Explain to me about English Language A Level

[mastertomsmum]

Hi, SIL's daughter is considering Eng Lang A level as an option having dropped Maths and Physics as not doing well in them. Her other A levels are Eng Lit and History and she wants to study Law at uni.

Way back when I was a youngster her age, Eng Lang A level - if it existed at all - was only for those considering the study of language as a degree course.

Any experience or background on why/how/when Eng Lang became an A level subject? Popular??

DD is taking it alongside maths and history. She had predominantly 8s and 9s at GCSE and was originally planning to take economics or politics as her 3rd A level, but switched after a taster day. Like you, it wasn't available in my school when I took my A levels. It seems to be a social science analysing the development of language skills, speech patterns etc. A friend of a similar age took it and she reassured me that it is credible. She is a social worker and I think her degree first degree was related to journalism.

I teach A level language. It’s v useful for general writing skills and goes well with the other 2 subjects. It is not as specialist as you are suggesting.

It's not a facilitating subject and you probably need 2 or more of those if you want to get into some of the better universities. Quite a lot of fee paying academic schools don't offer it. That does not of course mean she shouldn't do it but she should be aware it might limit choices a little bit.