Paper 2: Language Diversity and Change

Paper 2 of AQA A-Level English Language (7702) is worth 100 marks and 40% of the qualification. It is 2 hours and 30 minutes long and is divided into two sections: Section A (Diversity and Change) and Section B (Language Discourses). This paper tests your ability to compare texts from different time periods, to discuss theories and concepts of language change and diversity, and to write persuasively about language debates. This lesson provides detailed guidance on technique for each section.

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Section A: Diversity and Change (30 marks)

What the Question Asks

You are given two texts from different time periods and asked to analyse how they use language, with a particular focus on how language has changed. The texts may share a topic, genre, or purpose, but they will differ in the period in which they were produced — for example, a 17th-century pamphlet alongside a 21st-century blog post on the same subject.

Example question stem: "Analyse how Texts A and B use language to present their ideas. In your answer you should consider how the texts reflect language change."

The question assesses AO1 (language analysis and terminology), AO3 (context and meaning), and AO4 (connections across texts).

How to Approach the Comparison

The most common mistake students make in Section A is writing about each text separately — first analysing Text A, then analysing Text B — and calling it a comparison. This approach cannot access the top bands because AO4 requires you to explore connections between the texts throughout your response.

Step 1: Read both texts carefully and annotate.

As you read, annotate language features on the texts themselves. Use different colours or symbols for each language level to keep your annotations organised. Pay particular attention to features that differ between the texts, as these are your points of comparison.

Step 2: Identify 4-5 points of comparison.

Each point of comparison should focus on a specific language feature or pattern that differs between the two texts. For example:

• Differences in formality and register (e.g., Latinate vocabulary in the older text vs. informal, colloquial lexis in the modern text).
• Changes in orthography and spelling (e.g., long s, capitalisation of common nouns, variant spellings in Early Modern English).
• Differences in sentence structure (e.g., heavily subordinated, periodic sentences in the older text vs. short, punchy sentences in the modern text).
• Changes in pronoun use (e.g., use of "thee" and "thou" vs. modern "you").
• Differences in discourse structure (e.g., the older text may follow a more formal, rhetorical structure while the modern text may be more conversational).

Step 3: Write comparatively, not sequentially.

Each paragraph should discuss both texts together. Use comparative connectives and discourse markers to signal connections:

• "In contrast to Text A, Text B..."
• "Both texts employ imperative constructions, but for different purposes..."
• "While the 18th-century text relies on Latinate polysyllabic vocabulary, the contemporary text favours monosyllabic Anglo-Saxon alternatives..."
• "This shift from [feature in Text A] to [feature in Text B] reflects the broader process of..."

Key Concepts of Language Change

You should apply relevant concepts and theories of language change in your analysis. These include:

Standardisation The process by which a language develops a recognised, codified standard form. In English, this was significantly advanced by Caxton's introduction of the printing press (1476), Johnson's dictionary (1755), and Lowth's grammar (1762). Older texts may show pre-standardisation variation in spelling and grammar.

Lexical Change

• Neologisms — new words entering the language (e.g., "selfie," "blog").
• Archaisms — words that have fallen out of use (e.g., "forsooth," "hitherto" becoming less common).
• Semantic change: amelioration (a word gains a more positive meaning, e.g., "nice" originally meant "foolish"), pejoration (a word gains a more negative meaning, e.g., "villain" originally meant "farm worker"), broadening (a word's meaning expands, e.g., "dog" originally referred to a specific breed), narrowing (a word's meaning contracts, e.g., "meat" originally meant any food).
• Borrowing — words adopted from other languages (e.g., French loanwords after the Norman Conquest; more recently, words from Hindi, Arabic, Japanese).

Grammatical Change

• Loss of inflectional endings (Old English was heavily inflected; Modern English relies on word order instead).
• Regularisation of verb forms (irregular verbs becoming regular over time, e.g., "holp" becoming "helped").
• Changes in the use of auxiliary verbs, negation, and question formation.

Phonological Change

• The Great Vowel Shift (c. 1400-1700) — a major systematic change in the pronunciation of long vowels in English.
• Sound changes visible in older spellings (e.g., "knight" was originally pronounced with a /kn/ onset).

Theories of Language Change

• Jean Aitchison (1991) identified three metaphors commonly used to describe attitudes to language change: damp spoon (language change is the result of laziness), crumbling castle (language was once perfect and is now deteriorating), and infectious disease (bad language spreads from person to person). Aitchison argued that all three are misleading.
• Prescriptivism vs. descriptivism — prescriptivists believe there is a "correct" form of English that should be maintained; descriptivists believe language naturally evolves and no variety is inherently superior.
• Chen's S-curve model — language change is slow to start, then accelerates rapidly before levelling off as the change becomes established.

Model Paragraph: Section A Comparison

Model Paragraph:

Both texts adopt an instructional tone, but the means by which they achieve this differ significantly across the two periods. Text A, published in 1732, relies on formal, Latinate vocabulary such as "endeavour," "pertaining," and "requisite," establishing the writer's authority through the prestige associated with classical learning. In contrast, Text B, a 2019 blog post, achieves the same instructional purpose through an informal, conversational register, using colloquialisms such as "basically" and "you just need to." This shift from Latinate formality to Anglo-Saxon informality reflects the broader process of democratisation in English — a move away from elite, gatekept knowledge towards accessible, inclusive communication. The change in register also reflects a shift in medium: Text A, as a printed pamphlet, was produced within a culture of deference to authority, while Text B, as a blog, is written in a context where writers seek to build solidarity with readers through positive politeness strategies. Both texts use imperative constructions ("observe carefully" in Text A; "check this out" in Text B), but the pragmatic force differs — Text A's imperatives carry a formal, didactic tone, while Text B's create a sense of shared enthusiasm.

Mark Scheme Descriptors: Section A

For the top band (Level 5, 25-30 marks), AQA expects:

• AO1: "Applies methods of language analysis with skill; wide range of terminology used accurately and with discrimination."
• AO3: "Sophisticated analysis and evaluation of how contextual factors and language features are associated with the construction of meaning."
• AO4: "Explores connections across texts with sophistication and insight, informed by linguistic concepts and methods."

Time Allocation: Section A

• 10 minutes reading and annotating both texts
• 5 minutes planning (identify 4-5 comparative points)
• 30 minutes writing
• 5 minutes reviewing

Total: approximately 50 minutes.

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Section B: Language Discourses (30 marks + 10 marks AO5)

What the Question Asks

Section B requires you to write an opinion article about a language debate or issue. You are given a stimulus — typically a short quotation or statement — and must write a discursive, argumentative piece in an appropriate register.

You have a choice of two questions (answer one).