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WJEC A-Level English Language: complete guide to the units, assessment and skills

A complete guide to WJEC A-Level English Language (Wales). Covers the unitised structure (Exploring Language, Language Issues and Original and Critical Writing, Language over Time, Spoken Language and Creative Re-casting, and the Language and Identity non-exam assessment), the language levels, the exams and NEA, and how to study for top grades.

Browse guides β†’Syllabus dot points (9)

WJEC A-Level English Language (Wales) is a unitised course that develops you into a confident analyst and producer of language. This page is the index: below is a map of the five units, the language levels that underpin them, the exams and non-exam assessment, and how to study each one.

The WJEC English Language units

The qualification is built from two AS units and three A2 units, the last of which is a non-exam assessment.

Unit 1: Exploring Language (AS)
A written examination with two compulsory sections: analysing an unseen text using the language levels, and discussing contemporary English, often digital communication.
Unit 2: Language Issues and Original and Critical Writing (AS)
A written examination answered in three parts: a language issues essay, an original piece of writing, and a critical commentary on that piece.
Unit 3: Language over Time (A2)
A written examination analysing and comparing texts from different periods to explain how and why English has changed.
Unit 4: Spoken Language and Creative Re-casting (A2)
A written examination with two sections: analysing a spoken-language transcript, and re-casting a source text into a new genre, audience or mode.
Unit 5: Language and Identity (A2)
The non-exam assessment: an independent language investigation of 2500 to 3500 words in one of four set areas.

The language levels

The whole specification is underpinned by the language levels: phonetics, phonology and prosodics; lexis and semantics; grammar including morphology; pragmatics; and discourse. You use this single toolkit to analyse written texts, contemporary language, historical texts and spoken interaction, so mastering it early pays off across every unit.

Assessment

WJEC A-Level English Language is assessed by written examinations and a non-exam assessment.

  • Unit 1 - two compulsory sections: analysing language and contemporary English.
  • Unit 2 - one three-part question: language issues, original writing and a critical commentary.
  • Unit 3 - analysis and comparison of texts over time (diachronic change).
  • Unit 4 - spoken-language transcript analysis and creative re-casting of a source.
  • Unit 5 - an independent language and identity investigation, internally marked and externally moderated.

How to study WJEC English Language

English Language rewards precise terminology, analysis of effect, and clear judgements over description.

  1. Master the language levels. Learn each level and its key terms so analysis is fast and precise.
  2. Always analyse effect. Tie every feature to its effect for the audience, purpose and context.
  3. Build concepts and theory. For language issues and spoken analysis, learn the frameworks and apply them to data.
  4. Practise writing and re-casting. Craft original and re-cast pieces with deliberate, analysable choices.
  5. Plan the NEA early. Choose a focused question, gather sound data, and reference accurately.

The units and skills, topic by topic

Each unit has a topic-level overview with worked exam questions and cross-links, plus dot-point answer pages for each section and skill.

For the official specification

WJEC publishes the full specification, past papers, mark schemes and non-exam assessment guidance at wjec.co.uk. Always revise from the current specification and WJEC's own past papers, because the unit structure and question style are board-specific.

English Language guides

In-depth written guides with paired practice quizzes.

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English Language practice quizzes

Multiple-choice drills with worked answer explanations. Your scores stay on this device.

The WJEC-A-LEVEL system, explained

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Common questions about English Language

How is WJEC A-Level English Language structured?
WJEC A-Level English Language (Wales) is a unitised qualification. The AS units are Unit 1 Exploring Language (analysing language and contemporary English) and Unit 2 Language Issues and Original and Critical Writing. The A2 units are Unit 3 Language over Time, Unit 4 Spoken Language and Creative Re-casting, and Unit 5 Language and Identity, a non-exam assessment of 2500 to 3500 words. The whole course is underpinned by the language levels and follows the 2015 WJEC specification used in Wales.
What are the units of WJEC A-Level English Language?
There are five units. Unit 1 (Exploring Language) and Unit 2 (Language Issues and Original and Critical Writing) are the AS units, both written examinations. Unit 3 (Language over Time) and Unit 4 (Spoken Language and Creative Re-casting) are written A2 units, and Unit 5 (Language and Identity) is the A2 non-exam assessment, an independent language investigation. Together they assess analysis, language issues, original and creative writing, and independent research.
What are the language levels in WJEC English Language?
The language levels are the analytical framework underpinning the whole specification: phonetics, phonology and prosodics (sound, stress and intonation); lexis and semantics (vocabulary and meaning); grammar including morphology (sentence and word structure); pragmatics (meaning in context); and discourse (how whole texts are organised and made cohesive). You apply them to analyse texts and talk across every unit.
How is the non-exam assessment (Unit 5) assessed?
Unit 5, Language and Identity, is an independent language investigation of 2500 to 3500 words in one of four areas: self-representation, gender, culture or diversity. You frame a focused question, collect and analyse your own data using the language levels and concepts, and reflect on what it reveals about identity. It is internally marked by the centre and externally moderated by WJEC, so a sound method and accurate referencing are essential.
How should I revise for WJEC A-Level English Language?
Work unit by unit. Drill the language levels until naming features is automatic, and always link features to effect in context. Build concepts and theorists for the Unit 2 language issues and the Unit 4 spoken-language analysis, and practise the diachronic comparison of Unit 3. Rehearse original writing and re-casting with deliberate choices, and plan the Unit 5 investigation early with a focused question. Practise every written unit to time.
How does WJEC A-Level English Language compare to Eduqas and other boards?
All A-level English Language specifications develop the same core skills: analysing texts with the language levels, understanding language issues and variation, and writing for genre, audience and purpose. WJEC (Wales) is distinctive in being unitised, with its own five-unit structure and question styles, and is separate from Eduqas (the WJEC brand used in England), which is organised into components. Always revise from the current WJEC specification and WJEC past papers, because the unit structure and mark schemes are board-specific.