WJECAS/A Level45 resources

WJEC AS/A Level English Language Past Papers & Mark Schemes

Free WJEC A Level English Language past papers & mark schemes. Units 1–4 covering language exploration, issues, history, and spoken texts. 57 resources.

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45 of 45 resources — page 1 of 2

Summer 2023

8 files

AS/A Level English Language – Unit 4: Written: Spoken Texts and Creative Recasting – Mark Scheme – Summer 2023

Mark Scheme

AS/A Level English Language – Unit 1: Written: Exploring Language – Mark Scheme – Summer 2023

Mark Scheme

AS/A Level English Language – Unit 2: Written: Language Issues and Original and Critical Writing – Mark Scheme – Summer 2023

Mark Scheme
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AS/A Level English Language – Unit 3: Written: Language over Time – Past Paper – Summer 2023

Past Paper
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AS/A Level English Language – Unit 4: Written: Spoken Texts and Creative Recasting – Past Paper – Summer 2023

Past Paper
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AS/A Level English Language – Unit 1: Written: Exploring Language – Past Paper – Summer 2023

Past Paper
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AS/A Level English Language – Unit 2: Written: Language Issues and Original and Critical Writing – Past Paper – Summer 2023

Past Paper

AS/A Level English Language – Unit 3: Written: Language over Time – Mark Scheme – Summer 2023

Mark Scheme

Summer 2022

7 files
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AS/A Level English Language – Unit 1: Written: Exploring Language – Past Paper – Summer 2022

Past Paper
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AS/A Level English Language – Unit 2: Written: Language Issues and Original and Critical Writing – Past Paper – Summer 2022

Past Paper
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AS/A Level English Language – Unit 3: Written: Language over Time – Past Paper – Summer 2022

Past Paper
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AS/A Level English Language – Unit 4: Written: Spoken Texts and Creative Recasting – Past Paper – Summer 2022

Past Paper

AS/A Level English Language – Unit 3: Written: Language over Time – Mark Scheme – Summer 2022

Mark Scheme

AS/A Level English Language – Unit 4: Written: Spoken Texts and Creative Recasting – Mark Scheme – Summer 2022

Mark Scheme

AS/A Level English Language – Unit 1: Written: Exploring Language – Mark Scheme – Summer 2022

Mark Scheme

Summer 2019

5 files
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AS/A Level English Language – Unit 4: Written: Spoken Texts and Creative Recasting – Past Paper – Summer 2019

Past Paper
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AS/A Level English Language – Unit 2: Written: Language Issues and Original and Critical Writing – Past Paper – Summer 2019

Past Paper
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AS/A Level English Language – Unit 3: Written: Language over Time – Past Paper – Summer 2019

Past Paper
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AS/A Level English Language – Unit 1: Written: Exploring Language – Past Paper – Summer 2019

Past Paper

AS/A Level English Language – Unit 3: Written: Language over Time – Mark Scheme – Summer 2019

Mark Scheme

Summer 2018

5 files

AS/A Level English Language – Unit 1: Written: Exploring Language – Mark Scheme – Summer 2018

Mark Scheme
📄

AS/A Level English Language – Unit 1: Written: Exploring Language – Past Paper – Summer 2018

Past Paper
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AS/A Level English Language – Unit 2: Written: Language Issues and Original and Critical Writing – Past Paper – Summer 2018

Past Paper
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AS/A Level English Language – Unit 4: Written: Spoken Texts and Creative Recasting – Past Paper – Summer 2018

Past Paper
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AS/A Level English Language – Unit 3: Written: Language over Time – Past Paper – Summer 2018

Past Paper

WJEC English Language: Linguistic Analysis from Old English to Modern Spoken Discourse

WJEC A Level English Language takes a distinctly linguistic approach, asking candidates to analyse language as a system rather than simply appreciate literary texts. The four-unit structure moves from foundational linguistic analysis at AS to historical and sociolinguistic inquiry at A2. Unit 1 (Exploring Language) introduces candidates to systematic linguistic analysis using frameworks such as phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics. Candidates analyse unseen texts from a range of genres and modes, identifying how language choices create meaning and effect. Unit 2 (Language Issues and Original and Critical Writing) combines a discursive essay on a language issue — such as political correctness, accent discrimination, or the impact of technology on language — with an original writing task accompanied by a critical commentary. Unit 3 (Language over Time) traces the development of English from Old English through Middle English to Early Modern and present-day usage, asking candidates to analyse historical texts and explain patterns of linguistic change. Unit 4 (Spoken Texts and Creative Recasting) focuses on the analysis of transcribed speech, requiring candidates to identify features of spontaneous conversation, and includes a creative recasting task where students transform a text from one genre to another. Each unit is externally examined. The AS (Units 1–2) contributes 40% of the full A Level, with the A2 units (3–4) contributing 60%.

Exam Paper Structure

Unit 1

Exploring Language (AS)

Varies🎯 marks📊 20% of grade
Linguistic frameworksUnseen text analysisPhonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, pragmatics
Unit 2

Language Issues and Original Writing (AS)

Varies🎯 marks📊 20% of grade
Discursive essay on a language topicOriginal writing with critical commentary
Unit 3

Language over Time (A2)

Varies🎯 marks📊 30% of grade
Historical texts from Old English to present dayPatterns of linguistic change
Unit 4

Spoken Texts and Creative Recasting (A2)

Varies🎯 marks📊 30% of grade
Transcription analysisFeatures of spontaneous speechCreative genre transformation

Key Information

Exam BoardWJEC
Specification CodeWJEC A Level English Language
QualificationAS/A Level
Grading ScaleA*–E (A Level) / A–E (AS)
Assessment Type4 written exams
TiersNone
Number Of Papers4
Exam DurationVaries by unit
Total MarksVaries by unit
Calculator StatusNot applicable
Total Resources57

Key Topics in English Language

Topics you need to know

Phonology, morphology, syntax, and semantics as analytical frameworksLanguage and power, gender, technology, and social identityDiachronic change — Old English to modern usageSpoken language features — turn-taking, hedging, prosodyOriginal writing with critical linguistic commentaryCreative recasting across genres and modes

Exam Command Words

Command wordWhat the examiner expects
AnalyseExamine language features systematically using linguistic frameworks
EvaluateAssess the effectiveness of language use, supported by evidence
CompareIdentify linguistic similarities and differences between texts
CommentOffer informed observations about language features and their effects

Typical Grade Boundaries

GradeApproximate mark needed
A*80–90%
A70–79%
B60–69%
C50–59%
D40–49%
E30–39%

⚠️ Boundaries vary by session. Check WJEC’s website for exact figures.

Linguistic Frameworks, Diachronic Analysis, and the Art of Creative Recasting

Unit 1 demands a systematic approach to text analysis. Before the exam, create a checklist of the linguistic frameworks — lexis, semantics, grammar, phonology, discourse, pragmatics — and practise applying each to a range of text types. The highest-scoring responses integrate multiple frameworks fluently rather than working through them as a mechanical list. Unit 2’s language issues essay rewards candidates who can cite specific examples and research. Build a bank of named studies (Labov’s New York department store experiment, Lakoff on gendered language, Crystal on texting) and practise deploying them in arguments about language change, power, and identity. The original writing component should demonstrate that you can apply the linguistic knowledge you discuss in the discursive essay. Unit 3 requires you to read texts from different historical periods. Old English and Middle English extracts will include glosses, but you still need to recognise common grammatical features — inflectional endings, pronoun forms (þu, ye), verb endings (-eth, -est). Compile a reference sheet of the most common archaic features and their modern equivalents. For Unit 4’s spoken language analysis, learn the conventions for transcription notation (micropause, overlap, rising intonation). WJEC examiners reward candidates who can identify features like adjacency pairs, turn-taking violations, hedging, and tag questions, and explain their pragmatic function.

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