English Language and Literature BA (Hons), sandwich with work placement

Explore how language shapes everything from social justice to personal identity, and how stories help us make sense of it all.

This degree blends the best of both subjects. You’ll dive into literature from Shakespeare to the present day, engaging with powerful voices from around the globe and across genres. Study how stories respond to and reflect the world, tackling issues like inequality, identity, and the power of persuasion. You'll learn to analyse texts critically, analysing their rhetorical techniques and assessing the validity of their claims, a crucial skill in an age of ‘fake news’.

In the English Language component, you’ll gain a strong foundation in how language works — from rhetoric and pragmatics ,to accents and dialects. Explore how language shapes society and how its analysis can be applied in real-world contexts, from identifying criminal suspects and diagnosing speech impairments, to building rapport and spotting ideological bias. These modules also connect closely with your literary studies, as you examine how language evolves, how context shapes meaning, and how we communicate across different settings.

This course develops your ability to think deeply, write clearly, and communicate with purpose — skills that open doors in fields from publishing and media to education and beyond.