Quick questions on Language and the individual - Edexcel A-Level English Language

A transcript of a bilingual speaker alternating between English and another language with family illustrates code-switching as identity work. A strong paragraph would identify the switches (matrix-language alternation at clause boundaries, single-word insertions of culturally specific terms), and argue, via accommodation and identity performance, that the speaker is constructing a dual cultural identity in real time, converging on the shared bilingual code to signal in-group solidarity with family. The point is that the switching is meaningful and audience-aware, not a deficiency, and that it performs belonging.

A written transcript represents a speaker saying "I dunno where they've gone, do I" in an eye-dialect spelling that suggests a regional accent. A strong paragraph would carefully separate the levels: the spelling "dunno" gestures at accent (phonological reduction), while "do I" as a clause-final tag and any non-standard agreement would be dialect (grammar). It would then argue that the speaker uses these features to construct an unpretentious, in-group identity, and might note accommodation if the speaker shifts toward standard forms elsewhere.

Explain the difference between accent and dialect, with an example of each. [3 marks]

Using accommodation theory, explain why a speaker might converge towards their listener, and when they might diverge. [4 marks]

Analyse how a speaker in the data uses language to construct their identity. [16 marks]