English Language and Litteratur BA Honours

This course presents an opportunity to study English Literature by focusing on both the wider social context and the language that is being used. You will be able to engage with an exciting variety of texts, both traditional (such as Shakespeare, Jane Austen, and Charles Dickens) and non-traditional alongside other kinds of cultural works (such as film and art). You will become a sophisticated reader of texts in their wider cultural contexts, at the same time as sharpening your skills in research. This training in critical and creative reading is particularly suitable for those considering teaching English, publishing or journalism, and any career that involves sophisticated communication skills and an advanced level of language use. It is of particular interest to those wishing to develop their skills as a writer. The degree is strong in promoting the transferable and cognitive skills that employers value, and that contribute to lifelong personal and professional development.

We begin the course with an examination of what literature is and what the tools are that we use to discuss it, alongside focusing on how the English language works and the ways it is used to create different kinds of texts. As you progress through the course, you will be have the choice of a wide variety of literature from Old English, through Shakespeare, the nineteenth and twentieth centuries to the present day; this may include texts from outside the traditional literary canon such as genre fiction and new forms of digital content.

There is a range of optional modules available from within the School of Humanities and across the University in each year of study. In Year 3 you have a particularly extensive array of modules to choose from which allows you to tailor the degree to your own interests and future aspirations. In Year 3 you also complete a dissertation in a topic of your choice (with one-to-one supervisory support) and you have the opportunity to take the Work Placement module.