AQA A-Level English Language: The Language in Action NEA (7702)

This guide covers 3.3 Language in Action, the non-exam assessment (NEA) component of AQA A-level English Language (7702), worth 20% of the qualification. Unlike Papers 1 and 2, it is coursework: independent research and original writing, developed and drafted over time rather than produced under timed exam conditions. These notes complement the site’s guides to Paper 1 and Language Diversity and Change.

Where this fits in 7702

Papers 1 and 2 test analysis of given or unseen material; the NEA instead asks students to generate their own object of study – and every student completes both tasks: a piece of independent language research (the investigation) and a piece of original writing reflected on through commentary. Both tasks draw on the same underlying methods of language analysis taught across the whole specification, applied here to material the student has chosen rather than material set by the exam board.

Syllabus coverage

AQA A-LEVEL ENGLISH LANGUAGE (7702) – 3.3 LANGUAGE IN ACTION

• 3.3.1 Language investigation (2,000 words, excluding data and quotations): a student-led enquiry into an aspect of language, drawing on spoken, written or multimodal data, or a mix of text types; students are not restricted to formally taught areas – any area yielding interesting questions about language in use may be chosen, generated by a genre-based, function/use-based, attitudes-based or user-based investigation question. The investigation must contain: an introduction (reasons for the focus, aims), a methodology (an evaluative account of data collection and organisation, approach to analysis), an analysis (interpretation of findings, relevant concepts and issues, contextual influences), a conclusion (linked back to the aim), references, and appendices (clean copies of data)
• 3.3.2 Original writing (750 words, plus a 750-word commentary): one piece of original writing based on one of three areas – The Power of Persuasion, The Power of Storytelling, or The Power of Information – informed by studying a range of style models and analysing one in detail, plus a reflective commentary evaluating the style model, the writing process, and the effectiveness of the final piece. The submitted folder contains the writing, an annotated style model, the commentary, and references
• 3.3.3 Methods of language analysis: both tasks draw on the same underlying language levels – phonetics, phonology and prosodics; graphology; lexis and semantics; grammar (including morphology); pragmatics; and discourse

How to approach it

The single most important early decision is choosing a genuinely specific investigation focus – “the language used in three different advertisements for a particular product” is workable; “advertising language” alone is not. A precise, narrow focus makes every later stage (methodology, analysis, conclusion) easier, because the investigation has a clear boundary. For the original writing, the style model analysis done in preparation directly feeds the final commentary, so treat that early research stage as building material for the commentary, not as separate, disposable groundwork.

Official syllabus

AQA A-level English Language (7702) specification, first teaching 2015 – aqa.org.uk.

Choosing an investigation focus

A strong investigation question falls into one of four types: genre-based (what are the distinctive features of this type of language use?), function/use-based (what is the language used to do?), attitudes-based (how do people feel about this language?), or user-based (who uses this type of language?). Whichever type is chosen, the investigation needs a specific, bounded focus – a named dialect surveyed in a specific way, a specific set of texts, a specific comparison – not a broad topic area that could support a whole book.

The investigation’s five required sections

Introduction states why the focus was chosen and what the investigation aims to find out. Methodology gives an evaluative account – not just a description – of how data was collected and why that approach was chosen. Analysis interprets the findings against the stated aim, considers relevant concepts and issues, and examines contextual influences on the data. Conclusion draws the analysis back to the original aim. References and appendices support the whole piece with sources and clean copies of the raw data.

Original writing: three power categories

The Power of Persuasion (investigative journalism, a speech on a controversial topic, a letter to an MP), the Power of Storytelling (a short story, a biography extract, a dramatic monologue), and the Power of Information (travel journalism, a social-issues blog, local history writing) each require studying a style model before drafting original work in that mode, then reflecting on the process in the commentary.

Worked example: from broad interest to bounded investigation question

Too broad: "How does social media affect language?"

Step 1 - narrow the mode:
Which platform, or which specific feature (hashtags, emoji use,
abbreviation)?

Step 2 - narrow the population:
Whose language -- a specific age group, a specific online
community?

Step 3 - narrow the comparison or question type:
Genre-based ("what features characterise X"), or attitudes-based
("how do users feel about X")?

Result: "How do abbreviation and emoji use differ between two
specific age groups' text messages, and what attitudes do each
group express towards the other's style?"

This final version has a clear data-collection plan, a clear analytical framework, and a clear boundary – all missing from the original broad question.

Common mistakes

Choosing an investigation topic too broad to analyse in 2,000 words. Treating the methodology section as a simple description rather than an evaluative account of the approach taken. Writing an original piece without first analysing a specific style model in enough depth to inform the commentary. Applying language-level analysis (phonetics, lexis, grammar, pragmatics) inconsistently, missing levels relevant to the chosen data type.

Quick revision checklist

• State the exact word limits and required sections for both the investigation and the original writing/commentary.
• Practise narrowing a broad interest into a bounded, analysable investigation question.
• Identify which of the four investigation question types (genre, function/use, attitudes, user-based) best suits a given research interest.
• Explain the relationship between style-model analysis and the final reflective commentary.
• Apply the six methods of language analysis (phonetics/phonology, graphology, lexis/semantics, grammar, pragmatics, discourse) relevant to a given data type.