Cambridge AS & A Level English Language 9093/42 is the May/June 2026 Paper 4 (Language Topics), variant 2, an A Level component. It lasts 2 hours 15 minutes, is worth 50 marks and you answer both questions: a 25-mark English in the world essay and a 25-mark Language and the self essay, each based on the opening of an article. The two questions share one marking grid, so the skills are the same twice over: understand the article, write a well-organised discussion and bring in concepts and examples from your wider study. This guide covers both questions and explains how the official mark scheme gives marks. The paper and its mark scheme are free on the Tutopiya Learning Portal.

For an overview of all four 9093 papers from this series, see A Level English Language 9093 May/June 2026 past papers: what came up and how it was marked.

9093/42 at a glance

Rubric: answer all questions. Dictionaries are not allowed.

Question	Section	Text	Task	Marks
1	A: English in the world	Opening of a 2023 article from The Economist website on a backlash against English at universities in northern Europe	Discuss the most important issues raised about the causes and effects of the expansion of English around the world	25
2	B: Language and the self	Opening of a 2024 Psychology Today article on gendered language and whether language can be more gender-neutral	Discuss the most important issues raised about how language shapes and reflects how people think about themselves and each other	25
			Total	50

Question-by-question walkthrough

How both questions are marked

Questions 1 and 2 use the same grid, Table A, with three AO columns and five levels plus 0. The examiner levels each AO separately and adds the marks.

AO	What it rewards	Marks	Level bands
AO1 Understanding	Understanding of the text’s meaning, context and audience; reference to specific points in it	10	9–10, 7–8, 5–6, 3–4, 1–2
AO2 Writing	Expression and accuracy; relevance and development of ideas	5	5, 4, 3, 2, 1
AO4 Concepts	Understanding of the linguistic issues, concepts, methods and approaches in the text; reference to wider study of them	10	9–10, 7–8, 5–6, 3–4, 1–2

• AO1 is about the article. It rises from minimal to insightful reference to specific points, so quote and discuss particular details, not just the general topic.
• AO4 needs two things at once: the issues the text raises, and your wider study. Level 5 asks for sophisticated understanding of the first and insightful reference to the second.
• AO2 is judged on your own discussion. Five marks for clear, accurate expression and ideas developed in an organised way.
• The notes are illustrative. Each question’s indicative content is a guide, and other valid points are credited. Within a level, each bullet counts equally.

Question 1: English in the world (25 marks)

The text is the opening of a 2023 article from the website of The Economist, the British weekly. Its headline describes a backlash against English in northern Europe, and its standfirst says Denmark, the Netherlands and Norway hope to restore the primacy of their own languages at universities. The article also explains how universities try to attract international students and staff to climb global rankings, and so offer more and more teaching in English.

What the scheme’s notes cover:

• how and why some European universities offer courses taught mostly, or even entirely, in English
• domain loss, as speakers use their first language in fewer academic contexts
• the worry that a language may come to lack the vocabulary for cutting-edge topics
• the dominance of English in academic life, which can leave the impression that a language such as Dutch is somehow unworthy
• economic issues, such as international students receiving grants for living costs and then leaving rather than staying to contribute to the economy
• global university rankings that count international students and teachers, and the issues that follow
• other examples of backlash against English and efforts to promote national languages

Making it work: the question asks for causes and effects. The article gives you both: rankings and recruitment as causes, domain loss and lexical gaps as effects. For AO4, connect these to the concepts and examples you have studied in English in the world, and add cases beyond these three countries where you can, since the scheme’s last note invites them.

Question 2: Language and the self (25 marks)

The text is the opening of a 2024 article from the Psychology Today website on the perils of gendered language, asking whether language can be more gender-neutral. It begins by arguing that gender bias is built into social systems in subtle ways, not only into the behaviour of a few men, and ends by suggesting that changes to language could help dismantle deeply ingrained biases behind gender inequality.

What the scheme’s notes cover:

• how language choices can contribute to gender inequality and the devaluing of women
• the concept of gendered language
• the correlation between gendered language and gender inequality
• how and why gendered language affects our psychology
• why gendered diminutives are being replaced by gender-neutral terms
• how such changes might help dismantle deeply ingrained biases
• how pronoun use can affect how people are perceived and how they identify themselves
• changes that could be made to language to address the problem

Making it work: the question has two verbs, shape and reflect. Discuss whether gendered language simply mirrors existing attitudes or helps to create them, using the article’s points and theory and examples from your wider study of language and the self. Note that the scheme describes the link between gendered language and inequality as correlational, which gives you room to weigh how strong the evidence is.

Where the marks are on 9093/42

Assessment objective	Q1 English in the world	Q2 Language and the self	Total
AO1 Understanding	10	10	20
AO2 Writing	5	5	10
AO4 Concepts and wider study	10	10	20
Total	25	25	50

• The article and your wider study are worth the same. AO1 and AO4 carry 10 marks each per question. An essay that only summarises the article, or only recites what you studied, can do well in one column but not both.
• Writing quality is a fifth of each question. Organise the discussion around issues, not the order of the article.

How to self-mark 9093/42 with the mark scheme

1. Highlight references to the article. Count the specific details you discuss. Level 4 asks for effective reference to specific points, so general mentions of the topic will not get you there.
2. Highlight wider study in a different colour. Concepts, theorists, case studies and examples that are not in the article all go here. If there are few, AO4 stays low.
3. Check you answered the exact question. Question 1 asks for causes and effects; Question 2 asks how language shapes and reflects thinking.
4. Read the AO2 column last. Judge expression, accuracy and how well the ideas build across the essay.
5. Level each AO separately, then add. Weigh each bullet equally to choose the mark within the band.
6. Use the scheme’s notes as a guide, not a checklist. Credit relevant points it does not mention.

Sit 9093/42 as a timed mock

The paper allows 135 minutes for 50 marks.

Block	Marks	Time
Read the Question 1 article and plan	–	15 minutes
Write Question 1	25	50 minutes
Read the Question 2 article and plan	–	15 minutes
Write Question 2	25	50 minutes
Check both essays for article detail and wider study	–	5 minutes

Other May/June 2026 9093 papers

• 9093 Paper 12 (Reading)
• 9093 Paper 22 (Writing)
• 9093 Paper 32 (Language Analysis)

Practise and download

• Download 9093/42 and its mark scheme on the Learning Portal →
• All 9093 May/June 2026 papers: overview and marking patterns
• Try a free A Level English Language quiz

Need help with a 9093 topic? Book a free trial lesson with an A Level English Language tutor →

Frequently asked questions

How is 9093 Paper 42 May/June 2026 structured? +

It is an A Level paper of 2 hours 15 minutes and 50 marks. You answer both questions: Section A, English in the world, and Section B, Language and the self, each worth 25 marks and each based on the opening of an article.

What was 9093/42 Question 1 about? +

It used the opening of a 2023 article from The Economist's website on a backlash against English in northern Europe, where Denmark, the Netherlands and Norway want their own languages back at the centre of university teaching. You discuss the causes and effects of the spread of English.

What was 9093/42 Question 2 about? +

It used the opening of a 2024 Psychology Today article on the perils of gendered language and whether language can be more gender-neutral. You discuss how language shapes and reflects how people think about themselves and each other.

How are the 9093/42 questions marked? +

Both use the same grid: AO1 understanding of the text (10 marks), AO2 writing (5 marks) and AO4 linguistic issues, concepts and approaches (10 marks). Each AO is levelled separately and the marks are added.

Do I need examples beyond the article in 9093/42? +

Yes. Both questions ask for ideas and examples from your wider study, and the AO4 levels rise from minimal to insightful reference to wider study of linguistic issues, concepts, methods and approaches.

Where can I download 9093/42 May/June 2026 and its mark scheme? +

Both are free to download and print on the Tutopiya Learning Portal, on the Cambridge AS & A Level English Language 9093 past papers page.

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