COURSE CURRICULUM

The English Language and Linguistics BA offers a structured progression through core areas of language study, supported by a wide range of optional modules that allow you to tailor your academic path. In the first year, you build essential skills in linguistic analysis while exploring English structure, variation, meaning, and use, as well as the sounds and structures found across world languages. Optional modules introduce the diversity of global languages and help you develop analytical and research skills. In the second year, compulsory modules deepen your understanding of sociolinguistics, phonetics, syntax and the power of language in shaping communication. You learn to analyse persuasive texts, study how speech sounds are produced, and apply scientific methods to syntactic structures. Optional modules expand your learning into areas such as language evolution, psycholinguistics, forensic linguistics, interactional communication and the politics of language. In the final year, you undertake a substantial dissertation that allows you to pursue original research in a chosen area, gaining valuable academic and transferable skills. A broad selection of optional modules lets you specialise in topics such as multilingualism, language and gender, trial discourse, digital communication, sociophonetics, language change and advanced syntax, preparing you for diverse career pathways.