Program Description

This degree is designed to give students a solid foundation in linguistic theory, and to link this theory to the huge array of real-life contexts in which language is used. The program's mix of core and optional modules means that students will have the freedom to design the course that suits them, building on the topics that most capture their imagination.

In first year, students will take modules that encompass the fundamentals of linguistic research: linguistic theory, historical linguistics, sociolinguistics, and research methodology. The modules focusing on linguistic theory and the structure and sounds of English will allow students to learn about how language actually works and how linguists study it. Students will then apply this knowledge to modules that examine the history and varieties of English, teaching them about how language varies in space and time.

How students choose to build on this foundation throughout the remainder of their degree is up to them: expand on any (or all) of these four areas, and take modules from the other degree programmes within the department or from across the University.

In second year, you will have the chance to study modules in formal linguistics such as phonetics and syntax, as well as modules that deal with the history of language and linguistic thought, language and society, and how language is acquired and taught.

Their third year will allow for further specialisation in topics of interest. Students will have the opportunity to continue their interest in formal linguistics by developing their thinking about language and the mind. They can build on their passion for the history of English by learning about the latest thinking on the development of the language. Their interests in language and society can be developed as they take modules exploring the relationship between language and gender, discourse, and place.