Linguistics and Applied Linguistics

Linguistics is about understanding and studying the sounds, structures and meanings of language and how language is used by different people in different contexts. Applied linguistics explores language-related real-life problems. Students of linguistics are well placed for employment in a variety of fields. Training in linguistics can lead to careers in: teaching English language or linguistics at secondary or tertiary level; teaching English as a second language (TESOL); computational linguistics, including computer-assisted language learning (CALL); lexicography; etymology; forensic linguistics; speech therapy; psychology; sociology; computer science; diplomatic service; police force and journalism.

Courses

Students can combine Linguistics (including TESOL) modules with the study of two modern foreign languages or English as a Foreign Language in the BA (Hons) Modern Languages, and can also combine Linguistics (including TESOL) modules with the study of one language: French/Spanish or Arabic in the new BA Modern Language Studies.

Research

Our staff and postgraduate research students are members of the Centre for Linguistics and Applied Linguistics, which draws together researchers in linguistics and language studies within the School of Humanities, Languages & Social Sciences. Members of staff have research interests in the following languages: Arabic, Modern South Arabian, French, Scots, Greek, as well as English from synchronic and diachronic perspectives, and research expertise in the following areas:

  • Theoretical linguistics (semantics, syntax, phonology, morphology, all linguistic interfaces)
  • Psycholinguistics and experimental linguistics (first language acquisition)
  • Pragmatics, stylistics
  • Phonetics, including acoustic and instrumental phonetics
  • Language variation and change (dialectology, grammaticalisation)
  • Language typology
  • Corpus linguistics
  • Lexicography
  • TESOL, Technology in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL)

Funded Research Projects

See the Centre for Linguistics and Applied Linguistics for details of funded research projects.

Staff

Professor Diane Blakemore (Professor of Linguistics)
Research interests: Semantics; Pragmatics; Linguistic stylistics
Teaching: Semantics; Pragmatics; Philosophy of linguistics; Linguistic stylistics
d.blakemore@salford.ac.uk

Sue Bromby (Senior lecturer in EFL/TESOL)
Teaching: EFL; TESOL
s.bromby@salford.ac.uk

Dr Axiotis Kechagias (Lecturer in Linguistics)
Research interests: Interaction between configurational and non-configurational aspects of natural language (syntax–information structure interface); Morpho-syntax and semantics of doubling phenomena; Natural language development and psycholinguistics
Teaching: Syntax; Morphology; First language acquisition
a.kechagias@salford.ac.uk

Dr Domenyk Eades (Senior lecturer in Arabic)
Research interests: Documentation and description of Arabic dialects; Arabic/English translation; Arabic linguistics; Language typology
Teaching: Arabic/English translation; Arabic language
d.eades@salford.ac.uk

Dr Siân Etherington (Lecturer in TESOL)
Research interests: TEFL; TESOL grammar and grammar teaching; Second Language Acquisition; English for Academic Purposes; Beliefs and perceptions about language learning; Language learning and emotions
Teaching: Grammar and vocabulary in ELT; Psychology of Language Learning; Research Methods in TESOL
s.etherington@salford.ac.uk

Dr Iván García-Álvarez (Senior Lecturer in Linguistics)
Research interests: Semantics; Pragmatics; Syntax-semantics interface
Teaching: Semantics; Pragmatics; Syntax; Syntax-semantics interface
i.garciaalvarez@salford.ac.uk

Huw Jarvis (Senior lecturer in TESOL)
Research interests: Computers in language pedagogy
Teaching: Methodology; Syllabus design; Materials evaluation; Computers in teaching and learning; English for Academic Purposes
h.a.jarvis@salford.ac.uk

Professor Paul Rowlett (Professor of French Language and French Linguistics)
Head of School of Humanities, Languages & Social Sciences
Research interests: French language and linguistics
p.a.rowlett@salford.ac.uk

Dr Maggie Scott (Lecturer in English Language)
Research interests: Onomastics; Semantics; History and lexicography of English and Scots
Teaching: History of English; Semantics and lexicography; Attitudes to English; Cognitive linguistics
m.r.scott@salford.ac.uk

Dr Nick Smith (Lecturer in English Language and Linguistics)
Research interests: Corpus linguistics; Current change in English; World Englishes; History of English
Teaching: Corpus linguistics; Current change in English; World Englishes; Dialects/Dialectology; History of English;
n.smith@salford.ac.uk

Professor Janet C.E. Watson (Professor of Arabic Linguistics)
Head of Linguistics and Head of Centre for Linguistics and Applied Linguistics
Research interests: Phonology; Phonetics; Morphology; Semitic descriptive linguistics
Teaching: Phonology & phonetics, Morphology, Arabic language
j.c.e.watson@salford.ac.uk

Teaching Assistants

Adam Gargani (research interests: pragmatics and style)
a.gargani@edu.salford.ac.uk

Gerry Howley (research interests: sociophonetics)
g.m.howley@edu.salford.ac.uk

Rebecca Jackson (research interests: pragmatics, the pragmatics-semantics interface)
R.C.Jackson1@edu.salford.ac.uk

  • Find a course

    Advanced course finder

  • Our subject areas