Language - GCSE English Language Definition

Language is a key focus in both GCSE English Language and English Literature. It refers to the specific words, phrases, and techniques a writer uses to communicate ideas, create meaning, and affect the reader. This includes the use of imagery, tone, rhetorical devices, figurative language (like metaphors, similes, and personification), and word choices (diction).

In both subjects, analysing language helps students understand how writers shape meaning and emotion. In English Language, this might include how a writer persuades, describes, or informs. In English Literature, it involves exploring how language reveals character, setting, theme, or mood.

Example of language in a GCSE text

In Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, Stevenson uses harsh, violent language to describe Mr Hyde: “with ape-like fury, he was trampling his victim underfoot.” The simile and aggressive word choices create a disturbing image of Hyde and show his animalistic nature. This helps reinforce the theme of duality and inner savagery.