Linguistics and Modern Languages & Cultures BA

Core linguistics modules:

The Sounds of English

This module is an introduction to the subdisciplines of Linguistics known as Phonetics and Phonology, focusing specifically on the sounds of the English language. It is designed to provide a solid understanding of how speech sounds are made and how they function in use. The lectures will present descriptions of English speech sounds and theories to explain their behaviour in a range of different accents and contexts, and the workshop classes will provide hands-on experience in using and thinking about the sounds of English. The module serves as an essential basis for more advanced linguistic study.

10 credits

The Structures of English

This module is an introduction to the syntax of natural languages, focussing on the syntactic structure of contemporary English. This module is intended as a sister module to the 10-credit 'Sounds of English' module, which runs in parallel. It is designed to provide a firm grounding in the descriptions of English sentence structure(s), and to introduce students to the main theories and methods of syntactic argumentation. The lectures will cover major topics in the formal description of English sentences, while the workshop classes will provide hands-on experience in analysing and thinking about sentence structure. The module serves as an essential basis for more advanced linguistic study.

10 credits

Optional linguistics modules:

Varieties of English

This course explores the extraordinary diversity of the English language today, and is concerned with describing the features, use and status of contemporary varieties of English in Britain and around the world. Extraterritorial varieties are located within histories of expansion, colonialism, and globalisation, and considered in relation to the role of English as an international language. We investigate developments which led to the social and geographic distribution of certain present day varieties in Britain. Students will apply tools of description for all linguistic levels, and develop awareness of sociolinguistic aspects of language such as social indexing, attitudes and standardisation, as well as the relationship between variation and change.

20 credits

Early Englishes

Early Englishes works backward over a whole millennium of English, 1600 to 600. Each week's lectures and seminar focus on one century and one text representative of that century (for example, Beowulf and Piers Plowman). We will use a variety of techniques , literary, linguistic, anthropological, cultural historical, to analyse each text, thereby opening up discussion of the issues that preoccupied the English of the time, from glorious monster-slaying to the slow surrender of pagan belief to terror at the imminent arrival of Antichrist and on to the first expressions of love and desire. Texts will initially be studied in translation so no prior knowledge of Old or Middle English is necessary, but students will also be given the opportunity to examine texts in the original language.

20 credits

Exploring Literary Language

How are literary effects created through language? How can we describe these effects? This course will aim to provide literature students with a gentle introduction to language, and provide language students with experience of applying linguistic analysis to literary texts. The emphasis will be upon a practical hands-on approach, and topics covered will include sentence structure, lexical choice, cohesion, narrative structure, discourse analysis (with reference to drama and dialogue) and point of view in narrative fiction. The texts studied will be predominantly literary and twentieth century, and will include extracts from novels, plays, poetry and short stories.

20 credits

History of English

This module traces the history of the English language of the Fifth century AD through to the present day. Students will learn about the development of English over this period, looking at the factors which have shaped the language, and learning a variety of techniques for studying the language. The module will also introduce students to the range and variety of the English language at all periods, and to the ways in which English influences, and is influenced by, other languages.

20 credits

Linguistic Theory

This module explores how language is structured by examining central issues in linguistic theory, building upon the concepts introduced in EL112 Sounds of English and ELL113 Structure of English. Students will be instructed in (1) foundational theories and concepts in areas such as phonology, morphology, syntax, and semantics, (2) the linguistic evidence that informs these approaches, (3) the analytical techniques required to apply these theories to language data, and (4) the relevance of such theoretical models for the wider study of language. The module will develop analytical tools in using linguistic theory, training students to rigorously interpret language data within theoretical frameworks

20 credits

Try a new subject:

The flexible structure of your first year at Sheffield means that you also have the chance to experience modules from outside of English and Modern Languages & Cultures - you can choose up to 40 credits of modules from a list approved by the Faculty of Arts and Humanities. A final guided module list is made available to new students when you select your modules as part of registration.

Optional linguistics modules:

The History of Persuasion

In all areas of life language plays a crucial role in defining what kind of event is taking place, who is in a position of authority and whose assertions should be trusted and believed. The aim of this module is to explore the nature of texts produced within four different areas: science, religion, the mass-media, and the market place. We shall consider the linguistic characteristics of each discourse and discuss how authority is constructed and persuasion achieved within each area. We shall also examine the emergence of each discourse from a historical angle and explore the controversies which surround communication in all four contexts. Students will have the opportunity to use stylistic techniques in the analysis of both historical and contemporary texts and to explore the social and cultural history of communication. Where appropriate, comparisons will be drawn with more literary genres with the aim of investigating (and problematising) the distinction between literary and non-literary discourse.

20 credits

Phonetics

This module aims to provide a detailed understanding of speech sounds, how they are produced, how perceived, how they vary from one language to another, and how they are analysed. Lectures will deal with the three core areas of phonetics: articulation, acoustics and audition. The course has a practical as well as a theoretical component. There will be weekly classes in which students will learn to recognise, produce and transcribe the sounds of the International Phonetic Alphabet. The application and history of phonetics will also be covered.

20 credits

Syntax

This module builds on what students have learnt in ELL113 Structure of English at Level 1, providing a more in-depth look at the structure and organising principles of sentences. We develop the tree structures students learn in first year, and see how these structures form a system of representation that can be used for any language. This involves thinking about the universal constraints on the grouping of words into phrases, and consideration of various operations that move elements around inside sentences to generate the word orders we see written or hear spoken, while at the same time ensuring that sentences satisfy formal constraints. In other words, the module provides an opportunity for students to think in more depth about why sentences are structured the way that they are.

20 credits

Exiles and Monsters: An Introduction to Old English

This module explores the language and literature of Anglo-Saxon England, enabling you to read and understand the earliest English literature. You will learn how to read Old English, developing a good understanding of Old English grammar and gaining familiarity with the language and literature through translating a range of texts. We will examine the historical background and cultural contexts of these texts, introducing you to the breadth and variety of Old English texts, and to differing critical approaches to them.

20 credits

Language and Cognition

This module introduces students to the key theories and frameworks at the core of cognitive linguistics. The module explores the relationships between language and the human mind and considers how recent advances in the study of human cognition can enhance our understanding of the conceptual processes that underpin the production and reception of discourse. The module introduces students to such concepts as embodiment, prototypes, situated simulation, profiling, mental representation, conceptual mapping, and conceptual integration. The module equips students with the necessary knowledge and analytical skills to design and carry out their own investigations into language and cognition.

20 credits

Writing the Real

This module explores the often problematic relationship between literature and 'the real world', using a range of theoretical and stylistic approaches. We will consider why 'realism' is such a difficult term to get to grips with; why describing a text or film as 'realistic' can be a very politically charged act; how ideas of 'the real' have changed over time; and what effects the inclusion of 'real' materials into fictional works may have. We will explore 'the real' in a wide range literary texts and films, including works by Elizabeth Gaskell, Ken Loach and Harold Pinter.

20 credits

Sociolinguistics

This module explores the workings of language in its rich social setting. It includes an investigation of accent and dialect, register and style in relation to social class, gender, age, ethinicity, region and social networks. The module also examines sociolinguistic situations around the world, such as multilingualism and diglossia, pidgins and creoles, new Englishes and other globalised forms of language. The module is intended to be enabling and offers an opportunity for students to develop a sense of their own ethical responsibilities as language users and analysts. Students will be provided with the methodological tools necessary to carry out independent fieldwork and will be encouraged to undertake their own exploration of sociolinguistics.

20 credits

First Language Acquisition

This second-year module is aimed at students who have already taken Introduction to Linguistics at Level 1. In this course, we focus specifically on the first language acquisition of syntactic (and semantic) knowledge. Addressing both theoretical and methodological issues, the course explores the relationship between the logical problem of language acquisition -- how very young children manage to acquire quite abstract and subtle properties of their target grammars in the absence of clear positive evidence -- and the developmental problem of acquisition -- how children recover from systematic errors, and acquire subtle language-specific properties. We also explore the related tension between nativist vs. emergentist explanations for language acquisition and development.

20 credits

Phonology

This module aims to examine phonological theories and the data on which they are constructed, exploring phonological organisation and processes in different languages. Segmental and prosodic (e.g. syllable-based) phenomena will be investigated, using rule- and constraint-based frameworks. As well as being a core part of theoretical linguistics, an understanding of phonology is essential to the studies of historical linguistics, sociolinguistics, psycholinguistics, speech pathologies, language acquisition, and computerised speech synthesis and recognition technologies.

20 credits

A Sense of Place: Local and Regional Identity

This module takes an interdisciplinary approach to issues of regional and local identity in contemporary Britain. Lectures focus on different aspects of the 'local' involved in the creation, dissemination and commodification of regional and local identity. Topics covered include: perceptual geography; archaeology; material culture; place-names; dialect; 'blason populaire' and regional sayings; regional literature; regional songs as 'anthems'; regional festivals and customs; the marketing of regions in the tourist industry. From 2006 the module will be involved in the 'Business in the Curriculum' initative. Students will work in teams with representatives of cultural and heritage organisation to solve 'real life' problems.

20 credits

Try a new subject:

The flexible structure of your second year at Sheffield means that you also have the chance to experience modules from outside of English and Modern Languages & Cultures - you can choose up to 20 credits of modules from a list approved by the Faculty of Arts and Humanities. A final guided module list is made available to new students when you select your modules as part of registration.

Autumn semester:

SLC Year Abroad

This module is the assessed language-generic compulsory first semester module for the year abroad for all students studying degrees in or joint degrees with the School of Languages and Cultures. This module is for the first semester of the year abroad. This module is not language specific but it is related to the year abroad assessment. The assessment for this module will depend upon where students spend the first semester of the year abroad. For students who spend the first semester in: a Spanish speaking country, this module will be associated with the assessment for Spanish; for students who spend the first semester in Germany or Austria, this module will be associated with the assessment for German, etc. Full details of the assessments can be found in the year abroad handbook.

20 credits

French Year Abroad

All students studying a language with the School of Languages and Cultures will spend their third year either studying and/or working abroad. The year abroad enables you to immerse yourself in the language, culture and society of the language or languages you study. As our languages are spoken both in Europe and worldwide, you have the opportunity to choose destinations not only in Europe but beyond.

40 credits

Germanic Studies Year Abroad

All students studying a language with the School of Languages and Cultures will spend their third year either studying and/or working abroad. The year abroad enables you to immerse yourself in the language, culture and society of the language or languages you study. As our languages are spoken both in Europe and worldwide, you have the opportunity to choose destinations not only in Europe but beyond.

40 credits

Hispanic Studies Year Abroad

Language work moves to advanced study of Catalan syntax and extends spoken and written expressive competence. Normativisation of the language in the early 20th century provides a focus for treatment both of linguistic and of politico-cultural matters. Representative literary samples from the modern period serve to illustrate the main trends in pre-Civil-War Catalan writing.

40 credits

Luxembourg Studies Year Abroad (Residency)

The Residency Abroad aims to encourage students to engage productively with opportunities for improving their spoken language skills in Luxembourgish and written language skills in French or German, cultural awareness and personal development.

40 credits

Russian and Slavonic Studies Year Abroad

All students studying a language with the School of Languages and Cultures will spend their third year either studying and/or working abroad. The year abroad enables you to immerse yourself in the language, culture and society of the language or languages you study. As our languages are spoken both in Europe and worldwide, you have the opportunity to choose destinations not only in Europe but beyond.

40 credits

Spring semester:

SLC Year Abroad

This module is the assessed language-generic compulsory second semester module for the year abroad for all students studying degrees in or joint degrees with the School of Languages and Cultures. This module is for the second semester of the year abroad. This module is not language specific but it is related to the year abroad assessment. The assessment for this module will depend upon where students spend the second semester of the year abroad. For students who spend the second semester in: a Spanish speaking country, this module will be associated with the assessment for Spanish; for students who spend the first semester in Germany or Austria, this module will be associated with the assessment for German, etc. Full details of the assessments can be found in the year abroad handbook.

20 credits

French Year Abroad

All students studying a language with the School of Languages and Cultures will spend their third year either studying and/or working abroad. The year abroad enables you to immerse yourself in the language, culture and society of the language or languages you study. As our languages are spoken both in Europe and worldwide, you have the opportunity to choose destinations not only in Europe but beyond.

40 credits

Germanic Studies Year Abroad

All students studying a language with the School of Languages and Cultures will spend their third year either studying and/or working abroad. The year abroad enables you to immerse yourself in the language, culture and society of the language or languages you study. As our languages are spoken both in Europe and worldwide, you have the opportunity to choose destinations not only in Europe but beyond.

40 credits

Hispanic Studies Year Abroad

Language work moves to advanced study of Catalan syntax and extends spoken and written expressive competence. Normativisation of the language in the early 20th century provides a focus for treatment both of linguistic and of politico-cultural matters. Representative literary samples from the modern period serve to illustrate the main trends in pre-Civil-War Catalan writing.

40 credits

Luxembourg Studies Year Abroad (Residency)

The Residency Abroad aims to encourage students to engage productively with opportunities for improving their spoken language skills in Luxembourgish and written language skills in French or German, cultural awareness and personal development.

40 credits

Russian and Slavonic Studies Year Abroad

All students studying a language with the School of Languages and Cultures will spend their third year either studying and/or working abroad. The year abroad enables you to immerse yourself in the language, culture and society of the language or languages you study. As our languages are spoken both in Europe and worldwide, you have the opportunity to choose destinations not only in Europe but beyond.

40 credits

Optional linguistics modules:

Research Practice

'Research Practice' is normally taken in combination with the 'Dissertation' module, and, together these two units give students the opportunity to spend a whole year researching a topic of particular interest to them, engaging with new data or primary sources, and working on material more advanced than that normally covered in taught modules. 'Research Practice' focuses on the planning of the larger project. Students receive support and training in whole-group workshops and through one-to-one support from a supervisor. By the end of the module, students should have designed an appropriate programme of research and should have begun to implement it.Although support will be provided by supervisors and the module convenor, students will be expected to drive their projects forward themselves and be proactive in seeking guidance on anything that arises as they do so. The module is not suitable for students who do not enjoy independent research and reading. Students will be required to submit a research proposal towards the end of Level 2. Students will receive guidance on this and may seek help with this part of the process from members of academic staff. Registration for this module depends on both the coherence of the research proposal and the availability of suitable supervisors.

20 credits

Psychology of Language

This third-year module in psycholinguistics examines the relationship between the human mind and language, addressing both theoretical and methodological issues. We look at the processes involved in producing and comprehending speech, and in reading, exploring the ways in which we represent and store linguistic knowledge. The core linguistic modules will be investigated (phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics), with a focus on phonology. Evidence from speech errors, impaired speech, and neuroscience alongside classic psychological experimental work in the field will be considered. Students will gain a thorough grounding in psycholinguistic theory and practice, and should acquire the tools to undertake their own research in the future.

20 credits

Exiles and Monsters: Reading Old English

This module explores the language and literature of early medieval England (500-1066), enabling you to read, translate, and understand the earliest English literature. You will learn Old English, developing a good understanding of Old English grammar and applying that knowledge as you translate Old English texts. You will also gain familiarity with Old English literature through translating a range of diverse texts. We normally start translating Old English prose in Week 2 and move on to poetry after a few weeks. Texts studied on this module might include Wulfstan's famous sermon to the English (in which he goes on about how sinful the English are), The Battle of Maldon (about a real battle in 991 in which the Vikings defeated the English), Judith (about a woman who chops off the head of the general whose army is besieging her city), and Beowulf (about a hero and several monsters). The module will briefly examine the historical background, cultural contexts, and stylistic features of these texts, introducing you to the breadth and variety of Old English texts and to differing critical approaches to them. No prior knowledge of Old English language or literature is required.

20 credits

Researching Readers

Stylistic analyses often make claims about a text's effects on 'the reader' or audience. This module asks: who is this 'reader'? How can stylisticians support their claims about textual effect? Students will be introduced to various methods used to investigate the responses of real readers in stylistics, with a central emphasis on verbal data and qualitative analysis. The module's practical focus means students will be engaged in testing out and evaluating these methods, and will complete the module with an understanding of how to design, conduct and reflect upon their own stylistic investigations of real readers.

20 credits

Narrative Style in the Contemporary Novel

In this module you will consider how the contemporary novel in English experiments with narrative style and technique, and the effects that are generated as a result. The module will start with a basic recap of key narrative concepts, in order to enable appreciation of the ways in which contemporary writers play with traditional narratological concepts. Some of the styles we will look at include: disruptions to chronological sequence; second-person narration; first-person free indirect discourse. We will also look at how such techniques generate or hinder the construction of experiences such as identification and empathy in the reader.

20 credits

Language and Gender

This module will explore the relationship between language use and gender identity. We will consider how gender has been defined in social and linguistic research and examine a variety of theoretical perspectives, methodologies and findings (incorporating both quantitiative and qualitative linguistic work). The approach is interdisciplinary (drawing upon sociolinguistics, linguistic anthropology and discourse analysis) and will address the issues of power, status, socialisation and ideology.

20 credits

Approaches to Discourse

The course aims to introduce students to the critical analysis of spoken and written discourse in contemporary social contexts. It provides a range of resources and techniques for analysing texts and dialogue, enabling students to apply them to real life data drawn from a wide variety of contexts. Instruction will cover classical theoretical approaches to the analysis of discourse and genre, including functional grammatical analysis of clauses and sentences, the generic structure of texts, conversational and pragmatic analysis of spoken discourse, and intertextual and interdiscursive analysis. Throughout the topics covered, the students will be encouraged to reflect upon the role of discourse in the structuring of social practices and power relations.

20 credits

Advanced Syntax

This module builds on the material covered in ELL 221 Syntax, focusing on both the universal and language-specific rules that govern syntactic structure in human language. The topics covered will expand our understanding of areas of structure that could not be explained in Syntax, including further instances of movement, a more nuanced understanding of verbal structure, and a greater emphasis on data from languages other than English.

20 credits

Dissertation

The 'Dissertation' module is always taken in combination with the 'Research Practice' module and, together, these two units give students the opportunity to spend a whole year researching a topic of particular interest to them, engaging with new data or primary sources, and working on material more advanced than that normally covered in taught modules. The final results is a dissertation of up to 7,000 words. Students receive support through whole-group workshops and through one-to-one support from a supervisor In the process, they develop research and communication skills valuable in academic and professional contexts.Although support will be provided by supervisors and the module convenor, students will be expected to drive their projects forward themselves and be proactive in seeking guidance on anything that arises as they do so. The module is not suitable for students who do not enjoy independent research and reading

20 credits

Conversation Analysis

In this module we will work with recordings of real conversation, analysing aspects of spoken interaction such as turn-taking, overlap, repair, sequence organisation and topic from the perspective of Conversation Analysis (CA). The module provides an opportunity to: deepen your understanding of how conversation is structurally organised; develop analyses of conversation which are inductive and do not rely on reading the minds of participants but are grounded in the observable linguistic-sequential properties of the talk; and explore the relationship between CA and linguistics.

20 credits

Language attitudes, perceptions and regard

This module examines the ways in which non-specialists react to language variation. Students taking the module will learn about why such reactions matter, both for speakers of stigmatised varieties and languages, but also in relation to theories of language variation and change. The module will introduce students to the field of language regard, which moves the study of non-specialists reactions to language beyond the traditional approaches taken in language attitudes research. Students taking the module will consider the theoretical underpinnings of language regard, and examine topics such as real-time reactions to regional speech, manipulating listener reactions, language attitudes findings, perceptual dialectology, and the sociolinguistic monitor.

20 credits

Theolinguistics

This module examines the ways in which people talk to and about God, both in religious and secular contexts. Among the topics that will be covered are the nature and problem of religious language, religious genres, approaches to investigating religious language, the significance of metaphor in religious language, and the use of religious language in everyday talk. A significant portion of the module will focus on critical theolinguistics, which is the exploration of how religious language is used to assert power and/or control.

20 credits

Text-Worlds

This module introduces students to Text World Theory, a cognitive-linguistic model of discourse processing. It provides an opportunity to explore the text-world approach to the analysis of discourse, as well as a range of related ideas and frameworks from the disciplines of linguistics, psychology, philosophy, narratology, and stylistics. We will examine, for example, the influence of context on the production and reception of discourse, the linguistic means through which mental representations of discourse are created, and the ways in which multiple worlds can be constructed across extended stretches of language. Students will be introduced to the core components of Text World Theory and will develop the skills necessary to apply this approach to a range of discourse types in a practical and systematic manner.

20 credits

Experiments in Interactive Digital Narrative

This module focuses on experimental uses of digital technology for story-telling. It introduces a number of technologies that can be used to create interactive digital texts including platforms enabling the creation of locative media and virtual reality experiences, and it takes students to the point where they can confidently use one of these to develop a practical project of their own. During the semester we shall look in some detail at examples of experimental digital narratives and think about them using critical frameworks widely used in English Language and Literature. This work will provide the inspiration for students to develop their own experimental ideas and create a digital artifact of their own.

20 credits

Advanced Phonetics

Students will use specialist computer software to provide robust analysis of a range of different phonetic parameters. This will involve working with waveforms, fundamental frequency traces, spectra and spectrograms. Training will take the form of practical demonstrations and guided workshop exercises, linked to a series of 'lab report' assessments. In the final assessment, students will work on either different varieties of English (reocrdings provide by the student cohort), or on another language selected by the module convenor. This module builds on ELL112 Sounds of English and ELL207 Phonetics; successful completion on these modules is therefore a pre-requisite.

20 credits

Second Language Acquisition

This module will introduce students to major theoretical notions and assumptions in Second Language Acquisition (SLA) - a theory that investigates how language speakers acquire a second language both in adulthood and childhood. The module focuses on the SLA theories that are believed to be constrained by Universal Grammar. It provides a historical overview of how SLA theories have evolved and examines influential concepts to explore how different arguments have been developed and how they have been investigated empirically. At the same time, the module offers students hands-on training in analyzing second language learner data, using their knowledge of syntax and the opportunity to design an SLA project.

20 credits

Historical Pragmatics

Historical pragmatics is an exciting and relatively new field which takes a holistic approach (i.e. inclusive of linguistic, social and historical factors) to studying how language users communicated and constructed meaning in earlier periods. Based on the study of English, the aims of this course are: 1) to introduce the study of historical discourse as evidenced by (for example) correspondence and courtroom dialogue; 2) to introduce topics such as sociopragmatics, (im)politeness, and the 'new philology', grounding them in historical pragmatic theory; and 3) to offer an opportunity to perform historical pragmatic analysis through textual study and corpus applications.

20 credits

Try a new subject:

The flexible structure of your fourth year at Sheffield means that you also have the chance to experience modules from outside of English and Philosophy - you can choose up to 20 credits of modules from a list approved by the Faculty of Arts and Humanities. A final guided module list is made available to new students when you select your modules as part of registration.