This paper investigates how a group of Year 13 A Level English Language students’ understanding about language variation is developed throughtheir study of accents and dialects in Britain. Research has suggested that students find the A Level to be new, different and even unusual. By allowing students to draw on and develop from their own pre-existing knowledge to learn about and apply new linguistic terminology and ideas through a sequence of three lessons, students showed an increased awareness of the topic - within the wider subject of English Language.