English Language and Linguistics

This module introduces students to fundamental concepts, current approaches and basic tools for the analysis of spoken and written discourse. 

This module introduces students to the study of words, how they are formed, and their relationship to other words in the same language. It explores key concepts of morphology and equips students with the relevant skills to analyse the form and structure of words.

This module introduces students to the study of sound in linguistics. It explores key concepts in phonetics and phonology, and provides students with the analytic skills required to begin to identify, label, and analyse speech sounds.

This module introduces students to the main concepts and theories in linguistic pragmatics, for example speech acts and implicature. We will focus on how the speaker and the hearer negotiate meaning across various activity types and contexts. 

This module focuses on the development of Modern Linguistics by exploring the contributions of its father figures. We will analyse the works of  Sir William Jones, Ferdinand de Saussure, Leonard Bloomfield, and Noam Chomsky. We will adopt both the historical and the theoretical perspective. Our discussions will include comparative linguistics, structuralists’ views and generativists’ approaches.

This module introduces students to the study of meaning in linguistics. It explores the key concepts in semantics and different approaches to meaning.

This module introduces students to the relationship between language, society and  identity in relation to factors such as gender, ethnicity, social class, power and policies.

The module introduces students to the field of modern linguistics. It will demonstrate new ways of studying language by highlighting the supremacy of Syntax in sentence-generation. In seminars students will explore different approaches to the study of language, underpinned by the theories taught in this module.

This module introduces students to fundamental concepts, current approaches and basic tools for quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods research in (applied) linguistics.

This module introduces the fundamental concepts of systemic functional grammar. It equips students with tools to analyse language and focuses on the functions of grammatical structures in context.

The module introduces students to the grammars that sustain language as a system. It will focus on the rules that generate language and will give prominence to Syntax while drawing comparison with Semantics. Students will study and analyse Noam Chomsky's grammars and the rules therein with the aim of assessing their feasibility in English and elsewhere. 

This module builds on initial knowledge of sociolinguistic variation - the study of the ways in which language varies and changes in communities of speakers, as well as within the speech of individuals. It introduces concepts and theories related to the patterns (social and linguistic) behind language variation, and allows students to reflect on their own experiences in light of these ideas. The module equips students with the necessary tools for analysing spoken language and interpreting what they find in line with topics covered on the module.

This module aims for the students to develop as a Learning and Teaching Assistant in schools. The student offers assistance to the main classroom teacher and/or coaches small groups of learners remedially. The TA may be asked to work with individuals or with small groups, or if the school and TA are in agreement, the TA could teach whole classes. They are assessed by the teacher to whom they are a mentor and also by their own reflections on their own practice.

Unit content will normally include:

• Training in classroom management and behaviour
• Individual reading on the role of the Teaching Assistant in teaching and learning
• Relation of theories of learning to practice of teaching
• Approaches and methods in language teaching
• Teaching the language system (grammar, lexis, phonology)
• Teaching reading or all language skills
• Lesson planning and classroom management teaching resources

The module introduces you to corpus linguistics as an approach to and method for analysing large-scale linguistic data. It focuses on all aspects of corpus linguistics, including building linguistic corpora, annotating language data, and using quantitative and statistical measures in linguistic analysis. You will explore the uses, advantages and disadvantages of applying corpus methods to specific fields of study and practice in (applied) linguistics, including discourse analysis, sociolinguistics and language teaching.

This module explores theories and developmental milestones in relation to first language acquisition. It equips students with the theoretical knowledge necessary to critically evaluate children's language.

This module introduces students to a wide repertoire of approaches to qualitative analysis of linguistic data. You will learn how to describe linguistic structures and meanings in naturally occurring interaction.

Language is central to the functioning of the Criminal Justice System in England and Wales to ensure that justice is served in accordance with the rule of law. All interactants in the Criminal Justice System have a range of codified and uncodified rights related to language. This module explores such language rights and critically evaluates the extent to which linguistic (dis)advantage may have an impact on how justice is delivered. In exploring issues at the interface between language and law, you will have the opportunity to apply skills and competencies in linguistic theory and analysis developed on other core modules.

This module introduces you to a range of theories that explain second language acquisition, and provide you with opportunities to examine and evaluate those theories.

This module focuses on the stylistic analysis of narrative, prose, dramatic theatrical, televisual and movie ‘texts’.

A self-study and research-based module at the end of which students submit a written piece of 10,000 words on a negotiated topic. This can also be based on a partnership with an outside organisation (e.g. schoolproject). 

The module aims to give students an insight into the development of theoretical Linguistics and demonstrate its growth over the years. It will start by exploring some of the work of structuralists and will illustrate the shift to Generativism, leading to the new conception of innate ideas/rules facilitating language acquisition and the birth of the theory of Universal Grammar.

This module introduces students to key topics in multilingualism, focusing on multilingual practices, theoretical developments and links to broader socio-political discussions and debates.

This module explores a number of underlying themes in health communication, including spoken and written communication in a number of healthcare related domains. Students will will explore a range of analytical approaches such as intercultural communication, discourse analysis and pragmatics.

This module explores the role of linguists as expert witnesses in solving language crimes.

This module addresses a number of perspectives on the relationship between language and power. It examines the dynamics of language and power in, for example, gender and sexuality, race and ethnicity and political discourse.

This module explores language and linguistic skills in the presentation of self, including the communication of one’s skills, experience and abilities in relevant and desirable workplaces and careers. It also explores the nature of language discrimination, offensive language in the workplace, and language as a tool of influence and persuasion.

This module examines social-psychological factors and language-based evaluations across social contexts. You will have the opportunity to explore theories and methodologies for investigating language features, attitudes, and perceptions.

The module promotes an understanding of how linguistic and non-linguistic communication systems operate within the mass media. It aims to equip students with theoretical and methodological tools for critically evaluating diverse theoretical perspectives on media discourse and analysing cultural artefacts.