This is a guide to preparing students for the various ‘Investigations in English Language’ units that form part of many A Level English Language courses.
Practicalities
Students will need considerable teaching input at key stages of investigation work:
Before beginning their projects: “What should I do it on?
- Lessons can usefully ‘showcase’ different possibilities. ‘Mini’ investigations (to demonstrate the format and importance of selecting the right frameworks to use) are very helpful at this stage.
- A very useful teacher forum that will provide a great deal of help for this unit (and all others…) is the English Language List. It is well worth joining this forum as the help offered can be quite amazing.
- Many students respond well to a list of possible titles, although of course the weakest will simply view this as a list from which to choose. Many departments keep copies of student’s work from previous years and a lesson can be usefully based on using these to give ideas and to exemplify what is needed.
- It can also be useful to briefly revise key topics and concepts from year 12, or topics from the A Level exam may need to be taught in order to be available to students as possible Investigation areas.
Whilst analysing their data: “Have I chosen the right frameworks?
- At this stage, individual consultation is by far the most effective method of ensuring that students feel confident in their analysis. This is of course time-consuming, but a few lessons set aside for 10-15 minute consultations can prove invaluable – and of course allows for the inevitable fact that they will not all be ready to consult at exactly the same time.
- It can also,…
