Critical Skills in the 21st Century
English Language
Salford School of Arts, Media and Creative Technology
Full-time
Three year
September 2023
In a nutshell
Language is a fundamental part of what makes us human, but how often do we stop and think about it? It’s a crucial tool for us to be able to comprehend and communicate our understanding of the world around us, demanding discipline, observation and imagination. Sound interesting? If so, our BA (Hons) English Language degree is the right option for you.
Designed to delve into the varieties and histories of the English language, this course will give you the training you need to understand how the written and spoken word is structured and acquired. Analysing the English language from a range of perspectives, you’ll also explore how linguistics, as the scientific study of language, provides insight into what is arguably our most treasured and useful skill. Language is the material in which our identities are forged and our greatest tool for influencing social change.
Interested in learning more about our English language courses? You can sign-up to an Open Day or attend a campus tour.
You can also follow our #EnglishatSalford Instagram, Twitter and Facebook accounts, which are led by our English teaching staff so you can find out how we tell our story through English, Creative Writing and Drama.
You will:
- Appreciate how the study of English language draws on and informs other academic disciplines, such as psychology, sociology, and communication
- Learn from a dedicated team of internationally recognised researchers with an excellent track record in research-led teaching and student support
- Develop skillsets and knowledge that will provide instant value to future employers
students accepted
This is for you if...
You are fascinated by the spoken word and want to develop your understanding of how we structure and acquire language
You’re well-read and have a keen desire to deepen your skills in critical analysis
You want to advance your knowledge and skill sets to establish a professional career in the creative industries
All about the course
Over the course of three years, this English language degree will deepen your understanding of the fundamentals of language, its historical development, and its role in constructing identities, social relations and practices.
As you move into the second and third year of your degree, you’ll be given the chance to specialise in the areas of language that interest you most, tailoring your studies to your personal aspirations and career goals. You’ll study language in a unique range of contexts, asking questions from how children acquire language to how the media manipulates us. You’ll also broaden your learning experiences with modules in related subjects like English literature, creative writing, and politics.
Do you want to expand your academic experience even further? If so, this course also offers the opportunity to undertake language study as part of the University-Wide Language Programme (UWLP). Languages currently on offer include Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Spanish and British Sign Language.
If you want to find out more about what each of our English language modules involves, take a look at our full course breakdown below.
In this module, you will be introduced to the skills required for life in contemporary society. The module covers skills such as the following: argumentation, critical thinking, and clarity in written expression. Critical skills are practiced through the filter of “big ideas,” ranging from artificial intelligence to ecocriticism.
Introducing Language
This module will introduce you to the systematic study of language, with a focus on how English is organised in terms of its sounds, structures, meaning and mental representations. We also explore how language study can be applied in the real-world.
Introduction to Stylistics
In this module you will be introduced to stylistics, which is a sub-discipline of linguistics. In the module, we investigate style in language, and how the formal linguistic aspects of texts contribute to how we interpret them. We examine how texts are memorable to us, or cause us to react in particular ways. Over the course of the module, we will analyse a range of text types from prose fiction and poetry to advertisements and song lyrics.
Language, Mind and Society
Language is a phenomenon that touches on every aspect of the human experience. In this module, you will examine how language interfaces with both wider society and the human brain. You will be introduced to the study of language variation in the form of accents and dialects and, importantly, how listeners react to this sort of linguistic variation. You will also explore the basics and language acquisition and how we produce and comprehend language.
History and Diversity in English
You will be introduced to key periods in the history of the English language and characteristic features of the language in these periods. You will explore language change with reference to the different levels of language and regional variation and change in English dialects.
Structure of English
Starting from an investigation of a wide range of grammatical phenomena and constructions in modern standard English, you will develop a firm grounding in the analysis of the structure of English sentences. You will learn how to analyse and think critically about data, how to formulate rules and hypotheses, and how to test them.
Sounds of English
The sound system of English is organised by subconscious principles that shape the content of speech sounds and their patterns of occurrence. This module introduces you to the sounds of speech, syllable structure and word stress in English. You will learn how to describe and classify consonants and vowels, transcribe speech sounds, and identify and analyse syllable structure and word stress.
Truth and Meaning
How can we understand the meaning of sentences we have never heard before? You will examine the role that truth plays in the study of meaning, and learn how to analyse the meaning of English words and sentences. The module will also prepare you to seek answers to further questions about meaning in English.
You will also choose optional modules from the below:
Language and Big Data
The British National Corpus is a vast collection of over 4,000 English texts, providing a unique record of contemporary spoken and written English. In this module you will gain hands-on experience in using this and other computer-based corpora of English to answer questions about language structure and use.
Language Acquisition
Children master the basics of their first language without formal instruction from a very early age. How do they do it? What exactly do they learn? What stages do they go through? You will examine the answers to questions like these by studying the cognitive mechanisms behind the acquisition process.
Analysing Media Texts
In this module, we will explore what constitutes a media text in the 21st century. You will learn how to deconstruct media texts using tools from linguistics in order to explore ideology and manipulation in texts. You will explore a range of media texts ranging from news reports and advertisements to political speeches and data from social media. You will analyse a range of media texts using qualitative and quantitative methods from critical discourse analysis and corpus linguistics.
Political Communication: Media and Democracy
This module explores the relationship between the media and politics in liberal democracies. You will focus on the nature of political media and reporting, the media's influence on politics, and how political actors use the media. You will also study the rise of the internet and new media technologies and what this means for democracy.
University Wide Language Programme
This module provides the opportunity to learn or develop a language with the University-wide language programme.
Introduction to Children’s Literature
You will look at the development of literature for children since 1744. We will learn how a child develops and how to create children’s literature, from picture books to young adult novels.
The Romantic Period
Study literature emerging in a time of revolution and consider themes such as the rights of man, of woman, and of slaves, the sublime, childhood, empire, the self, and the gothic. This literary period refines and develops literary forms and styles from previous eras, as well as pursuing artistic experimentation, so this module explores language and form in detail in relation to key themes within their historical and cultural context.
Dissertation
The Dissertation is a key feature of the course and provides you with an opportunity to undertake an independent and challenging research project under the guidance of a member of academic staff. Your research topic is defined in second year and in third year you focus on analysis and interpretation in preparation for the written submission. The dissertation expands and hones your research skills, strengthening your ability to engage with complex materials in a productive way and preparing you for further study or a career in the workplace.
Northern Voices
What does it mean to be ‘northern’? Where is the north and where does it begin and end? Using both archive and contemporary recordings of northern speech, this research-based module will enable you to carry out a project on an aspect of northern identity as expressed through language in the interactional and media domains.
Critical Issues in TESOL
You will develop an understanding of the global context of English language teaching and of the approaches, materials, and techniques of English language teaching to non-native speakers. You will be introduced to language learning needs analysis and develop the ability to plan and manage sequences of English language lessons.
Biography: Tradition and Innovation
This module puts theory into practice as we examine the literary history of biography, consider the issues and tensions raised by the post-modern context, and explore them in our own biographical writing. Subsequent sessions will address these questions via a number of themes including the history of biography as a literary practice, historical biography, literary biography, celebrity biography through the ages, theoretical approaches to the practice of biography and innovations within the genre. The researching and writing of your own biographical work will be a key element of the classes.
Language and Communication
How does communication work? In this module you will examine key aspects of communication which result from the interaction of linguistic meaning, context and principles of human cognition. You will study how language is used in context by analysing data drawn from your own experience in communication.
Health Communication
In this module, you will explore healthcare communication using a range of theories and methods in linguistics ranging from corpus linguistics to conversation analysis. You will analyse language data from a diverse range of healthcare settings, such as clinical consultations, online discussions, public health campaigns and press reports. In the module, you will learn about the role that language plays in influencing our experiences and beliefs about health and illness, as well as the importance of effective healthcare communication
Contemporary Trends in the Study of Language
This is a ‘hybrid’ module that builds on concepts, theories and methods you have studied in your degree programme, further developing your knowledge of the latest research in English language and linguistic inquiry. Some of the themes you will study are the following: The relation between language and thought; language and its relation to other systems of the mind; atypical language development. You will also be introduced some of the most important theoretical debates in the study of language in the 20th and 21st century such as the contrast between Chomskyan linguistics and earlier Structuralist and Behaviourist approaches, and the contrast between formalism and functionalism.
Shakespeare and the Play of Thought
This module explores the various ways in which cultural intertextuality informs and shapes Shakespeare's approach to character and action. To gain a broader understanding of how Shakespearean drama can be seen as 'the play of thought,' we will analyse Shakespeare's work in terms of literary theories including new historicism, cognitive linguistics, and gender studies.
Child Language Development
This module will develop your knowledge of how children learn language, from sounds, words and grammar, to the complexities of human communication. You will explore data from real children to increase your understanding and test out the theories discussed in class.
Please note that it may not be possible to deliver the full list of options every year as this will depend on factors such as how many students choose a particular option. Exact modules may also vary in order to keep content current. When accepting your offer of a place to study on this programme, you should be aware that not all optional modules will be running each year. Your tutor will be able to advise you as to the available options on or before the start of the programme. Whilst the University tries to ensure that you are able to undertake your preferred options, it cannot guarantee this.
Be a part of a creative, supportive community
All our English courses are delivered by the Salford School of Arts, Media, and Creative Technology. Our focus is to ensure that you have the skills you need to pursue your dreams, and we encourage our students, past and present, to collaborate with each other and achieve great things.
Each year - through the Create Student Awards – our School rewards the incredible achievements and successes of our final year and postgraduate students.
Whatever you choose to study with us, you’ll be mentored and supported by experts. And once you graduate, it won’t end there. You’ll join a thriving alumni network across Greater Manchester and beyond, meaning you’ll be supported professionally and personally whenever you need it.
EXPLORE OUR ENGLISH FACILITIES
Fancy learning your craft using the same type of equipment you’ll use when you’re working? Study with us, and you’ll become confident and comfortable with industry-standard kits and facilities. You won’t just be left to work it out on your own – our experienced tutors and technicians will show you how to master everything we have on offer.
Explore our English facilities at the University of Salford.
MEET THE ENGLISH TEACHING STAFF
Are you looking to learn more about the background of our English tutors and demonstrators, or put a face to a name?
Find out who'll work with you throughout your academic journey at the University of Salford.
What about after uni?
EMPLOYMENT
So, what will studying English language at university mean when you graduate? Simply put, the possibilities are endless. Equipped with a range of transferable skillsets, our recent graduates have pursued roles in counselling, speech and language therapy and lexicography. And it doesn’t end there. Previous students have also gone on to establish successful careers in areas as diverse as teaching, business management, HR, finance, journalism, marketing and PR and communications.
FURTHER STUDY
Graduates showing strong academic and research skills can pursue a further postgraduate path through our Postgraduate programmes on a full-time or part-time basis subject to a satisfactory proposal.
Career Links
This English Language course responds to the needs of industry in developing subject expertise and transferable skills appropriate to a wide range of careers.
The English Subject Group has close associations with industry and professional bodies such as:
- The BBC and ITV
- The International Anthony Burgess Foundation
- The Working Class Library Museum
- The Imperial War Museum North
- The Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester
- The Octagon Theatre, Bolton
- Oxford University Press
- The Linguistics Association of Great Britain
- The Linguistic Society of America
- The British Library
- The National Library of Scotland
- Scottish Language Dictionaries
- The Scottish Parliament
- The Salford Institute of Dementia
- The Stroke Association
There are also employability-linked opportunities with a large number of primary and secondary schools, enabling vital experience for would-be teachers.
What you need to know
APPLICANT PROFILE
Do you have an analytical mind? Would you like to explore the building blocks of the English language? To gain a place on this BA (Hons) English language course, we’re looking for you to be inquisitive and self-motivated, with a real thirst for knowledge. You should be comfortable working with others and have good written and verbal English skills. English language degree courses require you to manage your own studies and carry out independent research, so it’s essential that you’re well-organised. It will also be advantageous if you read widely.
Want to find out more about our English Language degree? You can sign-up to an Open Day or attend a campus tour.
Our supportive course enquiries team can help you with any general questions you may have. You can also explore all of our English courses.
You can also follow our #EnglishatSalford Instagram, Twitter and Facebook accounts, which are led by our English teaching staff so you can find out how we tell our story through English, Creative Writing and Drama.
GCSE
English Language at grade C/level 4 or above (or equivalent) is required. Maths at grade C/4 or above (or equivalent) is preferred but not essential.
You must fulfil our GCSE entry requirements as well as one of the requirements listed below.
UCAS tariff points
104-112 points.
A level
104-112 points.
T level
Merit
BTEC National Diploma
DMM
BTEC Higher National Diploma
104-120 points
Access to HE
Pass Level 3 Access to HE Diploma with 104-120 points
Scottish Highers
104-120 points
Irish Leaving Certificate
104-120 points
International Baccalaureate
30-31 points
European Baccalaureate
Pass Diploma with 71% overall
International students
We accept qualifications from all around the world. Find your country to see a full list of entry requirements.
If you are an international student and not from a majority English speaking country, you will need IELTS 6.0 with no element below 5.5.
We also accept a range of other English language qualifications. If you do not have the English language requirements, you could take the Pre-Sessional English course to gain entry onto this degree.
Salford Alternative Entry Scheme (SAES)
We welcome applications from students who may not meet the stated entry criteria but who can demonstrate their ability to pursue the course successfully. Once we have received your application we will assess it and recommend it for SAES if you are an eligible candidate.
There are two different routes through the Salford Alternative Entry Scheme and applicants will be directed to the one appropriate for their course. Assessment will either be through a review of prior learning or through a formal test.
How much?
Type of study | Year | Fees |
---|---|---|
Full-time home | 2023/24 | £9,250per year |
Full-time international | 2023/24 | £15,120per year |
Additional costs
You should also consider further costs which may include books, stationery, printing, binding and general subsistence on trips and visits.
Scholarships for International Students
If you are a high-achieving international student, you may be eligible for one of our scholarships. Explore our international scholarships.