English Language and Linguistics (BA)

A diverse range of teaching and learning styles is used throughout the programme. You will attend lectures, participate in seminars and carry out independent research in preparation for each session. Modules usually last one semester and mostly consist of two lectures and one seminar per week, as well as independent study.

The learning activities will vary from module to module as appropriate, but may include such activities as: interactive lectures, seminar discussions of prepared texts/topics, student presentations or  group presentations and small-group work within seminars. You are expected to do the reading and other relevant preparation to enable you to take a full part in these activities and are encouraged to explore the resources of the library as appropriate.
If you choose to take a Dissertation or Extended dissertation in Year three you will do independent research on a topic of interest to you, with regular help and supervision from a lecturer with expertise in that topic area. 

How will I be supported?

You will be allocated a personal tutor who will help you reflect on your performance on the course and advise you on study techniques, module selection and career planning (in conjunction with the University’s Career Service). They will also provide a first point of contact if you experience any difficulties.  Each semester, you will have a scheduled “Academic Progress and Personal Development Meeting” with your personal tutor.

We have a designated Employability, Internships and Placements Officer, who ensures that any work experience and placement opportunities are advertised to all students. Another member of academic staff acts as Disability and Diversity Officer and ensures that reasonable adjustments are made for students with disabilities. There is also a Study Abroad Coordinator who facilitates the option of spending part of your study at an institution abroad.

All modules make extensive use of the University’s Virtual Learning Environment, Learning Central, where you can access discussion forums and find course materials including, for example, links to core readings and other relevant materials, online tests, past exam papers and examples of student work from previous years.

The University offers a range of services including the Careers Service, the Counselling Service, the Disability and Dyslexia Service, the Student Support Service, and excellent libraries and resource centres.  

Feedback

We’ll provide you with frequent feedback on your work. This comes in a variety of formats including oral feedback during tutorials, personalised feedback on written work, feedback lectures, generic written feedback and feedback on tutorial performance

Coursework will be marked by your module tutor and your tutor will give you written feedback on your work. You will also have a feedback class after each assessment.

You will be given general feedback in relation to examinations following the May/June examination period and you will be able to discuss your overall performance with your personal tutor as part of the monitored student self-assessment scheme.

How will I be assessed?

A range of formative and summative assessment methods are used, including essays, examinations, presentations, portfolios and creative assignments.

Essays and examinations are used not only for assessment purposes but also as a means of developing your capacities to gather, organise, evaluate and deploy relevant information and ideas from a variety of sources in reasoned arguments. Dedicated essay workshops and individual advice enable you to produce your best work, while written feedback on essays feeds forward into future work, enabling you to develop your strengths and address any weaker areas.

The optional final-year dissertation provides you with the opportunity to investigate a specific topic of interest to you in depth and to acquire detailed knowledge about a particular field of study, to use your initiative in the collection and presentation of material and present a clear, cogent argument and draw appropriate conclusions.

What skills will I practise and develop?

As a result of engaging fully with this course, you will acquire and develop a range of valuable skills, both those which are discipline specific and more generic ‘employability skills’. These will allow you to:

• Grasp complex issues with confidence.
• Ask the right questions of complex texts.
• Have an imaginative appreciation of different views and options and analyse these critically.
• Identify and apply relevant data.
• Propose imaginative solutions of your own that are rooted in evidence.
• Communicate clearly, concisely and persuasively in writing and speech.
• Work to deadlines and priorities, managing a range of tasks at the same time.
• Learn from constructive criticism and incorporate its insights.
• Work as part of a team, developing a collaborative approach to problem-solving.
• Use IT programmes and digital media, where appropriate.
• Take responsibility for your own learning programme and professional development.

Knowledge & Understanding:

Students completing the Programme will demonstrate:

• Ability to analyse and discuss core areas of English language and linguistics, including phonetics, grammar, semantics, pragmatics and discourse analysis.
• Ability to identify and interpret a range of empirical linguistic phenomena and to use the relevant descriptive terminology.
• Ability to conceptualize the central role of language in constructing and perpetuating structures of power.
• Ability to analyse and assess how different social and cultural contexts affect the nature of language and meaning.

Intellectual Skills:

Students completing the Programme will demonstrate:

• Ability to critically evaluate ideas, arguments and empirical research.
• Ability to present information and ideas clearly and coherently in both written and oral formats.

Professional Practical Skills:

Students completing the Programme will be able to:

• Ability to collect, evaluate, synthesise and interpret qualitative and/or quantitative data.
• Ability to evaluate the impact of language use in a given context.

Transferable/Key Skills:

Students completing the Programme will demonstrate:

• Ability to sustain a critical argument that is responsive to the particular conventions of the genre.
• Confidence to tackle unfamiliar software packages and acquire new IT skills.