BA English Language and Linguistics with Placement Experience

Explore how language lies at the heart of human life and society – and put your skills into practice on a work placement – with our BA English Language and Linguistics with Placement Experience degree.

This four-year course examines how language is crucial to our understanding of ourselves as members of society, as individuals, and as a species. An integrated placement year provides a fantastic opportunity to put your skills into practice in preparation for your future career.

At the University of Reading, you’ll join our friendly, collaborative Department of English Language and Applied Linguistics. We’re proud of our:

• established reputation in applied linguistics. We’ve been around for more than 50 years, and offered the first linguistics degree in the UK.
• global ranking. We place in the top 150 universities in the world (QS World University Rankings by Subject, 2022).
• thriving research environment. 100% of our research is of international standing (Research Excellence Framework 2021, combining 4*, 3* and 2* submissions – Modern Languages and Linguistics).

Our experts will support you to become a highly skilled user and analyst of the English language. As well as analysing language itself and how it works, you’ll investigate:

• language use in different social contexts and settings, including online and offline
• how language is acquired by children and adults
• how language is taught
• the role of language in politics in an increasingly globalised world.

Alongside this, you’ll develop your knowledge of grammar, phonetics and discourse analysis, and understand how language and linguistics relates to contemporary social issues, including politics, migration, gender and sexuality.

Placement experience

In your third year, you will complete a year-long work placement in a relevant setting.

You’ll develop an awareness of key challenges and opportunities relating to professional communication in the global workplace. Your responsibilities and activities will vary according to the nature of your placement – for example, a company, university or school.

This is a fantastic opportunity to put your skills into practice, gain first-hand experience of the sector, and boost your employability. Depending on your interests, your placement could be in environments such as the media or education.

• Recent graduate, Hope O’Grady, shares her experience of supporting prisoners as they grapple with deportation notices during her work placement. 

As part of the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Programme, you may also have the chance to work with staff members on their research projects.

Join a friendly, supportive community, where 92% of students say that staff are good at explaining things (National Student Survey, 2022).

We are passionate about exposing you to the forefront of English language research and practice:

• Professor Rodney Jones, who explores how digital media changes the way we communicate online, invited students to contribute to his latest research.
  
  
• National Teaching Fellow, Professor Jane Setter, teaches five modules – in phonetics, pronunciation and varieties of English – and feeds her research into all of them.

You’ll be encouraged to follow your interests as they evolve with our diverse range of interdisciplinary modules, allowing you to gear your degree towards your career objectives.

In your final year, you will have the choice to either complete a dissertation or undertake a placement.

Study Abroad

As part of your degree, you can apply to study abroad for a semester – during spring or summer term of your second year – at one of our partner universities in Europe, Asia, the USA, Canada or Australia.

Visit the Study Abroad website for more information.