English Language and Linguistics BA

Core modules:

Varieties of English

This module looks at accent and dialect variation in the English language, in the UK and beyond. It will provide you with the tools to analyse and discuss variation in English words, sounds, and grammar. During the module you will collect your own data and learn how to analyse and visualise it. The module will develop your awareness of sociolinguistic aspects of the English language, and the relationship between language variation and change. You will be encouraged to consider your own experiences of language attitudes, language change, and language variation in order to reflect on the extraordinary diversity of the English language today.

20 credits

The Sounds of English

This module is an introduction to the subdisciplines of linguistics known as phonetics and phonology, focusing on the sounds of the English language. It is designed to provide you with an understanding of the key concepts and terminology necessary to describe and explain sounds of English and of other languages. It will equip you with the practical skills necessary to transcribe and write about sounds. It 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, providing an essential grammatical base for more advanced studies in linguistic theory, historical linguistics, and sociolinguistics. 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 sentence structure(s) cross-linguistically, and to introduce students to the tools used to describe syntactic structures, and the main methods of syntactic argumentation. The lectures will cover major topics in the formal description of morpho-syntax, while the seminar workshops will provide hands-on experience in analysing and thinking about sentence structure.

10 credits

History of English

What is English? Taking this question as a point of departure, this module introduces students to the exceptionally dynamic linguistic history of English(es). Changing linguistic forms and functions are contextualized within their historical moment, and language external factors such as language contact, imperialism and racism are also discussed as they pertain to periods of English. To be clear: this is not just a module about old forms of language (although there is plenty of that!) - it's about gaining historical linguistic perspective on current Englishes (including related Creoles) and their place within a much bigger story.

20 credits

Linguistic Theory

This module explores how language is structured by examining central issues in linguistic theory, building upon the concepts introduced in EGH105 Sounds of English and EGH106 Structures 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. This inclusive module will develop analytical tools and problem-solving skills in using linguistic theory, training students to think critically to interpret data from any language within theoretical frameworks.

20 credits

Optional linguistics modules:

Early Englishes

This module is of particular interest to anyone who wants to know more about the first 1000 years of English language and literature. 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, Margery Kempe's Book, Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, and Beowulf). We will use a variety of techniques - literary, linguistic, anthropological, cultural-historical - to analyse each text, thereby opening up discussion of issues that preoccupied the English of the time, from glorious monster-slaying to the first expressions of love and desire, from religious devotion to comedy, from the power of insults to the status of English. We will investigate international influences on English language and literature, explore medieval worldviews and how they might differ from modern ones, and query what it means when we say something is medieval. No prior knowledge of Old or Middle English is necessary; students will be given the opportunity to examine texts in the original language but where necessary translations will be provided.

20 credits

Exploring Literary Language

This module explores the language of literary texts. We will look at how different literary styles create particular effects and describe these styles and effects using linguistics. The course aims to provide students interested in English literature with a practical introduction to language, and to provide students interested in language with experience of applying linguistic analysis to literary texts. The emphasis is on a hands-on approach, and topics covered will include sentence structure, register, narrative structure, conversation 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

Other optional modules in the School of English:

Foundations in Literary Study: Biblical and Classical Sources in English Literature

The Bible, Greek and Roman mythology, represent some of the central sources for European literary imaginations. In this module you will explore the range of literature indebted to biblical and classical literature, themes, and characters. Featuring a range of lecturers from across the School of English, the module will help you learn to think critically about biblical and classical themes such as divine destruction, love, gender, homecoming, colonialism, nostalgia, and empire, and read a variety of authors, from Amelia Lanyer and Shakespeare to Derek Walcott and Margaret Atwood. When we understand the ways in which biblical and classical writers shaped their narratives, and how creative authors revised, resisted or radicalised their themes, we have several important keys to unlock crucial facets of English literary tradition.

20 credits

Contemporary Literature

This module introduces you to a diverse range of texts in English (prose, poetry, and film) with a focus on texts published since 2000. Texts will be chosen to provoke thinking and debate on urgent and controversial topics that might include: globalisation and neoliberalism; ecology and animal lives; artificial intelligence and the posthuman; political activism and social justice; migration and displacement; state violence and armed conflict. We will discuss formally and conceptually challenging works, raise ethical and philosophical questions and begin to discover how current critical and theoretical approaches can help us to engage with contemporary texts.

20 credits

Studying Theatre: A History of Dramatic Texts in Performance

Ranging chronologically from classical to contemporary examples, this module aims to turn an interest in drama and theatre-going into a deeper appreciation of the ways in which traditions of playwriting, acting, design and performance have shaped theatre's development over the centuries. Each week you will study a particular play and the contexts that informed its first performances and its theatrical afterlife. Engaging with contrasting texts and productions will build your knowledge of dramatic genres and styles, the relationship between performance and politics, the representation on page and stage of racial and gendered identities, and the roles and responsibilities of audiences. We will approach theatre as a social practice and an artistic discipline, exploring production videos and related materials alongside study of the script, and experimenting with creative exercises in writing, directing and stage design. This module develops skills in analysing diverse texts and forms whilst also revealing the distinctive qualities and capabilities of drama as a literary genre.

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 - you can choose up to 40 credits of modules from a list approved by the Faculty of Arts and Humanities, which is made available to new students when you select your modules at registration.

Optional modules:

The History of Persuasion

This module focuses on why some written texts seem more persuasive (or authoritative) than others. To answer this question we will look at non-literary writing from a range of different contexts: journalism, advertising, political speaking, science writing, and religious communication. You'll look closely at the language used in each context, think about what constitutes persuasive writing in each, and talk about why this differs from context to context. You'll also have a chance to look at the histories of these different kinds of text. Examples from earlier periods look different from what we are used to in the 21st century and it is fascinating to explore how journalism, for example, has come to look as it does today. All these types of writing are associated with powerful institutions: journalism with the national press, advertising with big corporations, political speaking with the major political parties. But we will also explore how people with more marginalised identities use them, resist them, and are represented through them. The overall aim is help you become more critical in your response to the different kinds of written communication that surround us and this is valuable in many of the careers that English graduates go into.

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 the Level 1 Structure of English and Linguistic Theory modules, providing a more in-depth look at the structure and organising principles of sentences cross-linguistically. We will discuss how syntactic structures form a system of cognitive representation that can be used for any language, including constraints on the grouping of words into phrases, and various operations that move elements inside sentences to generate word orders. This module will also begin to introduce the interfaces between syntax and other areas of language, particularly phonology, meaning, and sentence processing.

20 credits

Language and Cognition

This module introduces you 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 you to such concepts as embodiment, prototypes, situated simulation, profiling, mental representation, conceptual mapping, and conceptual integration. The module equips you with the necessary knowledge and analytical skills to design and carry out your own investigations into language and cognition.

20 credits

Chaucer

Geoffrey Chaucer is not only the most famous medieval English writer, he is also one of the most varied, controversial, and gritty writers at the time. This course aims to introduce students to a wide range of Chaucer's writings, including the Canterbury Tales, while situating Chaucerian writing in its medieval context, which will also allow us to assess the commonly held notion of Chaucer as the father of English literature. We will explore literary, linguistic, material, cultural, religious, and political aspects of his fascinatingly rich body of texts to gauge Chaucer's status as a medieval poet, and interrogate questions of society, gender, tradition and philosophy that his work continues to inspire.

20 credits

English Works: Foundations

Students taking this module will connect their academic studies to future careers. Teaching from experts across the School's different subject areas - linguistics, language, literature, screen studies and creative practice - will challenge students to think deeply (critically, creatively, reflectively) about the meanings and practices of work and education. Sessions dedicated to career-decision planning (e.g. applications and interviews; online profiles and networking) will enable students to reflect on their values, motivations and career aspirations in addition to providing practical guidance and support. This module provides opportunities to gain career insights and access to work-related learning (e.g. workplace visits; virtual internships and projects). Together, through a series of interactive workshops, students will think about their future careers while making novel connections between English studies and the worlds of education and work.

20 credits

Writing the Real

In both fiction and drama, there is an approach to writing called 'realism' (or, in the case of theatre, 'naturalism'). Realist writers make a commitment to telling their readers about the world as it actually is and this means avoiding supernatural or speculative material and instead focusing on the experiences of ordinary people in a world that is recognisably like our own. The hey-day of realism was the nineteenth century but, since then, virtually all writers have had to take up a position in relation to it and decide whether to write about a world in which people have guardian angels and animals can talk or focus instead on 'real life' in contemporary London or New York City or Lagos. The module examines how realist and non-realist styles work linguistically and you will learn to analyse both kinds of text in a fine-grained way. You will read examples by British authors from different backgrounds as well as writers from other parts of the world. Narrative is central to how we define ourselves and understand the world around us, so the module looks beyond the strictly academic and helps you understand more about how we respond to the world through story-telling.

20 credits

Sociolinguistics

Is there any use of language that isn't social? To what extent do situation and context affect how we speak? In this module, we will explore the relationship between how we speak and our social class, gender, race, ethnicity, age and social connections. We also examine what constrains our ability to vary language use across space and time. You will be provided with the methodological tools necessary to carry out independent fieldwork and undertake your own exploration of language in social contexts. We consider both language practice (how people use language to do social action) and language perceptions (what we think and believe about speakers on the basis of their language variety). Consequently, in the course of this module, you will develop a sense of your own ethical responsibilities as language users and analysts.

20 credits

First Language Acquisition

This second-year module is aimed at students who have already taken Linguistic Theory in Level 1. In this course, we focus specifically on the first language acquisition of phonetic, phonological, and morpho-syntactic 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 examines phonological theories and the data on which they are constructed, exploring how languages across the world organise their systems of speech sounds, and critically interrogating how their phonological processes can be analysed. Sound-based and prosodic (e.g. syllable-based) phenomena will be investigated, using rule- and constraint-based frameworks. Problem-solving, data-handling, and critical thinking are key skills developed in this module, and by treating all languages equally in terms of what they can tell us about human communication, the module is inherently diverse and inclusive. 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

Historical Linguistics

Language change is a fact of all living languages, and historical linguistics is as much about the present and future as it is about its past. This module introduces the study of how and why languages change, and how languages are related. Students are encouraged to reflect on the ways in which historical linguistics bears on other areas of linguistics. The subject will be approached by 1) levels of inquiry, e.g. semantic, phonological, morphological, syntactic and pragmatic change; and 2) 'big questions', e.g. language families and linguistic prehistory, the role of acquisition in change, linguistic reconstruction, and historical sociolinguistics.

20 credits

English Works: Enhanced

Students taking this module go beyond English Works: Foundations. They will continue to explore ideas of education and work from across the School's subject areas - linguistics, language, literature, screen studies and creative practice - while undertaking short-term work experience as an integrated part of their learning. An embedded peer coaching programme provides an effective support structure for students undertaking their work experience and develops valuable coaching and leadership skills. Students will be empowered to design their own work experience with dedicated support from the module team, and will reflect on their professional development in a showcase event. Together, through a series of interactive workshops, peer coaching and work experience, students will test their ambitions and build career confidence while advocating for the vital skills and contributions made by English studies to the workplace and wider society.

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 - you can choose up to 20 credits of modules from a list approved by the Faculty of Arts and Humanities, which is made available to new students when you select your modules at registration.

Optional modules:

Research Practice (English Language and Linguistics)

Research Practice' is normally taken in combination with the 'Dissertation' module. Taken 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 that is typically more advanced than that covered in taught modules. 'Research Practice' focuses on the planning of the larger project. Students receive support and training through whole-group workshops and one-to-one support from a supervisor. By the end of the module, students will have designed an appropriate programme of research and 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 and help when they need it. The module is not suitable for students who do not enjoy independent research and reading. In preparation for the module, 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 final-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 speaking, listening, and reading, exploring the ways in which we represent and store linguistic knowledge. The core linguistic components will be investigated: phonology, morphology, syntax, and semantics. Evidence from speech errors, language impairments, and neuroscience alongside classic psychological experimental work in the field will be considered. Students will gain a firm grounding in psycholinguistic theory and practice, and should acquire the tools to undertake their own research in the future.

20 credits

Chaucer

Geoffrey Chaucer is not only the most famous medieval English writer, he is also one of the most varied, controversial, and gritty writers at the time. This course aims to introduce you to a wide range of Chaucer's writings, including the Canterbury Tales, while situating Chaucerian writing in its medieval context. We will explore literary, linguistic, material, cultural, religious, and political aspects of his fascinatingly rich body of texts to gauge Chaucer's status as a medieval poet, and interrogate questions of society, gender, and philosophy that his work continues to inspire.

20 credits

Researching Readers

Your studies so far will have given you many opportunities to think about how you interpret texts and how texts are discussed by professional critics. This module encourages you to engage with the responses of readers outside of University too, in the wider reading public. Academic discussions regularly make claims about the effects of a text on its 'readers' or 'audience', but these readers are often theoretical constructs rather than actual people. This module is a practical introduction to methods that can be used to collect data so that you can investigate the responses of real readers in a variety of contexts. Methods that we study might include experimental tasks, questionnaires, focus groups and internet resources. We focus on qualitative, verbal data: the things which people say or write about their reading experiences. You will learn how to use that data to test and develop your own textual analyses. For instance, we might use data to explore how readers engage with fictional characters, how they make sense of metaphors, or how they respond emotionally to patterns in language. You will be supported in designing, conducting and reflecting upon your own study of real readers, with free choice of the text you study and the method you use, so there is lots of scope for pursuing what interests you.

20 credits

Narrative Style in the Contemporary Novel

On this module you will consider how the contemporary novel experiments with narrative style and technique, and the effects of this on you as a reader. We will be looking at writing in English from all over the world, and from a wide variety of backgrounds and perspectives. We will be looking at key narrative concepts, such as point of view, in order to enable appreciation of the ways in which contemporary writers play with traditional styles. Some of the experimental features we will look at include: disruptions to chronological sequence; the use of second-person ('you') narration; the use of multiple narrators. We will look at how such techniques increase or hinder such experiences as empathy and identification with characters. You will get a chance to work extensively on a contemporary novel of your choice and deepen your enjoyment of it by looking at how it is written.

20 credits

Language and Religion

This module examines the ways in which people talk about what they hold sacred, both in overtly religious and 'secular' contexts. This module takes a critical, functional approach to language, first asking, what does religious language do for us? Among the topics that will be covered are definitions of religion and religious language, a three-dimensional approach to studying religious language and common discursive strategies and linguistic features used to perform religion. The module will be of particular interest to students interested in language and power as well as language and ideology, but we will also be looking at language and religion as it enacts and represents the full range of human experience.

There will be opportunities each week to examine religious language in a variety of contexts, using specific analytic tools within three levels of critical discourse analysis (text, discourse practice and sociocultural practice). In the assessments, you will have the freedom to develop these skills further by analysing texts of your choice, taken from contexts that suit your interests. The tutor will provide support in finding and selecting these texts.Overall, this module aims to examine the porous boundaries between the sacred and the secular. In so doing, we will consider the language not just of those looking to a sacred supernatural but those who articulate ultimate significance to values and priorities without adherence to organized religion.

20 credits

Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages

This final-year module is designed to provide you with a thorough grounding on the key theoretical and practical aspects of teaching English as a second or foreign language. It reviews the historical developments, methodological approaches and principles underlying contemporary TESOL practices. It also explores and assesses what we know about teaching the grammar and vocabulary of English as a foreign or second language, the processes involved in language production and reception in a second language and the implications for teaching and assessing the four language skills (i.e., reading, listening, writing and speaking). Finally, it discusses context and learner differences that influence and determine the teaching of a second language. The module aims to help you uncover your individual beliefs about language teaching and guide you to critically explore a variety of language teaching techniques. It also encourages you to critically reflect on the complex and diverse nature of language teaching, as well as to design lesson plans for specific educational situations that involve research-informed choices. On completion of this course, you should be able to understand, identify and evaluate the various TESOL methodologies and techniques, and select and apply the most appropriate ones for different learning contexts, including the design of lesson plans and activities to teach and undertake research on the various language features and skills.

20 credits

Language and Power

In this module we take a critical look at the relationships between language, persuasion, and power in public life. Each week we take a different analytical framework with which to explore the ways in which we use language to shape our identities, (power) relations with others, and to persuade, manipulate, and deceive. Frameworks covered include pragmatics and conversation analysis, genre analysis, intertextuality, transitivity and multimodality. We will apply these to different types of social practice from advertising to journalism to politics. There are no pre-requisites for this module, although students who have studied English language A-level or taken 'Exploring the Language of Literature', may find some of the frameworks we cover familiar.

20 credits

Dissertation (English Language and Linguistics)

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 that is typically more advanced than that covered in taught modules. The final result is a dissertation of up to 7,000 words. Students receive support through whole-group workshops and 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 and help when they need it. 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

Experiments in Interactive Digital Narrative

This module offers the chance to learn about and experiment with the possibilities of interactive digital narratives. What are interactive digital narratives? In brief, they are stories designed (a) to be read on screen and (b) to give the reader choice about how to navigate them. For example, you might have come across digital adventure stories that read like this: 'You walk up to the house but the door is locked. Do you search for a hidden key or do you break the door down?' Here both 'search' and 'break' will be links so you can choose what you want to do and find out what happens when you do it. Stories like this are widely available online but writers and artists have used the same approach to explore a wider range of human experience than fantasy adventures. Early in the semester we will think about various issues relating to digital narrative: the relationship between material and virtual worlds, the relationship between author and reader, our fears about Artificial Intelligence. Then you'll create an experimental narrative of your own inspired by your critical reading. You don't need any special knowledge of computers or coding - all that will be taught in the module. The learning you experience as you develop your project will be invaluable if you go on to work in any field where you need to make digital content.

20 credits

Advanced Phonetics

Increasingly it is necessary for linguists to provide acoustic evidence in support of claims they make about spoken data. In this module you will undergo training in the use of specialist computer software to provide robust analyses of a range of different phonetic parameters. This will involve working with waveforms, spectrograms, spectra and pitch traces. You will be shown how to write computer code to allow you to automate speech analysis tasks. The module is likely to be of particular interest to you if you are considering further study or a career in phonetics, speech science or speech technology.

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 second language knowledge that is by formal linguistic constraints, as well as on how it interplays with language differencs, language input and classroom teaching. 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. This will help students relate data to theories they learn and learn how to extend the data with a follow-up study.

20 credits

Historical Linguistics

Language change is a fact of all living languages, and historical linguistics is as much about the present and future as it is about its past. This module introduces the study of how and why languages change, and how languages are related. You are encouraged to reflect on the ways in which historical linguistics bears on other areas of linguistics. The subject will be approached by 1) levels of inquiry, e.g. semantic, phonological, morphological, syntactic and pragmatic change; and 2) 'big questions', e.g. language families and linguistic prehistory, the role of acquisition in change, linguistic reconstruction, and historical sociolinguistics.

20 credits

Language and the Environment

This module will introduce students to a range of research focused on language and the natural environment. We will begin by exploring the discipline of Ecolinguistics and the concept of an 'ecosophy', the ecological philosophy underpinning environmental linguistic research. Students will have an opportunity to define their own key ethical principles and design a small-scale research project around their personal ecosophy. We will examine a range of different linguistic theories and their application in the rigorous and systematic analyses of language and the natural environment. We will also explore different linguistic methodologies which might enable these analyses, drawn from disciplines including discourse analysis, corpus linguistics, and empirical stylistics. We will investigate a variety of different discourse types in our lectures and seminars, including political speeches, the language of environmental documentaries, literary texts, social media, marketing and advertising, and everyday conversation. Students will have the opportunity at the end of the module to use their knowledge and skills to execute their own research project, investigating the relationships between language and the natural world in a discourse of their choice.

20 credits

Try a new subject:

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