To conquer means to take control of a particular place and its people by force.

To invade a country means to enter it by force with an army.

Colonisation occurs when a country takes control of other lands and its people and creates settlements there.

If a group adopt a new word, they start using it.

A history of the English language

English

Reading an Anglo-Saxon Bible extract

Comparing the Lord's Prayer over time

Exploring how a word's meaning can change over time

Creating a new word

Planning a persuasive speech about a new word

Writing a persuasive speech about a new word

Delivering a persuasive speech about a new word

In 'A History of Language' students gain an understanding of the way in which English has evolved over time. In 'Perspectives on Gender', students also consider how language has been shaped by historical and social factors.

In 'Sherlock Holmes: Short Stories', students practise argumentative speaking as part of role-playing a court case. In 'A History of Language',  students also argue to justify the addition of their new word to the dictionary.   

In this unit, pupils explore the history of the English Language. They first learn about the development of the English Language, before using a single word and the Lord's Prayer to explore how language changes. They then plan, write and deliver a persuasive speech about a new word.

A history of language

The Anglo-Saxons were Germanic tribes that conquered England in the 5th century.

Old English was an early version of English spoken in the Middle Ages.

To translate something means to change it from one language to another.

If something is forbidden it is not allowed.

A paradise is a place of great happiness. It can also refer to heaven.

If something is hallowed then it is very respected because of its importance.

If something is outdated then it is old-fashioned and no longer considered current.

A generation refers to all of the people born and living at about the same time.

If something occurs across generations it can be described as intergenerational.

An abbreviation is a shortened form of a word or phrase.

When a word is overused and its meaning is altered this is called weakening.

When a word acquires a stronger meaning than it had before this is called intensification.

Amelioration is when a word acquires pleasant connotations that it didn’t have before.

Pejoration is when a word acquires negative connotations that it didn’t have before.

A superlative shows the highest or lowest quality of something. e.g 'best' or 'greatest'.

In language, blending means to join the beginning of one word with the end of another to create a new word.

Compounds are words that are formed by combining two existing words together.

An acronym is a word formed by combining the first letter of each word in a name or phrase (e.g. ASAP).

Initialism is an abbreviation where the first letters of each word are pronounced as separate letters (e.g. CCTV).

Affixation is the process of adding groups of letters to the beginning or ends of words to change their meanings.

A viewpoint refers to a person’s point of view on a particular issue.

In relation to speeches, pace refers to the speed with which ideas are presented and developed.

Emphasis refers to the particular importance given to something.

If ideas are sequenced then they are presented in a logical order.

If a speech is convincing then it is able to persuade someone of the merits of something.

If a piece of writing is original then it is not like anything written before and more interesting as a result.

Persuasion is the action or process of persuading someone.

An anecdote is a short story from personal experience for effect.

Rhetorical questions pose an idea or make a point without needing to be answered.

Posture refers to the position in which you are sitting or standing.

A gesture is a movement of the body, usually performed to express an idea or meaning.

Pitch refers to the relative highness and lowness of voice when speaking.

A speech’s tone refers to its overall mood or feeling.

When given a speech, pace refers to the speed at which you are saying the words.

Help using Oak

Year 1

Year 2

Year 3

Year 4

Year 5

A history of language

Choose a lesson (8)