On Monday, 46 A Level English students travelled to the historic city of York to explore language change first hand, bringing classroom learning to life through real-world experience.

The visit combined academic discovery with festive atmosphere, as students enjoyed York’s popular Christmas Markets before embarking on a self-guided tour of the city. Along the way, they examined how the Romans, Normans and Vikings have each left a lasting imprint on York’s place names, artistic expression and cultural identity.

York’s street names provided particularly striking examples of how linguistic influences from past civilisations continue to shape modern English dialects. From Norse origins to Norman adaptations, students were able to see clear evidence of language evolution embedded within the city’s landscape.

The trip offered a valuable opportunity for students to deepen their understanding of language change, reinforcing key concepts from their A Level studies while engaging with one of England’s most historically rich cities.

To find out more about studying A Level English subjects, visit our subject pages