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A-Levels & GCSEs

AQA A-Level English Language (including exams)

AQA A-Level English Language online, exams included. Explore language, produce original writing, and earn UCAS points.

18–24 monthsDuration
Online + ExamsStudy Method
Level 3 (A-Level)Qualification Level
FlexibleStart Date

Is This Course Right For You?

This course is for you if...

  • You want to earn a full A-Level in English Language to meet university entry requirements
  • You're fascinated by how language shapes society, identity, and communication
  • You left school without A-Levels and want to return to study at a higher level, online and flexibly
  • You want to develop strong independent writing skills alongside your linguistic analysis
  • You need an A-Level that includes a substantial piece of creative or non-fiction original writing
  • You're planning to apply for university courses in English, linguistics, journalism, law, or education

Your career after this course

  • Apply to university with a full A-Level English Language qualification carrying up to 56 UCAS points
  • Progress to degree-level study in English Language, Linguistics, Journalism, Media Studies, or Law
  • Demonstrate the analytical and independent writing skills highly valued in professional environments
  • Progress to higher-level vocational qualifications in teaching, communications, or content creation
  • Use your language investigation skills in research-based and academic roles
  • Combine with A-Level English Literature or other A-Levels to strengthen your UCAS application

About This Course

The AQA A-Level English Language is a full Level 3 A-Level qualification, regulated by Ofqual and awarded by AQA, one of the UK's three main A-Level awarding organisations. This online course includes full AQA exam entry as part of the enrolment package — you do not need to source or pay for a separate exam centre. Assessment is by two written examinations and one internally assessed non-examination assessment (NEA) component, which combines a language investigation and a piece of original writing.

The course develops your understanding of the English language as a dynamic, socially embedded system. You will study the frameworks that linguists use to analyse language — phonology, graphology, lexis, semantics, grammar, and pragmatics — and apply them to a wide range of real texts: journalism, advertising, political speeches, social media, children's books, historical documents, and more. You will also investigate how language varies according to gender, region, social class, occupation, and context, developing sophisticated arguments about language diversity and change.

The A-Level English Language specification gives substantial space to your own production of language. The NEA requires you to carry out an independent language investigation — designing, collecting, and analysing your own data — and to produce a piece of original writing in a chosen form, accompanied by a reflective commentary. This component rewards independent thinking, genuine curiosity about language, and the ability to write with skill and intentionality across different genres and registers.

Throughout the course your dedicated personal tutor provides written feedback on analytical essays, guides your NEA planning and writing, and prepares you for examination performance with structured revision resources, past paper practice, and mark-scheme analysis. Most learners complete the full A-Level in 18 to 24 months, studying part-time at around 10 to 12 hours per week.

What You'll Study

The AQA A-Level English Language is delivered across seven structured components that build analytical, investigative, and creative language skills progressively from Level 3 foundations to full examination readiness.

7 structured unitsLanguage investigation NEAExams includedAQA specification
01Textual Variations and Representations

Examine how language is used and shaped across a wide range of written, spoken, and multimodal texts. This component introduces the linguistic frameworks — phonology, graphology, lexis, semantics, grammar, discourse, and pragmatics — that form the analytical toolkit of the A-Level English Language student. You apply these frameworks systematically to authentic texts from different contexts, genres, and time periods, developing the ability to write sophisticated comparative analysis that addresses how texts construct meaning, representation, and identity.

02Children's Language Development

Study how children acquire language from birth through to approximately age eleven, exploring the key milestones of phonological, lexical, grammatical, and pragmatic development. You will examine the major theoretical debates in language acquisition — nativist, behaviourist, interactionist, and social-cognitive perspectives — and apply them to real examples of child language data. This component develops your ability to analyse transcripts of child speech and written samples analytically, and to construct well-evidenced arguments about the processes of language learning.

03Language Diversity and Change

Investigate how the English language varies across different communities, contexts, and time periods, and how it has changed from Old English to the present day. You will examine regional accents and dialects, sociolects associated with gender, ethnicity, age, and occupation, and the processes of language change including borrowing, semantic shift, and technological influence. You develop the ability to analyse historical and contemporary texts as evidence of language variation and change, constructing arguments that engage with competing linguistic theories about diversity, prescriptivism, and language attitudes.

04Language Discourses

Explore the debates about language that circulate in public life — in newspapers, social media, political speeches, educational policy, and everyday conversation. This component develops your ability to engage critically with prescriptivist and descriptivist positions on language change and variation, to analyse how language is used as an instrument of power and identity, and to construct your own coherent and well-supported arguments about contested language questions. You will practise writing about language for a range of audiences, building the register flexibility that the AQA specification rewards.

05Writing Skills

Develop your ability to write with purpose, skill, and awareness of audience across a range of forms including journalism, creative non-fiction, memoir, commentary, and persuasive essay. This component prepares you for the written production element of both the examination papers and the NEA, training you to write with intentionality — making deliberate choices about form, structure, lexis, and register — and to articulate the reasoning behind those choices in a reflective commentary. The relationship between linguistic analysis and original writing is a central theme throughout.

06Language Investigation

Design and carry out an independent language investigation into a topic of your choice, guided by your tutor. This is the investigative component of the AQA Non-Examination Assessment (NEA) and requires you to identify a research question, collect primary language data, apply appropriate analytical frameworks, and present your findings in a formal academic report of approximately 2,000 words. Topics in previous investigations have included gendered language on social media, regional dialect preservation, the language of political speeches, and code-switching in bilingual communities.

07Original Writing

Produce a substantial piece of original writing in a chosen form — fiction, non-fiction, or creative non-fiction — accompanied by a reflective commentary of approximately 1,000 words. The original writing element of the AQA NEA rewards genuine creative ambition and technical skill, asking you to demonstrate command of the linguistic techniques you have studied analytically throughout the course. The commentary requires you to articulate the choices you made as a writer, connecting your creative decisions to the linguistic frameworks and audience awareness developed across the A-Level.

What You'll Need

Open Entry — No Formal Qualifications Required

AQA A-Level English Language is a Level 3 qualification requiring a reasonable foundation in written English. A GCSE English grade 4 or above is the standard minimum entry point.

  • GCSE English Language grade 4 or above, or equivalent evidence of written English competence
  • Aged 16 or over at the time of enrolment
  • Access to a computer or tablet and a reliable internet connection
  • Commitment of around 10–12 hours of study per week
  • Willingness to sit AQA examinations at an approved examination centre
  • No prior A-Level study required — the course builds from GCSE level upwards

Not Sure If You Qualify?

Our enrolment advisers assess each application individually. We look at your life experience, motivation, and readiness to study — not just your qualifications.

Speak to our team — we're here to help you find the right course and funding option.

Call 0800 088 5050

How You're Assessed

AQA A-Level English Language is assessed by two written examinations and one non-examination assessment (NEA) comprising a language investigation and a piece of original writing. Full exam entry is included.

Paper 1: Language, the Individual and Society — written examination, 2 hours 30 minutes (40% of A-Level)

Paper 2: Language Diversity and Change — written examination, 2 hours 30 minutes (40% of A-Level)

NEA: Language Investigation (2,000 words) + Original Writing with commentary (20% of A-Level)

Full AQA exam entry arranged by Learnirect — no separate exam fee required

Exams sat at an approved AQA examination centre near your location

NEA submitted to AQA for moderation via the centre

Where This Course Can Take You

A-Level English Language carries UCAS points and opens pathways to a wide range of degree courses and careers. Salary data based on 2024–25 published ranges for early-career professionals.

University Undergraduate (English / Linguistics)

Degree-level entrytypical salary range

An A-Level English Language with good grades supports applications to English Language, Linguistics, Media Studies, Journalism, and Education degree programmes at universities across the UK.

Journalist / Reporter

£22,000 – £30,000typical salary range

Entry-level journalism roles value analytical language skills, the ability to write for different audiences, and an understanding of how media texts construct meaning — all developed through A-Level English Language.

Content Writer / Copywriter

£23,000 – £28,000typical salary range

Digital content, copywriting, and UX writing roles require strong command of register, audience awareness, and persuasive technique — skills that A-Level English Language develops explicitly and systematically.

Primary School Teacher (via degree and QTS)

£30,000 – £46,000typical salary range

A-Level English Language supports applications to Primary Education degree programmes and PGCE routes, particularly valuable for those specialising in literacy, phonics, and language development.

Speech and Language Therapy (degree entry)

£32,000 – £42,000typical salary range

Speech and language therapy degree programmes at UK universities commonly list an A-Level in a language-based subject as a preferred or required entry qualification.

Legal Executive / Paralegal

£24,000 – £32,000typical salary range

Legal roles require precise, analytical reading and writing — exactly the skills developed through A-Level English Language. Combined with relevant work experience or a Law degree, this qualification supports legal career entry.

Ready to Unlock Your University Place?

Graduates of this course go on to universities across the UK, including Russell Group institutions. Enrol today and start your journey.

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Choose Your Payment Plan

All plans include the same full course content, dedicated tutor, and your awarding body certification.

Pay Monthly

£85.91

per month × 11 months

£9.99 deposit + £85.91 × 11 = £945.99 total

Includes

  • Pay just £9.99 deposit to enrol today
  • Spread the cost over 11 interest-free monthly payments
  • Full course access from day one including all components and tutor support
  • AQA exam entry included — no additional exam fees
  • Dedicated personal tutor throughout your studies
Best Value

Pay in Full

£945.99

one-time payment

Total: £945.99 — exam entry included

Includes

  • Single payment — no monthly admin
  • Full course and AQA exam entry included
  • Immediate enrolment with access from day one
  • Dedicated personal tutor and online learning platform
  • AQA A-Level certification on successful completion
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Frequently Asked Questions

Yes — full AQA exam entry is included in your enrolment fee. You do not need to pay separately for your examinations or locate your own exam centre. Learnirect is a registered AQA centre and will arrange your exam entry and advise you on the nearest approved venue. The total fee of £945.99 covers online tuition, tutor support, NEA supervision, and complete AQA exam registration.

A-Level English Language and A-Level English Literature are distinct qualifications with very different content. English Literature focuses on the critical study of literary texts — novels, poems, plays — and their historical and cultural contexts. English Language focuses on language as a living system: how it is structured, how it varies, how it changes over time, how children acquire it, and how it is used to construct meaning and identity. English Language includes a substantial independent investigation component and original writing, making it highly practical and research-oriented.

Most learners studying part-time online complete the AQA A-Level English Language in 18 to 24 months, studying around 10 to 12 hours per week. The A-Level is a substantial qualification — it is equivalent in level and demand to one A-Level sitting in a sixth form or college — and it includes a non-examination assessment (NEA) that takes several months to research, write, and refine. Your tutor will help you plan a realistic study schedule when you enrol.

AQA A-Level English Language carries the same UCAS Tariff points as any other A-Level: 56 points for grade A, 48 for grade B, 40 for grade C, 32 for grade D, and 16 for grade E. These points are used in UCAS university applications in the same way as A-Levels studied at sixth form or college. There is no distinction between online and classroom-delivered A-Levels in UCAS point calculations.

You do not need to have specifically studied GCSE English Language as a named subject, but you do need a good foundation in written English. The standard entry requirement is a GCSE English Language grade 4 or above. If you have equivalent evidence of competence — for example, Functional Skills English Level 2, or a relevant professional qualification — contact the enrolment team to discuss your eligibility before enrolling.

The AQA A-Level English Language NEA accounts for 20% of your final A-Level grade and consists of two components: a language investigation (approximately 2,000 words) and a piece of original writing with a reflective commentary (approximately 2,500 words in total). Unlike the examination papers, the NEA is completed over time during your course, with guidance from your tutor. You choose your own investigation topic and creative writing form, giving you genuine intellectual ownership of this component. The NEA is internally assessed at your exam centre and externally moderated by AQA.

Yes — many university applicants study both A-Level English Language and A-Level English Literature to demonstrate breadth of literary and linguistic engagement. The two A-Levels complement each other well: skills developed in literary analysis (close reading, argument construction, textual evidence) transfer directly to English Language analytical tasks, while the writing skills and language awareness developed in English Language enhance literary study. Learnirect offers both A-Levels online with full exam entry.

AQA A-Level English Language is a fully accredited, Ofqual-regulated qualification regardless of how it is studied. Universities assess A-Level grades, not the mode of delivery. The same A-Level grade achieved through Learnirect's online programme carries identical UCAS points and recognition as a grade achieved in a sixth form or college. Individual university course requirements vary, so always check specific entry requirements on UCAS before you apply.

Yes — A-Level English Language is particularly valuable for aspiring primary school teachers and those interested in literacy, language development, and special educational needs (SEN) roles in education. The language acquisition and language diversity components develop knowledge directly relevant to classroom practice and to understanding how children develop as readers and writers. For secondary English teaching specifically, many PGCE programmes prefer candidates who hold both A-Level English Language and A-Level English Literature.

Everything Else You Need to Know

Study Support & Delivery

  • Dedicated personal tutor assigned from day one
  • Online learning platform accessible 24/7 on any device
  • Written feedback on analytical essays and NEA drafts
  • Past paper practice and examination technique guidance
  • Support throughout NEA planning, research, and submission
  • Student support team available by phone, email, and live chat

Qualification & Recognition

  • AQA A-Level English Language — full Level 3 A-Level regulated by Ofqual
  • Carries UCAS Tariff points (up to 56 for grade A)
  • Accepted by all UK universities for UCAS applications
  • Identical recognition to A-Levels studied in sixth form or college
  • Graded A*–E on the standard A-Level scale
  • Certificate issued by AQA on successful completion

Exams & Scheduling

  • Full AQA exam entry included in course fee
  • Exams typically sit in May/June each year
  • Two written papers plus NEA submission
  • Exam centre arranged near your home address
  • Papers are 2 hours 30 minutes each
  • Results released in mid-August following the June exam series

Hear From Our Learners

I had always been interested in how language reflects power and identity but never had the chance to study it formally. The AQA A-Level English Language gave me exactly that. The language investigation component was the highlight — I studied gendered language patterns on Twitter and genuinely felt like a researcher. My tutor's feedback was detailed and pushed me to sharpen my arguments. I achieved a grade B and used it to apply for a Linguistics degree.

Aisha K.

AQA A-Level English Language (including exams)

Returning to study at 34 was intimidating, but the flexibility of the online platform made it manageable around my job in marketing. The units on language variation and change were fascinating — I had never stopped to think analytically about why different communities speak differently. The original writing component was also much more enjoyable than I expected. I finished in 20 months and I'm now applying for a part-time journalism degree.

Ben T.

AQA A-Level English Language (including exams)

I needed A-Level English to apply for a primary PGCE, but I'd left school years ago without completing sixth form. My tutor was excellent throughout — particularly on the NEA, which felt daunting at the start. She helped me focus my investigation, suggested relevant linguists to reference, and gave me clear feedback on drafts. I sat my exams in June and got a grade C, which was accepted by my first-choice university.

Rachel F.

AQA A-Level English Language (including exams)

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