available in the school orcollege, including the Internet, to inform theirpreparationcandidates must keep a record of all theprimary and secondary sources (includingwebsites) they usecandidates must keep a record of any stylemodels they use to assist you in authenticatingworkrecords should be kept in the form of abibliographyall this work should be completed underinformal supervision.Can I give candidates feedback?Yes. You may give feedback to individual candidatesduring the planning phase. Where this goes beyondgeneral advice, this should be recorded on theCandidate Record Form.Can candidates work together?Candidates may work with others during the planningphase. So, for example, they may discuss their ideasin small groups or share resources found on theInternet, but each candidate must produce anindividual response to the task.Task Taking: ProductionDoes the Controlled Assessment have to take placein one session?No. The time allowed for the Controlled Assessmentmay be divided to meet the timetabling requirementsof the centre.Where there is more than one task, you may chooseto allow your candidates to do the tasks in the sameperiod or to divide the total time available for this unitso your candidates do their two pieces at differentstages of the course that are most appropriate.Can candidates take drafts or notes into theassessment?Drafts may not be taken into the assessment. Briefnotes made in the preparation stage may be takeninto the assessment. These must be checked by theteacher to ensure that they are not plagiarised textand do not include a detailed planning grid or prepreparedfinal draft. The notes should be submittedwith the final piece for moderation.Can candidates work together during theassessment?No. While writing up their response, candidates mustwork independently and complete all work underformal supervision by a teacher or invigilator. Youmust record any feedback given to candidates duringthis phase on the Candidate Record Form.What do we do if the assessment period is brokendown into smaller sessions?Where the total time is divided, the teacher orinvigilator must collect all materials in at the end ofeach session and return them to candidates at thebeginning of the next session. No feedback shouldbe given on drafts prepared during the assessmentperiod. Candidates may not bring any new materialsinto the room once this phase has started.What is collected at the end of the assessment?At the end of the Controlled Assessment, the teacheror invigilator must collect in all work, including the finalpiece of work for assessment and any drafts.Can candidates use a dictionary or a thesaurus?For parts a and b of Unit 3 candidates are notallowed access to a dictionary or thesaurus or togrammar and spell check programmes during thewriting up of the Controlled Assessment.For part c of Unit 3 candidates may have access to adictionary and thesaurus and to grammar and spellcheck programmes during the writing up of theControlled Assessment.16

GCSE English Language for teaching from September 2010 onwards (version 1.4)Subject Content8 Summary of Subject ContentCan PCs be used?The Controlled Assessment may be eitherhandwritten or produced electronically.Candidates using laptops/PCs to write theirControlled Assessment cannot have access to theInternet, e-mail, floppy disks or memory sticks as thiscould breach the controlled conditions. If theassessment period is divided into a number of shortersessions, centres should ensure that work is savedsecurely to ensure that candidates cannot amend oradd to the saved material between sessions.Do you have Controlled Assessment Advisers?Controlled Assessment Advisers will be available togive advice on all aspects of the ControlledAssessment including the marking.317

GCSE English Language for teaching from September 2010 onwards (version 1.4)4 Scheme of Assessment4aAims and learning outcomesGCSE courses based on this specification shouldencourage candidates to be inspired, moved andchanged by following a broad, coherent, satisfyingand worthwhile course of study. They should preparelearners to make informed decisions about furtherlearning opportunities and career choices, and to uselanguage to participate effectively in society andemployment.GCSE courses based on specifications inEnglish Language must enable learners to:demonstrate skills in speaking, listening,reading and writing necessary to communicatewith others confidently, effectively, preciselyand appropriatelyexpress themselves creatively andimaginativelybecome critical readers of a range of texts,including multi-modal textsuse reading to develop their own skills aswritersunderstand the patterns, structures andconventions of written and spoken Englishunderstand the impact of variations in spokenand written language and how they relate toidentity and cultural diversityselect and adapt speech and writing todifferent situations and audiences.44bAssessment Objectives (AOs)The assessment units will assess the followingassessment objectives in the context of the contentand skills set out in Section 3 (Subject Content).All specifications in English Language must requirecandidates to demonstrate the following:AO1 Speaking and ListeningSpeak to communicate clearly andpurposefully; structure and sustain talk,adapting it to different situations andaudiences; use standard English and a varietyof techniques as appropriate.Listen and respond to speakers’ ideas andperspectives, and how they construct andexpress meanings.Interact with others, shaping meaningsthrough suggestions, comments andquestions and drawing ideas together.Create and sustain different roles.AO2 Study of spoken languageUnderstand variations in spoken language,explaining why language changes in relation tocontexts.Evaluate the impact of spoken languagechoices in their own and others’ use.AO3 Studying written languageRead and understand texts, selecting materialappropriate to purpose, collating from differentsources and making comparisons and crossreferencesas appropriate.Develop and sustain interpretations of writers’ideas and perspectives.Explain and evaluate how writers use linguistic,grammatical, structural and presentationalfeatures to achieve effects and engage andinfluence the reader.AO4 WritingWrite to communicate clearly, effectively andimaginatively, using and adapting forms andselecting vocabulary appropriate to task andpurpose in ways that engage the reader.Organise information and ideas into structuredand sequenced sentences, paragraphs andwhole texts, using a variety of linguistic andstructural features to support cohesion andoverall coherence.Use a range of sentence structures for clarity,purpose and effect, with accurate punctuationand spelling.At least one-third of the available credit should beallocated to this last part of AO4.18

GCSE English Language for teaching from September 2010 onwards (version 1.4)Weighting of Assessment Objectives for GCSE English LanguageThe table below shows the approximate weighting of each of the Assessment Objectives in the GCSE units.Assessment Objectives Unit weightings (%) Overall weightingUnit 1 Unit 2 Unit 3of AOs (%)AO1 20 20AO2 10 10AO3 20 15 35AO4 20 15 35Overall weighting of units (%) 40 20 40 1004cNational criteriaCandidates can meet the statutory requirements inEngland and Wales fully through entering candidatesfor both GCSE English Language and GCSE EnglishLiterature.This specification complies with:the Subject Criteria for GCSE EnglishLanguage including the rules for ControlledAssessmentthe Code of Practicethe GCSE Qualification Criteriathe Arrangements for the Statutory Regulationof External Qualifications in England, Walesand Northern Ireland: Common Criteriathe requirements for qualifications to provideaccess to Levels 1 and 2 of the NationalQualification Framework.44dOverlap between GCSE English and GCSE English LanguageEntries are not allowed in the same series for bothEnglish and English Language.4eCentres in WalesIn Wales, GCSE English is not approved pre-16.Centres can meet statutory requirements fully throughentering candidates for both GCSE English Languageand GCSE English Literature. For a minority ofcandidates entered only for GCSE English Language,centres should ensure their taught curriculum inEnglish fulfils statutory requirements in Wales.19

GCSE English Language for teaching from September 2010 onwards (version 1.4)4fPrevious learning requirementsThere are no previous learning requirements.However, any requirements set for entry to a coursebased on this specification are at your centre’sdiscretion.4gAccess to assessment: diversity and inclusionGCSEs often need to assess a wide range ofcompetences. This is because they are generalqualifications designed to prepare candidates for awide range of occupations and further study.The revised GCSE qualification and subject criteriawere reviewed to see whether any of the skills orknowledge needed by the subject presented apossible difficulty to any candidates, whatever theirethnic background, religion, sex, age, disability orsexuality. If there were difficulties, the situation wasreviewed again to make sure that such tests ofspecific competences were only included if they wereimportant to the subject. The findings werediscussed with groups who represented the interestsof a diverse range of candidates.Arrangements are made for candidates with specialneeds to help them access the assessments as longas the competences being tested are not changed.Because of this, most candidates will be able toaccess any part of the assessment. More details aregiven in Section 5d.420

GCSE English Language for teaching from September 2010 onwards (version 1.4)5 Administration5aAvailability of assessment units and certificationExaminations and certification for this specification are available as follows.Availability of unitsAvailability of certificationUnit 1 Unit 2 Unit 3 GCSEJanuary 2011 ✓ ✓June 2011 ✓ ✓ ✓January 2012 ✓ ✓ ✓June 2012 and after ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓January 2013 and after ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓5bEntriesPlease check the current version of EntryProcedures and Codes for up-to-date entryprocedures. You should use the following entrycodes for the units and for certification.Unit 1 – ENG1F; ENG1HUnit 2 – ENG02Unit 3 – ENL03GCSE certification – 4707The 40% terminal rule for GCSE means that 40% ofthe assessment must be taken in the examinationseries in which the qualification is awarded. Therefore,in this specification candidates must take thefollowing units or combination of units in the series inwhich the qualification is awarded: Unit 1 or Unit 3.The results from 40% terminal assessment mustcontribute to the candidates’ final grade, even if acandidate has a better result from a previous series.Please note that certification entries are not allowed inthe same examination series for both English andEnglish Language.55cPrivate candidatesThis specification is available to private candidatesunder certain conditions. Because of the ControlledAssessment, candidates must attend an AQA centre,which will supervise and mark the ControlledAssessment. Private candidates should write to usfor a copy of Supplementary Guidance for PrivateCandidates (for Controlled Assessment specificationwith practical activities).21

GCSE English Language for teaching from September 2010 onwards (version 1.4)5dAccess arrangements, reasonable adjustments and specialconsiderationWe have taken note of the equality and discriminationlegislation and the interests of minority groups indeveloping and administering this specification.We follow the guidelines in the Joint Council forQualifications (JCQ) document: AccessArrangements, Reasonable Adjustments and SpecialConsideration: General and Vocational Qualifications.This is published on the JCQ website www.jcq.org.ukor you can follow the link from our websitewww.aqa.org.ukAccess arrangementsWe can arrange for candidates with special needs toaccess an assessment. These arrangements mustbe made before the examination. For example, wecan produce a Braille paper for a candidate with sightproblems.Reasonable adjustmentsAn access arrangement which meets the needs of aparticular disabled candidate would be a reasonableadjustment for that candidate. For example a Braillepaper would be a reasonable adjustment for a Braillereader but not for a candidate who did not readBraille. The Disability Discrimination Act requires us tomake reasonable adjustments to remove or lessenany disadvantage affecting a disabled candidate.Special considerationWe can give special consideration to candidates whohave had a temporary illness, injury or seriousproblem such as death of a relative, at the time of theexamination. We can only do this after theexamination.The Examinations Officer at the centre should applyonline for access arrangements and specialconsideration by following the e-AQA link from ourwebsite www.aqa.org.uk5eExamination languageWe will only provide units for this specification in English.55fQualification titlesThe qualification based on this specification is:AQA GCSE in English Language.22

GCSE English Language for teaching from September 2010 onwards (version 1.4)5gAwarding grades and reporting resultsThe GCSE qualification will be graded on an eightgradescale: A*, A, B, C, D, E, F and G. Candidateswho fail to reach the minimum standard for grade Gwill be recorded as ‘U’ (unclassified) and will notreceive a qualification certificate.We will publish the minimum raw mark for eachgrade, for each unit, when we issue candidates’results. We will report a candidate’s unit results tocentres in terms of uniform marks and qualificationresults in terms of uniform marks and grades.For each unit the uniform mark corresponds to agrade as follows.Unit 1 (maximum uniform mark = 120)GradeUniform Mark RangeA* 108–120A 96–107B 84–95C 72–83D 60–71E 48–59F 36–47G 24–35U 0–23Unit 2 (maximum uniform mark = 60)GradeUniform Mark RangeA* 54–60A 48–53B 42–47C 36–41D 30–35E 24–29F 18–23G 12–17U 0–11Unit 3 (maximum uniform mark = 120)GradeUniform Mark RangeA* 108–120A 96–107B 84–95C 72–83D 60–71E 48–59F 36–47G 24–35U 0–23We calculate a candidate’s total uniform mark byadding together the uniform marks for the units. Weconvert this total uniform mark to a grade as follows.GCSE English Language(maximum uniform mark = 300)GradeUniform Mark RangeA* 270–300A 240–269B 210–239C 180–209D 150–179E 120–149F 90–119G 60–89U 0–59523

GCSE English Language for teaching from September 2010 onwards (version 1.4)5hRe-sits and how long unit results remain available to counttowards certificationUnit results remain available to count towardscertification within the shelf life of the specification,whether or not they have already been used.Candidates may re-sit a unit once only.The better result for each unit will count towards thefinal qualification provided that the 40% rule issatisfied.Candidates may re-sit the qualification an unlimitednumber of times.Candidates will be graded on the basis of the worksubmitted for assessment.Candidates must take units comprising at least 40%of the total assessment in the series in which theyenter for certification.524

GCSE English Language for teaching from September 2010 onwards (version 1.4)6 Controlled Assessment administrationThe Head of Centre is responsible for making sure that Controlled Assessment work is conducted in line withour instructions and JCQ instructions.6aAuthenticating that Controlled Assessment work is genuineTo meet the requirements of Code of Practice,we need the following:Candidates must sign the Candidate RecordForm to confirm that the work they havehanded in is their own.Teachers and assessors must confirm onthe Candidate Record Form that the workmarked is only that done by that candidateand was conducted in line with the conditionsin the specification document (authenticationdeclaration).Centres must give a mark of zero ifcandidates cannot confirm the work handed infor assessment is their own.You should attach the completed Candidate RecordForm for each candidate to his or her work. Allteachers who have marked the work of any candidateentered for each component must sign thedeclaration that the work is genuine.If you have doubts about signing the authenticationdeclaration, you should follow these guidance points.If you believe that a candidate had additionalassistance and this is acceptable within theguidelines for the relevant specification, youshould award a mark which covers only thecandidate’s achievement without any help.(You should sign the authentication declarationand give information on the relevant form).If you cannot sign the authenticationdeclaration, the candidate’s work cannot beaccepted for assessment.If, during the external moderation process, there is noevidence that the work has been authenticated, wewill award a mark of zero.6bMalpracticeYou should let candidates know about ourmalpractice regulations.Candidates must not:submit work that is not their ownlend work to other candidatesgive other candidates access to, or the use of,their own independently-sourced researchmaterial (this does not mean that candidatescannot lend their books to another candidate,but that candidates should be stopped fromcopying other candidates’ research)include work copied directly from books, theInternet or other sources withoutacknowledgement of the source.hand in work typed or word processed bysomeone else without acknowledgement.These actions are considered malpractice, for whicha penalty (for example being disqualified from theexam) will be applied.If malpractice is suspected, the Examinations Officershould be consulted about the procedure to befollowed.Where you suspect malpractice in ControlledAssessments after the candidate has signed thedeclaration of authentication, your Head of Centremust submit full details of the case to us at theearliest opportunity. The form JCQ/M1 should beused. Copies of the form can be found on the JCQwebsite www.jcq.org.ukMalpractice in Controlled Assessments discoveredprior to the candidate signing the declaration ofauthentication need not be reported to us, but shouldbe dealt with in accordance with the centre’s internalprocedures. We would expect centres to treat suchcases very seriously. Details of any work which is notthe candidate’s own must be recorded on theCandidate Record Form or other appropriate place.625

GCSE English Language for teaching from September 2010 onwards (version 1.4)6cTeacher standardisationWe will hold standardising meetings for teachers eachyear, usually in the autumn term, for ControlledAssessment. At these meetings we will providesupport in explaining tasks in context and using themarking criteria. The standardising materials used atthe meetings will also be available online.All centres must send a representative to one of themeetings each year. If you have told us you are anew centre, either by signing up to teach AQA, bysending us an intention to enter or an estimate ofentry, or by contacting the subject team, we willcontact you to invite you to a meeting. It is likely thatduring the lifetime of this specification online teacherstandardising meetings will be made available as analternative to face-to-face meetings.6dInternal standardisation of markingCentres must have consistent marking standards forall candidates. One person must be responsible forensuring that work has been marked to the samestandard, and they need to sign the CentreDeclaration Sheet to confirm that internalstandardisation has taken place.Internal standardisation may involve:all teachers marking some sample pieces ofwork and identify differences in markingstandardsdiscussing any differences in marking at atraining meeting for all teachers involved in theassessmentreferring to reference and archive material,such as previous work or examples from ourteacher standardising meetings.6eAnnotation of Controlled Assessment work6The Code of Practice states that the awarding bodymust make sure that teachers marking ControlledAssessments clearly show how the marks have beenawarded in line with the marking criteria shown in thespecification. The awarding body must provideguidance on how this is to be done.Annotation helps our moderators to see as preciselyas possible where the teacher has identified thatcandidates have met the criteria in the specification.Annotation could be used in either of thefollowing ways:important pieces of evidence commented onin either the margin or in the textcomments on the work that refer to theassessment criteria.When assessing oral responses, summativecomments must be provided on the CandidateRecord Form.6fSubmitting marks and sample work for moderationThe total mark for each candidate must be sent to usand the moderator on the mark forms provided, byElectronic Data Interchange (EDI) or electronically bythe date given (see www.aqa.org.uk/deadlines/coursework_deadlines.php).Our moderator will contact you to let you know whichpieces of work must be sent to them as part of thesample (please see to Section 7a for more guidanceon sending in samples).26

GCSE English Language for teaching from September 2010 onwards (version 1.4)6gFactors affecting individual candidatesYou should be able to accept the occasional absenceof candidates by making sure they have the chanceto make up missed Controlled Assessments. Youmay organise an alternative supervised time sessionfor candidates who are absent at the time the centreoriginally arranged.If work is lost, you must tell us immediately the date itwas lost, how it was lost, and who was responsible.Inform our Centre and Candidate Support Servicesusing the JCQ form Notification of Lost CourseworkJCQ/LCW form 15.Where special help which goes beyond normallearning support is given, use the Candidate RecordForm to inform us so that this help can be taken intoaccount during moderation.Candidates who move from one centre to anotherduring the course sometimes need additional help tomeet the requirements of a scheme of ControlledAssessment work. How this can be dealt withdepends when the move takes place. If it happensearly in the course the new centre should beresponsible for Controlled Assessment work. If ithappens late in the course it may be possible toarrange for the moderator to assess the work as acandidate who was ‘Educated Elsewhere’. Centresshould contact us as early as possible for adviceabout appropriate arrangements in individual cases atenglish-gcse@aqa.org.uk6hKeeping candidates’ workFrom the time the work is marked, centres must keepthe work of all candidates, with Candidate RecordForms attached, under secure conditions, to allowthe work to be available during the moderation periodor should there be an Enquiry about Results. Youmay return the work to candidates after the deadlinefor Enquiries about Results, or once any enquiry isresolved.627

GCSE English Language for teaching from September 2010 onwards (version 1.4)7 Moderation7aModeration proceduresWritten Controlled AssessmentControlled Assessment work is moderated byinspecting a sample of candidates’ work sent (bypost or electronically) from the centre to a moderatorappointed by us. The centre marks must be sent tous and the moderator by the deadline given (seewww.aqa.org.uk/deadlines/coursework_deadlines.php). Centres entering fewer candidates than theminimum sample size (and centres submitting workelectronically) should send the work of all of theircandidates. Centres entering larger numbers ofcandidates will be told which candidates’ work mustbe sent as part of the sample sent in for moderation.Following the re-marking of the sample work, themoderator’s marks are compared with the centremarks to check whether any changes are needed tobring the centre’s assessments in line with our agreedstandards. In some cases the moderator may needto ask for the work of other candidates in the centre.To meet this request, centres must keep theControlled Assessment work and Candidate RecordForms of every candidate entered for the examinationunder secure conditions, and they must be preparedto send it to us or the moderator when it is requested.Any changes to marks will normally keep the centre’srank order, but where major differences are found, wereserve the right to change the rank order.Moderation will take place in January and June.Spoken Controlled AssessmentCentres will normally receive routine advisory visitsfrom a moderator on a rolling programme. Themoderator will advise on Speaking and Listening.The moderator will ask to see a range of candidateperformances. Centres must keep the CandidateRecord Forms of every candidate entered for theexamination under secure conditions and beprepared to show this to the visiting moderator ifrequired.Additional visits may be triggered if there is any doubtabout a centre’s accuracy in oral assessment. Wherethere is evidence that the centre’s mark differssignificantly from the AQA standard, taking otherevidence into account where applicable (eg pattern ofmarks, centre history, reports on previous visits), anadjustment will be applied to the centre to bring itsmarking into line with the AQA standard.7bConsortium arrangementsIf you are a consortium of centres with joint teachingarrangements (where candidates from differentcentres have been taught together but where they areentered through the centre at which they are on roll),you must tell us by filling in the JCQ/CCA formApplication for Centre Consortium Arrangements forcentre-assessed work.You must choose a consortium coordinator who canspeak to us on behalf of all centres in the consortium.If there are different coordinators for differentspecifications, a copy of the JCQ/CCA form must besent in for each specification.We will allocate the same moderator to each centre inthe consortium and the candidates will be treated asa single group for moderation.7cProcedures after moderation7When the results are published, we will give centresdetails of the final marks for the ControlledAssessment work.We will return candidates’ work to you after the exam.You will receive a report, at the time results areissued, giving feedback on any adjustments that weremade to your marks.We may keep some candidates’ work for awarding,archive or standardising purposes and will inform youif this is the case.28

GCSE English Language for teaching from September 2010 onwards (version 1.4)AppendicesAGrade descriptionsGrade descriptions are provided to give a generalindication of the standards of achievement likely tohave been shown by candidates who were awardedparticular grades. The descriptions should beconsidered in relation to the content outlined in thespecification – they are not designed to define thatcontent.The grade awarded will depend on how well thecandidate has met the assessment objectives (seeSection 4). If a candidate has performed less well insome areas this may be balanced by betterperformances in others.GradeADescriptionCandidates select suitable styles and registers of spoken English for a range of situations andcontexts, showing assured use of standard English where appropriate. They confidently varysentence structures and choose from a broad repertoire of vocabulary to express information,ideas and feelings in an engaging manner. They explain expertly, and evaluate persuasively, howthey and others use and adapt spoken language for specific purposes. They initiateconversations and demonstrate sensitive listening through contributions that sustain and developdiscussion. They recognise and fulfil the demands of different roles, whether in formal settings orcreative activities.Candidates respond personally and persuasively to a variety of texts, developing interpretationsand evaluating how details of language, grammar, structure and presentation engage and affectthe reader. They identify and discuss writers’ perspectives in narrative, argument, explanation oranalysis. They choose apt quotations and make telling comparisons and cross-references thatilluminate the purpose and meanings of texts.Candidates’ writing shows confident, assured control of a range of forms and styles appropriateto task and purpose. Texts engage and hold the reader’s interest through logical argument,persuasive force or creative delight. Linguistic and structural features are used skilfully tosequence texts and achieve coherence. A wide range of accurate sentence structures ensuresclarity; choices of vocabulary, punctuation and spelling are ambitious, imaginative and correct.CCandidates adapt their talk to the demands of different situations and contexts. They recognisewhen standard English is required and use it confidently. They use different sentence structuresand select vocabulary so that information, ideas and feelings are communicated clearly and thelistener’s interest is engaged. They explain and evaluate how they and others use and adaptspoken language for specific purposes. Through careful listening and by developing their ownand others’ ideas, they make significant contributions to discussion and participate effectively increative activities.Candidates understand and demonstrate how meaning and information are conveyed in a rangeof texts. They make personal and critical responses, referring to specific aspects of language,grammar, structure and presentational devices to justify their views. They successfully compareand cross-reference aspects of texts and explain convincingly how they may vary in purpose andhow they achieve different effects.Candidates’ writing shows successful adaptation of form and style to different tasks and forvarious purposes. They use a range of sentence structures and varied vocabulary to createdifferent effects and engage the reader’s interest. Paragraphing is used effectively to make thesequence of events or development of ideas coherent and clear to the reader. Sentencestructures are varied and sometimes bold; punctuation and spelling are accurate.A29

GCSE English Language for teaching from September 2010 onwards (version 1.4)GradeFDescriptionCandidates talk confidently in familiar situations, showing some awareness of purpose and oflisteners’ needs. They convey information, develop ideas and describe feelings clearly, using themain features of standard English as appropriate. They listen with concentration and makerelevant responses to others’ ideas and opinions. They show some awareness of how they andothers use and adapt spoken language for specific purposes. In formal and creative activities,they attempt to meet the demands of different roles.Candidates describe the main ideas, themes or argument in a range of texts and refer to specificaspects or details when justifying their views. They make simple comparisons and crossreferencesthat show some awareness of how texts achieve their effects through writers’ use oflinguistic, grammatical, structural and presentational devices.Candidates’ writing shows some adaptation of form and style for different tasks and purposes. Itcommunicates simply and clearly with the reader. Sentences sequence events or ideas logically;vocabulary is sometimes chosen for variety and interest. Paragraphing is straightforward buteffective; the structure of sentences, including some that are complex, is usually correct. Spellingand basic punctuation are mostly accurate.A30

GCSE English Language for teaching from September 2010 onwards (version 1.4)BSpiritual, moral, ethical, social, legislative, sustainabledevelopment, economic and cultural issues, and healthand safety considerationsWe have taken great care to make sure that anywider issues (for example, spiritual, moral, ethical,social, legal, sustainable development, economic andcultural issues), including those relevant to theeducation of students at Key Stage 4, have beentaken into account when preparing this specification.They will only form part of the assessmentrequirements where they are relevant to the specificcontent of the specification and have been identifiedin Section 3: Subject Content.European DimensionWe have taken the 1988 Resolution of the Council ofthe European Community into account whenpreparing this specification and associated specimenunits.Environmental EducationWe have taken the 1988 Resolution of the Council ofthe European Community and the Report‘Environmental Responsibility: An Agenda for Furtherand Higher Education’ 1993 into account whenpreparing this specification and associated specimenunits.Avoiding biasWe have taken great care to avoid bias of any kindwhen preparing this specification and specimen units.B31

GCSE English Language for teaching from September 2010 onwards (version 1.4)COverlaps with other qualificationsFunctional EnglishThis specification embeds the level 2 functional skillsstandards. In addition, the specification covers thekey processes and range and content sections of theKS4 English programme of study which also reflectthe functional English standards at level 2 and buildon the embedding of the level 1 standards in the keystage 3 programme of study. The specification alsoreflects the curriculum opportunities section of theKS4 English programme of study which requires thatpupils speak, listen and write for contexts beyond theclassroom.The term ‘functional’ should be considered in thebroad sense of providing learners with the skills andabilities they need to take an active and responsiblerole in their communities, in their everyday lives,workplaces and educational settings.53.33% of this specification is Functional. Inpreparing schemes of work and delivery, theFunctional Skills Standards will be covered in thefollowing GCSE units:Functional Skills English GCSE EnglishSpeaking and Listening Unit 213.33%Reading Unit 120%Writing Unit 120%Candidates preparing for this specification will coverthe Functional Skills Standards but will not beawarded a qualification for Functional English.Functional English is available for assessment andcertification in the stand-alone qualification FunctionalEnglish.Note that centres entering candidates for bothFunctional Skills English and GCSE English or GCSEEnglish Language can use the same assessmentopportunity to assess Speaking and Listening.Centres must assess the activities against both setsof relevant criteria.C32

GCSE English Language for teaching from September 2010 onwards (version 1.4)DIntroductionWider Key Skills – Teaching, developing and providingopportunities for generating evidenceThe Key Skills Qualification requires candidates todemonstrate levels of achievement in the Key Skills ofCommunication, Application of Number andInformation and Communication Technology. TheWider Key Skills of Improving own Learning andPerformance, Working with Others and ProblemSolving are also available. The acquisition anddemonstration of ability in these ‘wider’ Key Skills isdeemed highly desirable for all candidates.The units for each key skill comprise three sections:What you need to knowWhat you must doGuidance.Candidates following a course of study based on thisspecification for English Language can be offeredopportunities to develop and generate evidence ofattainment in aspects of the Key Skills of:CommunicationApplication of NumberInformation and Communication TechnologyWorking with OthersImproving own Learning and PerformanceProblem Solving.Areas of study and learning that can be used toencourage the acquisition and use of Key Skills, andto provide opportunities to generate evidence forPart B of units, are provided in the Teachers’Resource Bank for this specification.The above information is given in the context of theknowledge that Key Skills at levels 1 and 2 will beavailable until 2010 with last certification in 2012.Key Skills Qualifications of Communication,Application of Number and Information andCommunication Technology will be phased out andreplaced by Functional Skills qualifications in English,Mathematics and ICT from September 2010 onwards.For further information see the AQA website:http://web.aqa.org.uk/qual/keyskills/com04.php.D33

E34F Assessment Criteria for Controlled AssessmentGCSE English Language Unit 2 Speaking and ListeningControlled Assessment CriteriaAO1Speak to communicate clearly and purposefully; structure and sustain talk, adapting it to different situations and audiences; use standard Englishand a variety of techniques as appropriate.Listen and respond to speakers’ ideas, perspectives and how they construct and express their meanings.Interact with others, shaping meanings through suggestions, comments and questions and drawing ideas together.Create and sustain different roles.Communicating and adapting language Interacting and responding Creating and sustaining rolesBand 5 Candidates Candidates Candidates‘Sophisticated highlight priorities and essential detail sustain concentrated listening, showing create complex characters and fulfil theImpressive’ when communicating complex and understanding of complex ideas through demands of challenging roles through13–15 demanding subject-matter interrogating what is said insightful choice of dramatic approachesuse a sophisticated repertoire of shape direction and content of talk, explore and respond to complex ideas,strategies to meet challenging contexts responding with flexibility to develop issues and relationships in varied formaland purposes ideas and challenge assumptions and informal scenarios.show an assured choice and flexible use initiate, develop and sustain discussionof standard English vocabulary andthrough encouraging participation andgrammar in appropriate situations.interaction, resolving differences andachieving positive outcomes.Band 4 Candidates Candidates Candidates‘Confident, confidently convey and interpret challenge, develop and respond to what create convincing characters and rolesAssured’ information, ideas and feelings, they hear in thoughtful and considerate using a range of carefully selected verbal10–12 emphasising significant points and issues ways, seeking clarification through apt and non-verbal techniquesadapt and shape talk and non-verbal questions respond skilfully and sensitively in differentfeatures to meet the demands of different analyse and reflect on others’ ideas to situations and scenarios, to explore ideassituations, contexts and purposes clarify issues and assumptions and and issues and relationships.make appropriate, controlled, effective develop the discussionuse of standard English vocabulary and identify useful outcomes and helpgrammar.structure discussion through purposefulcontributions.GCSE English Language for teaching from September 2010 onwards (version 1.4)

35Communicating and adapting language Interacting and responding Creating and sustaining rolesBand 3 Candidates Candidates Candidates‘Clear, Consistent’ effectively communicate information, listen closely and attentively, engaging develop and sustain roles and characters7– 9 ideas and feelings, promote issues and with what is heard through perceptive through appropriate language and effectivepoints of view responses gesture and movementadapt talk to a variety of situations and make significant contributions that make contributions to the development ofaudiences, using non-verbal features to move discussions forward situations and ideas, showingadd to impact engage with others’ ideas and feelings, understanding and insight into relationshipsuse a range of well-judged vocabulary recognising obvious bias or prejudice and significant issues.and sentence structures to achieveand referring to precise detail.different purposes, including competentand appropriate use of standard English.Band 2 Candidates Candidates Candidates‘Some’ convey straightforward information and respond positively to what they hear, show understanding of characters by4– 6 ideas, coherent accounts and narratives including helpful requests for explanation creating straightforward roles usingin extended turns and further detail speech, gesture and movementbegin to adapt talk and non-verbal make specific, relevant contributions engage with situations and ideas,features to meet the needs of different to discussion showing understanding of issues andaudiences allow others to express ideas or points relationships.use a variety of vocabulary and structures of view that may differ from their ownfor different purposes, including appropriate and respond appropriately.features of standard English withreasonable accuracy.Band 1 Candidates Candidates Candidates‘Limited’ briefly express points of view, ideas respond what they hear, showing some draw on obvious and sometimes1–3 and feelings interest including non-verbal reactions stereotypical ideas to create simplesometimes develop detail to add interest make brief, occasional contributions and charactersto accounts, narratives and information, general statements in discussion react to situations in predictable butsupported by appropriate non-verbal follow central ideas and possibilities in appropriate ways, demonstrating somefeatures what they hear and raise straightforward understanding of relationships anduse straightforward vocabulary and questions. familiar ideas.grammar, showing awareness of somemain features of standard English.0 marks Nothing worthy of creditGCSE English Language for teaching from September 2010 onwards (version 1.4)E

E36GCSE English Language Unit 3 Part a Understanding written texts (extended reading)Controlled Assessment CriteriaAO3Read and understand texts, selecting material appropriate to purpose.Develop and sustain interpretations of writers’ ideas and perspectives.Explain and evaluate how writers use linguistic, grammatical, structural and presentational features to achieve effects and engage and influencethe reader.Band 5Candidates demonstrate‘Sophisticated, sophisticated interpretation of textsImpressive’sophisticated engagement with writers’ ideas and attitudes; sophisticated interpretations using imaginatively selected25–30 supporting textual detailsophisticated analysis of aspects of language and structure.Band 4Candidates demonstrate‘Confident,confident and developed interpretations of textsAssured’engagement with writers’ ideas and attitudes and provide perceptive interpretations using precisely selected supporting textual detail19–24 analysis of aspects of language and structure in convincing detail.Band 3Candidates demonstrate‘Clear,clear evidence of understanding significant meanings of the textConsistent’ability to explain writers’ ideas clearly offering relevant and appropriate supporting textual detail13–18 ability to display understanding of features of language and structure supported by relevant and appropriate quotation.Band 2Candidates demonstrate‘Some’some awareness of more obvious meanings in the text7–12 some awareness of writers’ ideas supported by relevant textual detailsome awareness of obvious features of language and structure supported by some relevant textual detail.Band 1Candidates demonstrate‘Limited’limited understanding of the texts1–6 limited engagement with the writers’ ideasreference to a limited range of textual detail.0 marks Nothing worthy of creditGCSE English Language for teaching from September 2010 onwards (version 1.4)

GCSE English Language for teaching from September 2010 onwards (version 1.4)GCSE English Language Unit 3 Part b Producing creative texts(creative writing)Controlled Assessment CriteriaSee table overleaf.E37

E38GCSE English Language Unit 3 Part b Producing creative texts (creative writing)Controlled Assessment CriteriaAO4Communicate clearly and imaginatively, using and adapting forms and selecting vocabulary appropriate to task and purpose in ways that engagethe reader.Organise information and ideas into structured and sequenced sentences, paragraphs and whole texts, using a variety of linguistic and structuralfeatures to support cohesion and overall coherence.Use a range of sentence structures for clarity, purpose and effect, with accurate punctuation and spelling.AO4 i and ii Communicating clearly/ Organising information AO4 iii Using sentence structures/Mark/Band using forms and ideas Mark/Band writing accuratelyBand 5 sophistication and subtlety prevail; high levels of whole text coherence; Band 5 varied and sophisticated‘Sophisticated, distinct reasons for readers wanting a strong sense of the text’s ‘Sophisticated, sentence structures used toImpressive’ to read this: ‘delightful’, ‘flair’; wholeness Impressive’ impressive effect9–10 ‘originality’ paragraphs/other structural and 9–10 uses a range of punctuationsubject matter/ideas presented in organisational devices complement highly purposefully andcompletely measured and effectively and fully support the purpose and effectively; punctuation isjudged depth/detail thrust of the piece another means to heightenartful and self-conscious use of cohesive features embedded impact of writinglanguage, with consistent crafting throughout; sophisticated and spelling is almost alwaysfor impact impressively used. accurate; accurate spelling ofimpressive exploitation of form forspecialist or lesspurpose and audience, withcommonplace vocabulary;impressive sense of immersion inimpressive control over eventhe chosen genre.highly irregular spellings.Band 4 writing is shaped by an assured well-constructed and assured whole Band 4 phrase and sentence‘Confident, Assured’ awareness of purpose and audience text shaping ‘Confident, constructions self-7–8 throughout uses structural/organisational Assured’ consciously crafted for effectsubject matter/ideas presented in devices to clarify and support 7–8 full range of punctuationappropriately sustained way; assured purpose, and to navigate readers marks used assuredly andjudgements made about the impact through the writing accuratelyof depth/detail on readers’ wider range of discourse markers few spelling lapses; nearengagement and cohesive ties to heighten fluency. misses with some unfamiliarassured and confident control andwords, but only verycrafting of language, with words’occasionally.effects deliberately worked forconfident and skilful use of form,with assured absorption of genericelements.GCSE English Language for teaching from September 2010 onwards (version 1.4)

39AO4 i and ii Communicating clearly/ Organising information AO4 iii Using sentence structures/Mark/Band using forms and ideas Mark/Band writing accuratelyBand 3 clearly matches style and form to clear sense of whole text coherence Band 3 clear variety and range of‘Clear, consistent’ purpose and audience uses clear and distinctive ‘Clear, consistent’ sentence structures: simple,5–6 subject matter/ideas presented in organisational devices; paragraphs/ 5–6 compound and complexa more sustained way; clear sense other organisational devices consistent accuracy withof depth and detail consistently deployed greater range of punctuationconsistently uses vocabulary and clear links between sentences; some commonly used words arestylistic devices to achieve effects discourse markers and referencing consistently spelt correctly;clear evidence of a form being to create fluency. more complex vocabulary isknowingly used throughout;generally accurately spelt.conventions of genre consistentlyevident.Band 2 increasing sense of clarity and some sense of whole text structure Band 2 uses greater range of‘Some’ intent in the writing and organisation ‘Some’ sentence structures – simple3–4 subject matter/ideas presented in shows some grasp of organising 3–4 and compound sentences;some depth; some detail to better sentences into paragraphs/other some complex sentencesengage readers organisational and structural devices punctuation is generallysome attempts to match style and used for effect accurate, with secure use ofform to purpose and audience some attempts to create sentence commas, question marks, etcform and genre used more cohesion. increased accuracy whenintentionally and knowingly.spelling less familiar words.Band 1 communicates ideas with limited limited whole text structure Band 1 limited syntactical variety –‘Limited’ clarity some organisational and structural ‘Limited’ simple and compound1–2 subject matter/ideas skimpily devices used; paragraphed, 1–2 sentences with a limitedpresented limited depth or detail albeit randomly/possible use of range of connectivesoccasional instances of language headings and sections sentences used, even thoughchoices moving away from the limited sentence cohesion; not all are properlymost basic time-focused discourse markers demarcatedsome rudimentary features of form may be used; eg ‘and then’, ‘then’. simple words spelt correctly;and genre used appropriately.validapproximations when spellingmore complex words.0 marks Nothing worthy of creditGCSE English Language for teaching from September 2010 onwards (version 1.4)E

E40GCSE English Language Unit 3 Part c Spoken Language StudyControlled Assessment CriteriaA02Understand variations in spoken language, explaining why language changes in relation to contexts.Evaluate the impact of spoken language choices in their own and others’ use.Band 5Candidates demonstrate‘Sophisticated, perceptive analysis and evaluation of aspects of how they and others use and adapt spoken language for specific purposesImpressive’sustained and sophisticated interpretations of key features found in spoken language data17–20 marks sophisticated analysis and evaluation of key issues arising from public attitudes to spoken language varieties.Band 4Candidates demonstrate‘Confident,confident explanation and analysis of how they and others use and adapt spoken language for specific purposesAssured’confident analysis and reflection on features found in some spoken language data13–16 marks confident analysis of some issues arising from public attitudes to spoken language varieties.Band 3Candidates demonstrate‘Clear, Consistent’ explanation of how they and others use and adapt spoken language for specific purposes9–12 marks exploration of features found in some spoken language dataexploration of some issues arising from public attitudes to spoken language varieties.Band 2Candidates demonstrate‘Some’some awareness of how they and others use and adapt spoken language for specific purposes5–8 marks some understanding of significant features found in some spoken language datasome awareness of public attitudes to spoken language varieties.Band 1Candidates demonstrate‘Limited’limited awareness of how they and others use and adapt spoken language for specific purposes1–4 marks description of a limited range of features to be found in some spoken language datalimited awareness of public attitudes to spoken language varieties.0 marks Nothing worthy of creditNotes:1. The phrase ‘spoken language’ here refers to the range of texts which are possible in each of the three categories.2. Data here can take different forms, such as transcripts, recordings, journalism etc.GCSE English Language for teaching from September 2010 onwards (version 1.4)

GCSE English Language from 2010 onwardsQualification Accreditation Number: 500/7918/9Every specification is assigned a national classification code indicating the subject area to which it belongs.The classification code for this specification is 5010.Centres should be aware that candidates who enter for more than one GCSE qualification with the sameclassification code will have only one grade counted for the purpose of the School and College PerformanceTables. In the case of a candidate taking two qualifications with the same classification code that are of the samesize and level, eg two full course GCSEs, the higher grade will count.Centres may wish to advise candidates that, if they take two specifications with the same classification code,schools and colleges are very likely to take the view that they have achieved only one of the two GCSEs.The same view may be taken if candidates take two GCSE specifications that have different classification codesbut have significant overlap of content. Candidates who have any doubts about their subject combinations shouldcheck with the institution to which they wish to progress before embarking on their programmes.To obtain specification updates, access our searchable bank of frequently asked questions, or to ask us aquestion, register with Ask AQA:aqa.org.uk/ask-aqa/registerYou can also download a copy of the specification and support materials from our website:aqa.org.uk/englishzoneSupport meetings are available throughout the life of the specification.Further information is available at:http://events.aqa.org.uk/ebookingCopyright © 2009 AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved.The Assessment and Qualifications Alliance (AQA) is a company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales(company number 3644723) and a registered charity (registered charity number 1073334).Registered address: AQA, Devas Street, Manchester M15 6EX.MIG0922.09