English Language & Linguistics Options

Many of the modules listed below are half-options rather than full-year options, allowing you to choose up to eight different modules during your final year. Click on the module titles for more information.

Final-Year Sociolinguistics Options

Module Brief details
American Languages This module surveys the sociolinguistic history of North America and explores multilingualism, language contact, dialect development, language conflict, and language variation and change in the USA.
Conversation and Social Interaction A look at how we perform actions, construct identities and create contexts through talk. use language in conversation
Grammatical Change in the History of English A look at how and why the grammar of English has changed over the centuries
Language and Sex A look at sex differences in linguistic behaviour and language use
Language Rights An exploration of language issues in human rights and linguistic approaches to them
Language Variation and English Phonology A synthesis of sociolinguistic and phonological approaches to the analysis of English accents
Lexical Change in the History of English A look at how words change their form and meaning over time
Pragmatics: Discourse and Rhetoric  A look at how we can mean more than we say, and how we can use sentences in many different ways
Varieties of English A look at varieties of English spoken in different parts of the UK and around the world

Final-Year English Language Options

Module Brief details
Children’s English A look at the grammatical development of monolingual and bilingual children acquiring English as their first language
Conversation and Social Interaction A look at how we perform actions, construct identities and create contexts through talk. use language in conversation
Grammatical Change in the History of English A look at how and why the grammar of English has changed over the centuries
Language and Sex A look at sex differences in linguistic behaviour and language use
Language Variation and English Phonology A synthesis of sociolinguistic and phonological approaches to the analysis of English accents
Lexical Change in the History of English A look at how words change their form and meaning over time
Linguistic Description of English An introduction to the techniques of grammatical description and how they can be used to describe aspects of the grammar of English
Morphology A look into the principal theoretical questions in morphology
Phonetics An introduction to how we produce, perceive and transcribe sounds 
Phonology A look at analysing sound patterns in English and other languages
Pragmatics: Discourse and Rhetoric  A look at how we can mean more than we say, and how we can use sentences in many different ways
Relevance Theory A look at the role of inference in utterance interpretation, and the distinction between explicit and implicit content
Semantics A look at contemporary ideas on word and sentence meaning
Topics in Professional Communication A look at written and spoken genres of workplace communication and their features

Final-Year Acquisition and Disorders Options

Module Brief details
Children’s English A look at the grammatical development of monolingual and bilingual children acquiring English as their first language
Developmental Language Disorders A look at how children’s grammatical development is impaired in a range of different language disorders
Development of Language Processing A look at grammatical processing strategies in first and second language acquisition
Language Disorders in Adults A look at grammatical impairment resulting from conditions such as Aphasia, Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease
Phonological Development and Phonological Disorders A look at how normally developing and speech-disordered children learn to talk

Final-Year Psycholinguistics Options

Module Brief details
Children’s English A look at the grammatical development of monolingual and bilingual children acquiring English as their first language
Developmental Language Disorders A look at how children’s grammatical development is impaired in a range of different language disorders
Development of Language Processing A look at grammatical processing strategies in first and second language acquisition
Language Disorders in Adults A look at grammatical impairment resulting from conditions such as Aphasia, Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease
Mental Lexicon A look at how information about words is stored in the brain
Neuroscience of Language  A look at studies investigating the representation and processing of language in the brain
Phonological Development and Phonological Disorders A look at how normally developing and speech-disordered children learn to talk
Sentence Processing A look at how adults process sentences, and at what kinds of sentences cause processing difficulties and why

Final-Year English Language Teaching Options

Module Brief details
An Introduction to Teaching Young Learners A module which focuses on the teaching of English as a foreign language to children mainly of primary school age, and partly of early teenage years.
Directed Classroom Observation A module in which you learn how to analyse classroom interactions and to reflect on the implications of these for your own teaching
Foundations of Computer-Assisted Language Learning Introduction to how computers can be used to enhance language learning and language teaching
Intercultural Pragmatics A look at cultural differences in the way languages formulate requests, convey politeness etc.
Language Testing  A look at the principles and practices underlying languages tests
Literature and Discourse in Language Teaching A look at a range of discourse skills which need to be acquired when learning a second language 
Materials Design and Development A look at the principles underlying the design of teaching materials
Methodology of Teaching English as a Foreign Language A look at the principles of teaching English as a foreign language, through different contexts, purposes and approaches.
Teaching English for Academic Purposes An overview of the main concerns and issues in the teaching EAP
Teaching English for Specific Purposes An overview of major concerns in teaching ESP
Teaching Writing in ESL/EFL A look at principles, practices and materials used in teaching writing skills to those learning English as as Second/Foreign Language

Final-Year Linguistics Options

Module Brief details
American Languages This module surveys the sociolinguistic history of North America and explores multilingualism, language contact, dialect development, language conflict, and language variation and change in the USA.
Children’s English A look at the grammatical development of monolingual and bilingual children acquiring English as their first language
Conversation and Social Interaction A look at how we perform actions, construct identities and create contexts through talk and use language in conversation
Developmental Language Disorders A look at how children’s grammatical development is impaired in a range of different language disorders
Development of Language Processing A look at grammatical processing strategies in first and second language acquisition
Directed Classroom Observation A module in which you learn how to analyse classroom interactions and to reflect on the implications of these for your own teaching
Foundations of Computer-Assisted Language Learning Introduction to how computers can be used to enhance language learning and language teaching
Foundations of English for Specific Purposes Introduction to the historical and theoretical foundations of ESP and major issues in [and approaches to] the study of ESP
Foundations of Intercultural & Professional Communications An introduction to the major concepts, research topics, and analytical approaches in the study of intercultural and professional communication
Grammatical Change in the History of English A look at how and why the grammar of English has changed over the centuries
Intercultural Pragmatics A look at cultural differences in the way languages formulate requests, convey politeness etc.
Introduction to Teaching Young Learners Introduction to teaching English as a foreign language to children of primary school age
Language and Sex A look at sex differences in linguistic behaviour and language use
Language Disorders in Adults A look at grammatical impairment resulting from conditions such as Aphasia, Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease
Language Rights  An exploration of language issues in human rights and linguistic approaches to them
Language Testing  A look at the principles and practices underlying languages tests
Language Variation and English Phonology A synthesis of sociolinguistic and phonological approaches to the analysis of English accents
Learning Second Language Pragmatics A module which seeks to explain the learning of pragmatic abilities in a second language, a research field known as Interlanguage Pragmatics (ILP)
Lexical Change in the History of English A look at the nature of vocabulary change in English, past and ongoing today, and the problems and principles of its study
Linguistic Description of English An introduction to the techniques of grammatical description and how they can be used to describe aspects of the grammar of English
Linguistics Project  
Literature and Discourse in Language Teaching A look at a range of discourse skills which need to be acquired when learning a second language 
Materials Design and Development A look at the principles underlying the design of teaching materials
Mental Lexicon A look at how information about words is stored in the brain
Methodology of Teaching English as a Foreign Language A look at the principles of teaching English as a foreign language, through different contexts, purposes and approaches.
Morphology A look into the principal theoretical questions in morphology
Neuroscience of Language  A look at studies investigating the representation and processing of language in the brain
Phonetics An introduction to how we produce, perceive and transcribe sounds 
Phonological Development and Phonological Disorders A look at how normally developing and speech-disordered children learn to talk
Phonology A look at analysing sound patterns in English and other languages
Pragmatics: Discourse and Rhetoric  A look at how we can mean more than we say, and how we can use sentences in many different ways
Relevance Theory A look at the role of inference in utterance interpretation, and the distinction between explicit and implicit content
Second Language Learning To look at some major areas related to second language learning
Second Language Vocabulary: Language Teaching and Use A module which examines how second language vocabulary can be taught, assessed and researched
Semantics A look at contemporary ideas on word and sentence meaning
Sentence Processing  A look at how adults process sentences, and at what kinds of sentences cause processing difficulties and why
Teaching English for Academic Purposes An overview of the main concerns and issues in the teaching EAP
Teaching English for Specific Purposes An overview of major concerns in teaching ESP
Teaching Reading & Vocabulary in EFL Introduction to classroom practices in teaching reading and vocabulary in EFL
Teaching Writing in EFL/ESL  A look at principles, practices and materials used in teaching writing skills to those learning English as as Second/Foreign Language
The Role of Age in Second Language Acquisition A module which explores the role that age plays in SLA in a range of different contexts
Topics in Professional Communication A look at written and spoken genres of workplace communication
Varieties of English A look at varieties of English spoken in different parts of the UK and around the world

Other

Last modified on 11 May 2012.