Full Time: 4 Years
Develop an expert appreciation of how the English language works, and its use within our increasingly globalised world, with our BA English Language and Linguistics with Foundation.
This four-year programme includes a foundation year that leads directly into the three-year course. It provides an excellent route to a degree in English language and linguistics if you do not have the typical entry qualifications.
Are you interested in understanding how language works and is applied in different situations? An ever-changing medium, language is crucial to our understanding of ourselves as members of society, as individuals, and as a species.
You will explore language in a range of different social contexts and settings — both online and offline — including how it’s taught, how it’s acquired by children and adults, and how it’s used by different cultural and societal groups.
Our department has been a leader in the field of English language studies and linguistics for over 50 years. By studying with us, you will:
- acquire core skills in analysing language, including the description of sounds, phonetics, grammar, semantics and discourse analysis
- gain knowledge of a range of sociolinguistic and psycholinguistic perspectives
- explore theories of language in the contemporary world, and their impact on key issues such as politics, migration, gender and sexuality.
Learn from experts with a long-established tradition of producing distinguished research in topics such as language and gender, language and mind, language and digital media, and language and migration.
Your learning structure
The aim of the foundation year is to prepare you for your English language and linguistics degree. As you progress, each stage builds on your prior learning:
- Foundation year: gain a thorough grounding in study at degree level. Core modules will develop key skills to support your learning.
You will complete two skills-based modules: Study Skills develops your academic writing, research, referencing, critical thinking, teamwork, study techniques and study management; and Persuasive Writing explores how writing shapes our lives, and how it's used for social media, journalistic and political persuasion.
Two additional modules develop skills specific to your degree: Identities explores identity in relation to national/race identity, gender, changing identities and sense of self, examining everything from texts and objects to film and cultural documents; and Perspectives enhances your ability to study and understand problems, events, objects and texts from a variety of perspectives.
- First year: gain a broad overview of the scope of English language, and knowledge of sounds, grammar and semantics.
- Second year: build on your expertise in analysing language and sociolinguistic theory and practice. Choose from a broad range of optional modules to pursue more specialised areas of personal interest.
- Third year: undertake a dissertation or professional communication project, applying key aspects of theory you’ve learned to an area which interests you personally. You will be supported by one-to-one supervision.
You’ll be taught through a range of lectures, seminars and workshops, with the opportunity to share your work with peers, engaging in collaborative and stimulating discussion.
Placement opportunities with BA English Language and Linguistics with Foundation
As part of the course, you’ll have the opportunity to undertake a work placement module, focusing on either media or education.
Final-year students may also opt to complete a professional communication project, in which a group works together to plan and implement a project for a company or organisation.
Study Abroad
If you are interested in gaining an international dimension to your degree, you will have the opportunity to study abroad for a term or full academic year. We have partner universities in Asia, Australia, Canada, Europe and the USA.
To find out more, visit our Study Abroad site.
Typical offer A Level CCD | IB 24 pts overall
What will you study?
How much will it cost?
New UK/EU students: £9,250* per year
New international students: £17,320 per year
* UK and EU fee changes
UK undergraduate fees are regulated by the government. These fees are subject to parliamentary approval and any decision on raising the tuition fees cap for new UK and EU** students would require the formal approval of both Houses of Parliament before it becomes law.
From 2020, the UK government may link tuition fees to the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF).
**EU students
For more information on fees, loans and grants for EU students, see fees and funding for home/EU students.
Additional costs
These course fees cover the cost of your tuition. Some courses will require additional payments for field trips and extra resources. You will also need to budget for your accommodation and living costs. See our information on living costs for more details.
Financial support for your studies
You may be eligible for a scholarship or bursary to help pay for your study. Students from the UK and other EU countries may also be eligible for a student loan to help cover these costs. See our fees and funding information for more information on what's available.
What career can you have?
Careers for BA English Language and Linguistics with Foundation graduates
Your degree will help you to gain transferable skills such as critical thinking, language teaching and negotiation, which are valued in a range of sectors. As such, 90% of graduates from our department are in work or further study within six months of graduating (Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education survey, 2016–17).
Graduates of our department have found careers in a variety of fields. These include:
- teaching (both in the UK and abroad)
- speech and language therapy
- publishing
- event coordination
- journalism
- speech writing
- the Civil Service
- media, including advertising, marketing and public relations
- information technology.