Program Overview

• Study English as a global language, sharing experiences with different cultures and communities
• Develop a deep understanding of the fundamentals of the English language, its historical evolution and its role in constructing identities, social relations and practices
• Gain valuable transferable skills in data collection and analysis, critical thinking, presentation skills, academic writing and independent research
• Opportunities to undertake a volunteering placement in Year 2 and attend optional field trips

Language is central to our lives and how we communicate. Learning how languages work opens doors to cultures, communities and opportunities in the global workplace. English Language at Winchester focuses on real-world application of language, exploring how it is used and what it tells us about our society, culture and mind in the past, present and possibly future.

Over the course of three years, our supportive staff help you become a confident and analytical linguist with the skills to excel in a range of fields in the modern employment market.

In Year 1, you are introduced to key concepts and skills to build a solid understanding of syntax and morphology, phonetics and phonology and semantics and pragmatics. Possible optional modules cover media studies, poetry, politics and more.

Year 2 offers introductions to more specific schools of linguistic research, such as sociolinguistics or periods of historical linguistics, among others. Optional modules may include Language and the Mind, Language Acquisition and Forensic Linguistics.

Your final year culminates in an extended piece of work, either a dissertation or an independent project, which enables you to explore a topic that is especially interesting to you or relevant to your career aspirations, overseen by a staff member in that area.

Optional modules may include Ethnography, The Evolution of Language or English in the World.