English Language and Linguistics BA (Hons)

You'll develop skills in phonetics, phonology, morphology, lexis, semantics and syntax. You'll learn how to transcribe speech, identify and classify language features, analyse meaning in texts, and understand register.

This is a practical and collaborative module – you'll work with your classmates in seminars and then apply your new skills by investigating your own chosen texts.

We'll guide you through using university resources like the library and Moodle while familiarising you with processes like ethics approval and referencing. You’ll get hands-on with collecting, examining, and presenting language data.

You’ll develop professional skills like teamwork, time management and resilience as you take the first steps towards becoming an independent researcher.

You’ll analyse the syntactic, lexical, functional and phonological elements of English, building your understanding of pedagogic grammar.

You’ll also have a go at learning a previously unknown language and reflect on this experience, as well as making contrasts between this language and known languages.

On this module, you’ll explore the intersections of language and human experience, journeying through key linguistics topics like psycholinguistics, social variation, language acquisition and language disorders.

You'll use real-world spoken and written texts to dive into cultural differences, gender dynamics, language evolution and more.

This module will help you decide which areas you’d like to explore in your second and third years.

You'll explore this question on this module, studying different types of 'texts', and learning how to interpret the grammatical and thematic elements within them.

You'll work with a range of texts, across spoken, written and digital media. You'll learn skills in transcription and how to analyse conversations, thinking about what we communicate about our identities through social interaction. You'll record and examine real-world conversations to see communication dynamics in action.

By the end of the module, you'll understand how language shapes our interactions with others.

You’ll go beyond vocabulary and assess why we say things the way we do, looking for patterns in everyday language.

You’ll develop practical text analysis skills, and examine language as a tool we use to accomplish social goals.

You'll explore semantics and pragmatics in depth, and analyse diverse spoken and written texts using key terminology and principles.

You'll engage with linguistics and literature to stay up to date with developments like social media discourse and become an expert in how meaning is created and conveyed in English.

Combining law, language analysis and psychology, you’ll look at the different tools and methods used for analysing texts.

You’ll investigate grammar, orthography, metaphor, punctuation, capitalisation, layout and text management, salutations, spelling and distinctive markers, style of printing, and the use of upper-case letters.

You’ll also explore the different methods used for detecting lies and deception, and apply forensic linguistics tools in written and verbal case reports.

We’ll cover various aspects of social (in)justice, and you’ll then choose an area you feel passionate about to investigate further, explaining links between language and social justice in your chosen domain.

You’ll capture and convey your insights through a digital portfolio.

You’ll study a number of key topics and issues in the field of language acquisition and their implications for your own personal and professional interests and needs in language learning, language teaching, and language studies.

Through dynamic peer discussions, you’ll rethink assumptions about multilingualism while gaining tools to evaluate language policies and learning models.

Although this module focuses on the teaching of English, it can apply to other languages too.

If you’re doing the Trinity course, this is the second of three modules you’ll need to complete to achieve the internationally recognised professional teaching qualification, Trinity College London Cert TESOL.

In this module, you’ll explore European colonisation of Africa, asking questions like - how did they justify colonial rule, and how did African peoples respond to these colonisers?

You’ll learn how, after World War II, colonial rule was increasingly challenged from both within the empire, by growing African demands for political rights, and in the international arena, with the global trend towards trusteeship, development and self-determination.

You’ll also explore European relations with Africa in the post-colonial era, looking at themes which may include ideas about civilisation, universalism and race, modern attempts to 'rehabilitate' empire in the media, and the legacies of colonialism in Britain, Europe and Africa.

You’ll collaborate with students on other courses to explore and address societal and environmental challenges faced by local and global communities. You’ll choose projects from a range of topic areas aligned with the university's Civic Strategy.

With input from local organisations, you’ll think about your topic from multiple perspectives, developing your interdisciplinary thinking and ability to work with others.

You’ll analyse the essence of security, exploring how security needs are addressed around the world and on a national level, down to a community and even an individual basis.

You’ll explore different forms of societal risk and insecurity, and approaches to dealing with security threats, taking into account the nature and impact of economic and political developments.

You'll learn about major economic, political and cultural changes in Western Europe over the nineteenth century, and how these affected the rest of the world as time went on.

You'll explore the big ideas that have shaped the modern world, and weigh up the benefits and perils of globalisation. Skills you'll develop on this module include independent research, critical thinking and effective communication.

You'll also learn to understand the opportunities and challenges of today's world from an informed, global perspective.

You’ll look critically ideas of nationalism historically and today with a focus on the everyday, intimate and embodied boundaries of nation-states and how these shape our lives, including those of us living in the most privileged parts of the world.

You’ll explore real-world cases to understand the individual and societal impacts on human lives, developing your analytical skills and imagining more compassionate alternatives.

You'll analyse major cases of economic crime and weigh up their wider societal implications.

You'll also learn how to recognise disciplinary perspectives, become familiar with the key investigating organisations, identify investigative techniques, and gather and analyse real case information.

You’ll analyse American texts against the backdrop of intellectual, social and political change, evaluating how writers grappled with emerging ideas around national identity, race, gender and more.

By honing skills for contextual analysis and independent thought, you’ll form your own interpretations of iconic works that reflect the American experience.

You’ll analyse diverse transitional justice approaches balancing community healing and judicial accountability after mass atrocities.

Comparing mechanisms like war crimes tribunals, truth commissions and reparations programmes, you’ll evaluate effectiveness in restoring dignity and preventing recurrence.

With case studies from Europe to Africa, from Latin America to Asia, you'll examine tensions between western models and local cultural perspectives, assessing what ‘justice’ means to vulnerable peoples.

Throughout, you'll trace incremental human rights legislation advances, assessing global institutions’ roles protecting civilians from authoritarian regimes and wartime abuses.

Through interactive lectures with academics, speakers and professionals, you'll discuss, debate and complete practical exercises exploring wildlife crime alongside your classmates.

You'll spend time examining wildlife crimes and the factors behind them, as well as environmental justice and sustainability.

You’ll study real speech and linguistic data to understand different linguistic deficit models.

You’ll build on what you’ve learned about morphology, syntax and phonology and apply it to real examples.

Learn by doing as you explain your findings to different audiences through creative mediums like podcasts.

You'll learn how to think critically about the key concepts that link language, culture and communication, considering the benefits and limitations of these ideas.

You'll explore the different ways in which communication intersects with culture across themes such as identity, education, gender, and the media.

Alongside what you learn, you'll improve your skills in analysis, research and intercultural awareness.

You'll learn about consumer behaviour and brand strategy, and spend time examining real-world marketing campaigns. You'll also think about how social, political and technological forces can affect the way businesses approach marketing their products and services.

Skills you'll develop include carrying out market research and learning how to use what you learn, crafting targeted messaging across different marketing channels, and presenting your ideas verbally and in writing.

You’ll unpack the language of tabloids, broadsheets and online news, analysing how journalists shape public understanding of current events.

Develop your critical thinking by confronting moral panics and polarised politics in reporting.

Create your own news stories and gain real insight into mass communication in a rapidly changing landscape.

With a minimum 80-hour commitment, you’ll apply what you’ve learned so far on your degree to real-world professional settings within our community of local businesses, social enterprises, and third-sector organisations.

You’ll have support from interactive workshops, tutorials, and guest speaker events, encouraging you to set achievable professional goals and evolve your professional identity.

You’ll learn skills you’ll need to teach in language schools worldwide, including exploring different methods and approaches to the teaching of languages, in particular English as a Second or Other Language (ESOL).

You’ll design a series of lesson plans and reflect upon your own performance as a trainee teacher, drawing up an action plan for future professional development.

It's up to you what your dissertation or project is about – this will be your chance to showcase your passion for language by choosing a subject area or topic that most interests you.

You'll draw on everything you’ve learned so far to investigate, analyse, craft and refine your dissertation or project, using existing texts, sources and artefacts to support your arguments and give them context.

You'll have the support of a dedicated dissertation tutor to guide you throughout this module.

This real-world, project-based module lets you address an identified need or gap by designing an innovative product, service or resource.

With support from university staff and external partners, you'll demonstrate critical thinking, ethical awareness and project management abilities.

Your final project and presentation will showcase your employability and capacity for high-impact solutions.

You’ll demonstrate intellectual and transferable skills appropriate for your field, and do independent research. You’ll design a viable project proposal using existing studies in your field, and critically discuss assumptions, arguments and data to make judgements, pose questions and identify solutions.

Finally, you'll write up your project tailored to a specified academic or workplace audience.

You'll investigate words, phrases and their meanings across diverse contexts like Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Natural Language Processing (NLP).

Developing corpus linguistics abilities lets you spot patterns and trends - useful for careers from teaching to computing. Get hands-on with data to uncover language insights, reporting findings with critical methodology grounded in key concepts.

You’ll analyse the historical processes that have shaped our understanding of linguistic variety, spanning grammar to phonology.

You’ll evaluate origins of modern vocabulary, structure and dialects, building valuable knowledge about this vibrant mode of human connection.

Examine feminist linguistic theories and methodologies investigating how speech and text perpetuate or confront patriarchal norms.

Discover how conversational patterns subtly cue stereotypes, status and gender roles across diverse cultures.

You’ll question your own assumptions while developing skills for respectful communication and critical consumption of gendered media messages.

You’ll get familiar with the big issues and contemporary debates in education studies as well as the role and expectations of a teacher.

You’ll develops fundamental knowledge and skills that teachers require, as well as your capability to structure and critique a lesson plan.

You'll learn about the job application process from the perspective of both candidates and recruiters, thinking about what employers look for in graduates and how you can optimise your own professional profile.

Through mock interviews and assessments, you'll hone your skills and learn how to communicate your achievements and career goals, ready to take the next step after you graduate.

During your study abroad programme, you’ll expand your global perspective and develop additional skills to boost your future career, as well as making memories, new friends and career contacts.

This is an amazing opportunity to expand your horizons and set yourself up for your future career by studying abroad and becoming a student ambassador for our university.

You’ll build your rhetorical skills to deliver persuasive presentations, and analyse diverse interpersonal interactions, from meetings to interviews, complaints to small talk.

Learn what makes effective workplace discourse and find confidence in your ability to navigate professional spoken communication.

You'll consider how you can incorporate creative activities using music, literature, drama, film, storytelling and games into a series of lessons.

You'll also think about wider contexts and make professional judgements concerning planning beyond individual lessons.

We'll use examples in class relating to the teaching of English but the same principles and techniques can be used for the teaching of other languages too.

You’ll explore the many Englishes used internationally, analysing how the language has spread and adapted politically and culturally over time.

You’ll seek to answer thought-provoking issues: how equal are different Englishes? What are the pedagogical implications as English becomes the global lingua franca? Understand the plurality of modern Englishes and their complex implications across the world today.

You’ll develop your knowledge of core linguistic frameworks in order to investigate a range of communication issues, such as language and control, the role of interpreters, the veracity of witness statements, and the interviewing of vulnerable witnesses, such as children.

You’ll focus on the analysis of computer-mediated-communication practices, the language used in on social media, the effects of social media on language and the social structures that emerge when people use these applications.

You’ll delve into the big ideas relating to language and social media to develop your own perspectives.

With a minimum 80-hour commitment, you'll apply what you've learned so far on your degree to real-world professional settings within our community of local businesses, social enterprises, and third-sector organisations.

You'll have support from interactive workshops, tutorials, and guest speaker events, encouraging you to set achievable professional goals and evolve your professional identity.

Using analytical frameworks, you'll adapt texts to suit different audiences, purposes and settings, and evaluate and produce examples of professional writing.

You’ll also apply your learning through a presentation.