Course OverviewLanguage has a profound influence on the way we see, construct and interpret the world around us. It shapes our identities and culture and can be used to manipulate the way we think. The English Language degree examines a wide range of varieties of English in their social, cultural and historical contexts. It teaches you how to closely analyse texts ranging from everyday discourse to fictional narratives to the language of the media.

Studying English Language provides you with a sound knowledge of how language is structured, how it developed and spread globally, and how it functions both in society and in our minds, but it also equips you with a variety of practical critical and analytical skills. We pride ourselves on offering a challenging and stimulating degree with a wide range of innovative teaching and assessment methods, with an emphasis on how language is used for professional purposes and the practical skills valuable in selected careers.

You will be taught by academics who are actively engaged in research and have published in their specialist fields. You will also benefit from the University’s Special Collections in the library, home to over 75,000 printed materials and complemented by an environmentally controlled vault that houses rare books and manuscripts from as early as the ninth century, as well as partnerships with Liverpool’s cultural and educational institutions. With a strong commitment to small-group teaching and the personal development of all of our students, we strive to support you in the pursuit of academic excellence.

Fees and Additional CostsThe tuition fees for 2021/2022 are £9,250 for full-time undergraduate courses.

As well as your tuition fees, you also need to consider the cost of key books and textbooks, which in total will cost approximately £200.

You will also need to consider the cost of your accommodation each year whilst you study at university.

Visit our accommodation webpages for further details about our Halls of Residence: www.hope.ac.uk/halls

CONTACTT: +44 (0)151 291 3000E: enquiry@hope.ac.uk

www.hope.ac.uk

English Language BA (Hons)UCAS Code: Q310 | Duration: 3 years | Full-time | Hope Park | 2021/2022

Placement year opportunities available

Entry RequirementsThe standard offer level is 112 UCAS tariff points.

081020

Year OneLectures and seminars on Language and Society, History and Change, and Understanding Language provide the core to your first year. You examine key issues in sociolinguistics and look at multilingual societies from a variationist perspective. You also gain insights into language use and development across time, as well as learning what language is and how it works on all levels: phonetics and phonology, grammar, semantics and pragmatics. You will analyse the social, geographical and historical variations of language. You learn about the International Phonetic Alphabet, the structure of words, the different classes or groups to which words belong and how they combine into more complex syntactic structures.

Single Honours students also study the language of literature, which introduces the basic principles of stylistics and the ways in which language is used for artistic purposes. You also study language endangerment, policy and planning, and have dialectology sessions. You study Old, Middle and Early Modern English to gain a deeper understanding of how language exists within the historical and cultural context of its times, gaining practical skills in translation and analysis. Finally, writing workshops and research seminars provide you with the tools and skills to produce well-written and well-researched academic work.

Year TwoYour second year introduces you to the theories and methods of linguistic analysis. You explore the ways in which discourses operate as practices, and look at cognitive processes, with a particular focus on child language acquisition. You develop your knowledge of how language is used for professional purposes, giving you a sound basis for possible careers in speech therapy, forensic linguistics and teaching English as a Foreign Language.

Single Honours students undertake a deeper analysis of how English is used to create meaning, style and effect in

literary texts in the stylistics of narrative. You also examine internal and external processes of language change, taking into account developments of language on all levels of usage and in different contexts, including digitally-mediated communications. You also study linguistic anthropology, looking at the interactions between language and culture, as well as language and identity, and philosophical questions raised by language.

Year ThreeIn your final year, you build on analytical techniques to explore the ways in which power is encoded in language in a range of contexts. You also investigate how present-day sociolinguistic theories can be applied in order to gain a better understanding of the key issues in individual, societal and cognitive multilingualism. Digital Humanities investigates how digital methods and tools can be used to create and share knowledge in the humanities, with a particular focus on linguistics. There is a choice of more focused research seminars, which could include “Language, religion and media”, “Language, gender and sexuality”, “Language in education”, or “Pragmatics”. You also complete a research project.

Single Honours students can study language and humour, applying theories to help illuminate how language and cognition are central to the construction and interpretation of humour. You also examine the linguistic, social and cultural implications of the global spread of English. You study communication across different cultures and social groups, including communication processes and problems that appear within varied contexts such as religious, ethnic and social settings, and you will also be able to select research seminars, which could include “Language and negation”, “Language and emotions”, or “Language and conflict”. Finally, you complete a dissertation.

COURSE STRUCTURE Teaching on this degree is structured into lectures, seminars and tutorials. You also have the opportunity to have a one-to-one meeting with your tutor each week.

If you are studying English Language as a Single Honours degree, in your first year there are approximately 12 teaching hours each week, which reduces to approximately 10 teaching hours in your second and third years. If you are studying English Language as a Combined Honours degree, in your first year there are approximately 6 teaching hours each week, which reduces to approximately 5 teaching hours in your second and third years.

On top of teaching hours, you will also be expected to spend a number of hours each week studying independently, as well as studying in groups to prepare for any group assessments you may have.

ASSESSMENT AND FEEDBACKAssessments consist of essays of various types, portfolios, language analyses, learning journals, group presentations and written exams. In the final year, you undertake an independently researched dissertation, which you also present at an internal Honours Conference.

You will be given written feedback on your assessments, and you will have the opportunity to discuss this with your tutor in more detail.

English Language BA (Hons) Curriculum

CONTACTT: +44 (0)151 291 3000E: enquiry@hope.ac.uk

www.hope.ac.uk