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.

For more information, please visit the Department of English Language and Applied Linguistics website.