All 13 Literature topics for Edexcel International AS & A Level, grouped the way the exam is. Each topic has a few flashcards to test yourself; the full sets are free in Socrates AI.
AS
What is lexis?
The vocabulary of a language or text.
What is semantics?
The study of meaning in words and sentences.
What is the difference between denotation and connotation?
Denotation is a word's literal meaning; connotation is the associations and feelings it carries.
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What is the purpose of a text?
Why it was written, e.g. to inform, persuade, entertain, instruct or advise.
What is the audience of a text?
The intended readers or listeners.
What is genre?
A type or category of text, e.g. advert, speech, blog or novel, with typical conventions.
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What is phonology?
The study of the sound system of a language.
What is prosody?
Features of speech such as intonation, stress, pitch, pace and volume.
What is alliteration?
Repetition of the same initial consonant sound in nearby words.
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What is the difference between sex and gender?
Sex is biological; gender refers to socially constructed roles and identities.
What is Lakoff's deficit model?
The view (1975) that women's language is weaker and less assertive, e.g. more hedges and tag questions.
What is the dominance model?
The view that differences in language reflect male dominance, e.g. men interrupt more (Zimmerman and West).
What is power in language?
The ability to control or influence others through language.
What is the difference between instrumental and influential power?
Instrumental power is authority from a position (e.g. law); influential power persuades (e.g. media).
Who made the distinction between instrumental and influential power?
Shan Wareing.
AS
What is global English?
English used as a first, second or foreign language around the world.
What is Kachru's three circles model?
Inner circle (native speakers, e.g. UK), outer circle (official second language, e.g. India) and expanding circle (foreign language, e.g. China).
What is a lingua franca?
A common language used between speakers with different first languages.
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What is computer-mediated communication (CMC)?
Communication through digital technology, e.g. texting, social media and email.
What are common features of text messaging?
Abbreviations, initialisms, emojis, missing punctuation and phonetic spellings.
What is an initialism?
A word formed from initial letters, pronounced as letters, e.g. 'LOL'.
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What is child language acquisition?
How children learn to understand and use language.
What are the main stages of early speech?
Pre-verbal (cooing, babbling), holophrastic (one-word), two-word, telegraphic, and post-telegraphic stages.
At about what age do children reach the holophrastic stage?
Around 12–18 months.
A Level
What is directed writing?
A writing task that asks you to produce a text for a given audience, purpose and form, often using a source.
What are the key conventions of a formal letter?
Addresses, date, formal greeting and sign-off, clear paragraphs and formal register.
What are the key features of a speech?
Direct address, rhetorical devices, clear structure, and a strong opening and ending.
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What is rhetoric?
The art of using language persuasively.
What are ethos, pathos and logos?
Aristotle's modes of persuasion: appeals to credibility, emotion and logic.
What is a rhetorical question?
A question asked for effect, not expecting an answer.
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What is register?
The variety of language used for a particular purpose or situation, e.g. formal or informal.
What is the difference between first-person and third-person narrative?
First person uses 'I' with a character narrating; third person uses 'he/she/they' with an outside narrator.
What is an omniscient narrator?
A narrator who knows the thoughts and feelings of all characters.
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A Level
What is pragmatics?
The study of how context affects meaning, including implied meaning.
What is implicature?
Meaning that is suggested rather than stated directly.
What is discourse?
Language in use, beyond the sentence, including how texts are organised.
What is the purpose of a text?
Why it was written, e.g. to inform, persuade, entertain, instruct or advise.
What is the audience of a text?
The intended readers or listeners.
What is genre?
A type or category of text, e.g. advert, speech, blog or novel, with typical conventions.
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