Program Overview

Our BA English Language and Linguistic degree was rated as excellent for the quality of its teaching, and its practical approach to linguistics, by the Higher Education Funding Council for England.

If you’re intrigued by how meaning is communicated through language, or want to gain a deeper understanding of linguistic structure, this course is perfect for you.  

You will learn how language works, how sounds combine to form words, and words to form sentences, and how people use language in various contexts and for different purposes. From the spoken to the written, from the internet to politics, you will explore language in all its shapes and sizes.

Linguists are concerned with the formal structure of language and with its functions in society. From the sounds children make, to the way people speak to the elderly; from media spin, to everyday conversations, the language around us contains hints as to its own development and its role in creating the society we live in.  

To really understand these implications, this course takes a lively hands-on approach; we pay attention to 'real language'.

We specialise in both theoretical and socio-linguistics. You’ll learn about formal and functional aspects of language study, providing grounding in structural analysis (grammar, syntax etc.); however, what makes our approach so distinctive is the emphasis we place on the sociolinguistic functions of language.

You will examine the different types of language use in contemporary British media such as press, television and radio, and cover topics such as advertising discourse and phone-in talk, as well as news reporting and political interviews.  

You’ll also have opportunities to apply your knowledge of English language and language learning to critically evaluate techniques in teaching different aspects of English, and looking at the practical problem of lesson design.

Journalism:
Whether you want to work as a journalist, learn about the world of media or become a better communicator, Roehampton can teach you what you need to know. From the basics of news reporting to the production of magazines and multimedia packages, we will help you develop your story-telling potential.

The Roehampton programme is tailored to prepare you for the modern media industry. We offer hands-on, practical modules that focus on the skills employers want.

As you learn how to research, report and develop a story, you will also be trained in how to present it in the most compelling way, using industry-standard digital tools. You will have the opportunity to focus on the subjects and formats that interest you most and to develop your own multimedia projects, such as podcasts or investigative reports. You will also learn how to target your work for different audiences.

Roehampton brings professional journalists and newsmakers such as local politicians to campus to participate in workshops and meet with students. We take advantage of London’s status as a media epicenter, organising  field trips to newsrooms and sending students on off-campus reporting assignments such as conferences. Students also gain experience working on press teams for events as the Wimbledon Bookfest and the Professional Publishers Association festival.

Students looking to begin a career in journalism can get a head start, with modules that teach you how to prepare a CV and make contacts in the industry. You can gain work experience at a variety of companies and publications as part of your degree.

You will study how journalism helps shape public opinion and popular culture, and will learn about the political, economic and legal context in which journalists produce their work.

The course is taught by experienced academics who have worked as journalists for the BBC, Reuters, the Financial Times and numerous other media companies. We have well-equipped multimedia newsrooms, designed to give you the experience of working in a richly creative professional environment