Section: Topical Language Issue (Paper 1, Q2) | ENGLISH LANGUAGE (20-21)

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Topical Language Issue (Paper 1, Q2)
Content in this section is applicable for Paper 1, Question 2. This exam question is worth 24 marks and is assessed equally on AO2 and AO5.

AO2 - Demonstrate critical understanding of concepts and issues relevant to language use.

AO5 - Demonstrate expertise and creativity in the use of English to communicate in different ways.

Hint: For this question, you need to read and practise writing in different forms such as blog articles, newspaper articles, magazine articles, talks, radio talks, speeches. You need to make sure that you take a critical angle to the statement. Your audience is a non-specialist, reasonably well-educated one so make sure that you do not include any inaccessible English Language terms that somebody who hasn't studied English at A level wouldn't understand. You need to aim for about 500 words; try to include an overarching metaphor that you return to throughout and relevant features for the form you're writing in.
- Style Models from Newspapers and the Media Folder
- Sample tasks audio tutorial File
- Writing on a Topical Language Issue Practice Glossary
- Some Stimulus for Language Debates File
- Style Models Showing How to Write Articles on Language Folder
- Articles About Technology Folder
- Howard Jacobson about 'the frozen wastes of emojiland' File
  
  A Radio Four talk called 'A Point of View', where the writer Howard Jacobson talks about the negative effects of the immediacy required in modern communication. You need to listen for while before it becomes relevant to the technology debate - the main part is from 6 mins to 9m 40s (the end). I think listening to the rest makes more sense of it though (DK).
- A video and a talk about technology File
- Professor John McWhorter on the language of texting URL
  
  Professor McWhorter delivers a TED talk to a general audience, defending the language of texting.