BA (Hons) English Language and Linguistics

The module aims to investigate the major concerns of sociolinguistics, that is, how language and social organisation intersect. Several models which determine language variation are examined, both on a social-group scale (national language policies, dialects etc.) and on an individual scale (style-shifting, registers etc.). The module's central tenet is to dispel myths about homogeneity in language. Based on theoretical work and methods in sociolinguistics, the module explores the role that language plays in shaping our ideas about others, including power relationships along the lines of gender, race, class, religion, disability and sexuality, and in shaping who we are as individuals.

This module aims to give students insight into how language is used in everyday interaction. Students will be introduced to key theories and concepts concerning the ways in which people use language to get things done, how they understand implied meaning, talk politely or impolitely to one another, and how they manage conversations. Students will be introduced to key theories and concepts from the sub-disciplines of pragmatics and conversation analysis, such as entailment and presupposition, conversational implicature, relevance, speech act theory, politeness and impoliteness theories, preference organisation and floor management. Students will apply knowledge and skills gained in the module to the analysis of spoken and written texts.

This module aims to help you prepare for your final year project by introducing you to the basic concepts, types and methods of research for English language, Linguistics and TESOL. You will have the opportunity to design and carry out a mini-research project based on your own interests and experiences. Topics can include but are not limited to first or second language acquisition, language variation, linguistic discrimination and discourse analysis. This is a good opportunity to explore further something that has piqued your interest in a previous module or design a research question based on observations you have made about language in the real world.

This module builds on the Linguistics modules you studied at Level 4. While you continue to develop a deeper understanding of the concepts of phonetics and phonology, and articulatory phonetics in particular, you will also deepen your understanding of syntax. In phonetics and phonology you will move from investigating the physical production of speech sounds at segmental level to the exploration of syllable structure, stress, intonation and connected speech, and the systems and patterns of speech sounds in a language. You will gather, transcribe and analyse examples of spoken data in order to draw conclusions about the articulation of sounds, and the regularities and patterns that underlie their use. In the syntax strand, you will revise and build on work completed at level 4. The module is practical in orientation. You will be given ample opportunity to apply the concepts you have learned to the analysis of data of English and will also be encouraged to draw on your experience of other languages.

This module will equip you with the skills to carry out detailed linguistic analysis of a range of texts to uncover the ways in which linguistic norms and narrative devices can be exploited for stylistic effect. The module examines the relationship between message and style in literary and non literary texts and covers topics such as linguistic deviation, the structure of oral and written narratives, narrative point of view, the representation of speech and thought, and the use of metaphor. Students examine the use of stylistic effects in a range of text types such as speeches, poems, drama, literary prose, news texts, advertisements, and so on.

The module aims to explore in greater complexity and detail some of the issues introduced in Language and Society relating to the mechanisms, motivations and outcomes of language variation and change. Focus in the first half is on structuralist theories of language change and examination of English and the grammatical and lexical changes that happen via its speakers in the first 2000 years of its existence. In the second half of the course, this knowledge is applied to examining world Englishes including Caribbean Englishes, English as it is spoken on the Indian subcontinent and dialects of English across the British Isles. Students will examine the ideologies which circulate historically and today about language variation and change. Particular attention will be paid to the use of case studies to test the key theories of language variation and change.

This module covers definitions of multilingualism, theories of code switching, theories of concurrent and sequential language acquisition. It goes on to cover discussion of society and linguistics in configurations of multilingualism, and examines language maintenance and attrition, as well as language planning and policy.

The aim of this module is to raise students' awareness of the multi-faceted ways in which people exploit linguistic resources in order to achieve their interactional goals in everyday situations. The module focuses on the ways in which individuals use language to express their concerns and to further their own interests. In particular, it considers the ways in which people use language to cooperate with one another or to resist coercion, to foster harmonious relationships or deliberately cause offence and provoke conflict. In the module, we analyse interaction in a variety of contexts and in a variety of modes. We analyse the way solidarity or conflict is realised in everyday speech and written texts. We consider the use of online communities to create identities and offer support and the use of online media as a site for debate and resistance. During the course of the module, students will work both individually and in small groups. They will carry out fieldwork, gathering and analysing data, and will conduct debates in class.

This module provides an opportunity to apply academic skills and knowledge to a project negotiated with an external organisation. Students are required to identify, negotiate and research an issue which is relevant to both their academic study and the external organisation. This enables the student to demonstrate an awareness of academic research within an organisational context, together with an understanding of the parameters of research methodologies within an academic framework.

In this module, you have the opportunity to conduct a piece of independent research in the area of English Language, Linguistics or TESOL. You will choose your own topic of study and will be supported by the module leader and your dissertation supervisor as you craft and carry out your project. For the most part, however, you are expected to work independently. To help you plan your research, you are required to submit a research proposal and gain ethical approval, where relevant.

This module, as its title suggests, looks at how social actions and meanings are communicated between interactants, using Conversation Analytic (CA) techniques. You will be introduced to the methods CA theorists have established, and their key findings. You will apply these techniques to spoken data, using Jeffersonian transcription. You will analyse both everyday and institutional data in terms of practices (eg overlap, repair) and actions (eg requests), depending on the data you and the class collect.