Studying our English BA (Hons) course will equip you with a solid foundation in the combined fields of English language, linguistics and literature. You will begin with an Introduction to Linguistics and Phonetics where you will learn how speech and language works by exploring the anatomy of the vocal tract to understand how speech is produced. Similarly, you will engage in the study of semantics in The Meaning of Meaning unit that will allow you to explore the nature of language interpretation from a cognitive perspective. Language is also heavily influenced by cultural and societal conventions; therefore, our Forensic Linguistics unit will allow you to understand how language can provide useful insights into an individual’s background and subsequently use this to solve problems in legal and investigative scenarios. Delving further into linguistics, you will be introduced to key concepts of literary Style and Stylistics by examining linguistic practices of poems, plays and prose as well as how this deepens our understanding and enjoyment of literature. As an English student, you will also be introduced to a range of literary genres including poetry, drama and fiction in our Approaching Literature unit.

Building on this, our Radical Change in the Long Nineteenth Century unit will expose you to how literature has contributed to ideas around religion, gender, science and the arts in the long nineteenth century. Through examining poetry, prose and plays, you will also consider Modern and Postmodern Literary Practices around popular culture from the early twentieth century to the present day. In core areas of English study, our unit in Describing Language aims to introduce you to the main structures of English language while also familiarising you with the anatomy of the vocal tract and how sounds are produced. You will then build on key elements of English grammar, descriptive and communication skills in our English Sentence Structure unit while also looking at speech in The Sounds of English unit where you will study the relationship between phonology and grammar, speech and accent variation. This is discussed further in our Exploring Language unit where you will identify aspects of language and its value in specific career fields. Similarly, you will learn How Talk Works and How Text Works by focusing on the rules of conversation, its patterns and norms, and how it varies between people and situations. You will do the same with the written word by examining how texts are produced to help build your language interpretation skills.

Furthermore, you will explore how language is developed and realised by the human mind and brain in our Psycholinguistics - Language and the Brain unit. You will then link this to how language systems and patterns can be useful to various fields and careers in our Exploring Language Professions unit. In other areas of English study, you will study plays in our The Play’s The Thing unit to understand the philosophical, cultural and political conditions under which they were produced. The course also offers a range of optional units from the works of Chaucer to cultural and traditional texts in our Telling Tales: Early Modern Literature and World Literature: Crossing Borders units. You can also engage in critical language study in our Discourse and Ideology unit. In areas of teaching, you will be exposed to research in second-language learning in our Language Teaching, Learning and Assessment unit. Similarly, our TESOL Teaching Practice unit will allow you to apply current theoretical issues in language teaching and methodology to practice by providing you with the skills to design and deliver your own lessons and materials using various teaching techniques.

Another key skill as an educational professional is writing, and this is where our Creative Writing unit will introduce you to writing short stories and poetry that you will share in small group workshops. To aid with this, our Children’s and Young Adult Fiction unit will familiarise you with a range of fictional genres written for children, including film adaptations, fairy tales, and other popular fiction. Moreover, you will get the chance to explore various types of Gothic Literature as well as how contemporary readers respond to the fictional genre. Finally, you will complete a Dissertation where you will choose a topic of interest relevant to your course and apply your academic and practical skills under the guidance of a supervisor. As a useful skill set, our unit in Investigating the Social World will equip you with an understanding of quantitative and qualitative research methods, data collection, analysis and reporting. Additionally, you can also undertake a Professional Practice Year (Education and English Language) to develop your employability skills.