AQA English Language A-Level

7702/1

Practice Paper 1

Time: 2 hours 30 minutes

Marks available: 100
Section A – Textual Variations and Representations
Section B – Children’s Language Development

30 minutes reading and planning

Question 1 – 30 mins

Question 2 – 30 mins

Question 3 – 20 mins

Question 4/5 – 40 mins

From The Manchester Guardian 1901

Text A – this is the beginning of a long obituary article on the death of Queen
Victoria on 23rd January 1901.
Text B – This is the text of an obituary for the American actor Adam West in
2016.
From the Guardian Online, 2016

Question 1 – Analyse how Text A uses language to create meanings and representations.

(25 marks)

Question 2 – Analyse how Text B uses language to create meanings and representations.

(25 marks)

Question 3 – Explore the similarities and differences in how Text A and Text B use language.

(20 marks)
SECTION B – Children’s Language Development

Either:

4. Interactions with caregivers and peers is the most vital part of child language acquisition.

Referring to Data Set 1 in detail, and to relevant ideas from language study, evaluate this
view of children’s language development.

Or

5. ‘Grammar tends to be more accurate than spelling in children’s writing’

Referring to Data Set 2 and Data Set 3 in detail, and to relevant ideas from language study,
evaluate this view of children’s language development.

DATA SET 1

Gordon is aged 2 years 2 months, and is playing with some toys with an older child (aged 12) watched by his Mum.

G: Ah dat mine

R: What’s yours?

G: Uh deepot

R: The teapot’s there.

G: All right.

Gordon plays and dances.

M: Where’s my cup of tea?

R: Gordon, what’s this?

G: Weengor. (sweetcorn)

R: Shall we cook it?

G : ucumber.

G: Des.

R: Yes? Would you like to chop it up?( searching through toys) With the knife? It’s here.

G: ere

R: See this. Shall we put it on a plate?

R: What’s this?

G: Cooker.

R: That’s the cooker. What’s that?

G: Um deepot. ( saucepan)

R: Pan

G: A ban. Ere.

R: Turn it on. Shall we put it on a plate? ( George gives Mum the pan of food to eat)

M: Ooh it’s a bit hot!

G: My do it. ( blows it)

M: Oh thank you for blowing it. Can I eat it now?

G: les. (yes)
M: Ooh that tastes nice. Are you going to make us a sandwich – you could put them on a plate.

G: Uh oh there it is. Duck. ( picks up toy toaster with bread stuck in it)

M: oh it’s stuck. Very stuck. There.

R: Are you going to make a sandwich?

M: You could make a sandwich. I want some ham Gordon with some cheese.

G: am an teese

M: And there’s tomato and cucumber isn’t there?

G: Where’s mato?

R: Cheese.

G: There’s ame

R: What’s that?

G: ******* ucumber

R: And what’s that?

G: C:ucumber.

R: And what’s that?

G: Yid.

M: the lid ( laughing)

R: Can you put that on top? ( to mum) It’s the lid of the sandwich.

(laughing)

R: What’s the lid made of?

G: Teese.

M: cheese with it. Oh thank you.

G: I put it on a bate.

M: Oh I need a plate.
Data Sets 2 and 3

DATA SET 2

Mom, I’m going to run away

tomroe at 9.30 wean you
and dad are sleeping. Be
sure to say good by for ever.

Emily

P.S I will be back tonight

Child was 7 years old

I am traveling in a rocket
ship To satran and satrn is oroge
Ploto is the smallist planit and
sun is The Biggist Planit

Child was 5 ½ years of age.