BA (Hons) English Language and Linguistics (with a modern language)

Our programme enables you to develop a sound knowledge of both theoretical and applied perspectives and places emphasis on English, with examples from other languages where appropriate. The core elements of the course teach you about sentence structure (syntax), meaning (semantics and pragmatics), forensic linguistics, and phonetics and phonology. You will also learn about language use and variation in different social contexts, the media, and intercultural settings. Communicating effectively, critical thinking and developing rigorous analytical skills are all valuable skills when you enter the world of work.

In this degree you will also take a number of modules relating to your chosen modern language. You can choose from:

Modern Standard Arabic:

The demand for studying Arabic continues to rise as economic opportunities in the Middle East and North Africa flourish. Arabic is spoken as the first language for over 200 million people, and is the official language of 22 countries (bbc.co.uk). The demand for studying Arabic has recently grwon due to increased economic opportunities in the Middle East and North Africa, and with a low supply of Arabic-speakers in the Western world, it’s certainly a language worth learning.

Mandarin Chinese:

Mandarin is the official language of the People’s Republic of China, with over 800 million speakers (bbc.co.uk). Speaking Mandarin will allow you to communicate with millions of people around the world. In business, people who speak Mandarin have a distinct advantage with the Chinese market, as it is easier to develop all-important relationships when you can speak the language. Whether it’s visiting the Far East or even taking a trip to Manchester’s Chinatown, studying Mandarin provides a portal into an incredible language and culture steeped in history.

Japanese:

Manga, Anime, J-Pop, J-Drama, Karaoke, Japanese cultural exports continue to explode across the Western world. What better way to understand and explore than by learning Japanese? The language is spoken by about 125 million people (bbc.co.uk), and so studying Japanese could give you that all important competitive edge in job interviews, business relationships, and cultural awareness. It also provides a unique gateway to other Asian languages and cultures.

French:

More than 75 million people speak French as their native language. French is also one of the official languages in Canada, Belgium, and Switzerland and is spoken widely across the North African countries of Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia. All told, there are more than 220 million French speakers, worldwide (www.diplomatie.gouv.fr), with French being one of the six official languages of the United Nations. Being a French speaker can open graduate employment opportunities at many organisations, the United Nations, the International Criminal Court, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, the OECD, the African Union, the Council of Europe, the European Union, NATO, or the International Olympic Committee, to name a few. There are also many international businesses who seek graduates with French language skills, such as in consulting (eg CapGemini), finance (eg Société Générale, BNP Paribas, Banque de France) and in wider industrial sectors (eg Edf, Airbus, Alstom).

Spanish:

Spanish is one of the most widely spoken languages around the world both in terms of the numbers of speakers, and the global geographical spread. As a global language, Spanish is second only to Mandarin in terms of the number of the world's population who speak it as a first language. It has official status in 21 countries spanning Europe, Africa, North, Central and South America (Britishcouncil.org). Spanish has also emerged as the most important language for the UK in an analysis made by the British Council. It is also considered one the easiest languages to learn, and so give it a try and delve into a truly fascinating language and culture.