Edexcel A-Level English Language: language change, a complete overview
A deep-dive Edexcel A-Level English Language (9EN0) guide to language change. Covers historical change at every level, attitudes to change (Aitchison's metaphors, Crystal, prescriptivism versus descriptivism), and the theories and processes of change (wave, S-curve, random fluctuation and word formation), with the theorists Edexcel expects.
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What this area actually demands
Language change asks how English has changed over time, why people react so strongly to it, and the mechanisms by which change happens and spreads. Edexcel expects you to analyse change at every language level in texts from different periods, name the processes and models, and evaluate attitudes critically.
This guide covers the three sub-topics, then the exam patterns. Each has a dot-point page with practice questions; this overview ties them together.
Historical language change
English changes at every level. Lexical change adds words through borrowing, coinage, compounding and blending. Semantic change includes broadening, narrowing, amelioration and pejoration. Grammatical change covers syntax and inflection, phonological change alters pronunciation, and orthographic change standardises spelling. The printing press (Caxton), Johnson's 1755 dictionary and mass education drove standardisation.
Attitudes to language change
Attitudes split into prescriptivism (change is decline) and descriptivism (change is natural). Jean Aitchison's three metaphors capture prescriptivist anxiety: the damp spoon (laziness), the crumbling castle (decay) and the infectious disease (spread of bad usage). David Crystal defends change as natural and creative. Attitude texts are often emotive and metaphorical, so analyse their persuasive techniques as well as evaluating the argument.
Theories and processes of change
Change spreads in patterns: the wave model (outward from a centre), the S-curve model (slow, then rapid, then levelling) and random fluctuation (Hockett). Functional theory says language changes to meet needs. Word-formation processes include borrowing, affixation, compounding, blending, clipping, acronyms, initialisms and conversion, and technology accelerates all of them.
How this area is examined
A typical Edexcel profile:
- Analysis of older and modern texts. You analyse change across periods, naming the type or process of change.
- Theory and model application. You apply the wave, S-curve and random fluctuation models and functional theory to evidence.
- Evaluation of attitudes. Strong answers weigh prescriptivism against descriptivism using Aitchison and Crystal.
- Accurate terminology. Marks reward precise use of terms like amelioration, pejoration, blending and the S-curve.
Check your knowledge
A mix of recall and application questions. Attempt them, then check the solutions.
- Name four types of historical language change. (2 marks)
- Define amelioration and pejoration with an example of each. (2 marks)
- Name Aitchison's three metaphors for the prescriptivist view. (3 marks)
- Describe the S-curve model of change. (2 marks)
- Identify the word-formation process in "brunch" and "NASA". (2 marks)
- Summarise the descriptivist attitude to change. (2 marks)
Sources & how we know this
- Pearson Edexcel A-Level English Language (9EN0) specification — Pearson Edexcel (2015)