English Language and Linguistics BA

Core modules:

Sounds and Structures of English

This module is an introduction to the subdisciplines of linguistics known as phonetics and phonology (sounds), and morphology, syntax, and semantics (structures). The module is designed to provide you with an understanding of the key concepts and terminology necessary to describe and explain sounds and structures of English, and of other languages. Lectures will cover major topics in the formal descriptions of speech sounds and morpho-syntax. Seminar activities will help equip you with the practical skills necessary to accurately describe and transcribe speech sounds, and to analyse word and sentence structure and meaning. The module serves as an essential basis for more advanced study across linguistic subdisciplines.

20 credits

Style in Language

This module introduces students to stylistic variation in language, exploring the varied ways in which linguistic choices contribute to meaning and effect. We will examine a wide range of different text types, including literary narratives, journalism, advertising, political speeches, poetry and song lyrics, drama and screenplays. We will move beyond basic grammatical analysis to consider the functional, contextual, and generic dimensions of language use. We will apply relevant linguistic concepts and theories to the study of stylistic phenomena including register, sentence structure, deixis, lexical choice, parallelism, narrative structure, transitivity, and metaphor. Students will be equipped with the practical tools necessary to investigate the relationships between style and effect in a rigorous, retrievable, and replicable way, and gain hands-on experience using their analytical, critical, and interpretative skills.

20 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

Living Englishes

Discover the extraordinary diversity of English today! This module explores varieties of English in Britain and worldwide, shaped by expansion, colonialism, and globalisation. You'll analyse spoken and written language using linguistic tools, gaining insight into sociolinguistic and ideological issues. From local dialects to global Englishes, you'll engage with language in real-world contexts while developing key transferable skills in communication, analysis, and reflection. Perfect for students excited to explore language variation and its impact on society.

20 credits

Language and Creativity

Creativity is a core property of human language use. Speakers of English and all other languages can use their knowledge of the language to produce endless utterances that have never been heard before. What's more, listeners can understand these utterances, despite the fact that they are completely new. In this module you will learn about the creative dimensions of human language through a series of practical experiments, writing and rewriting texts and reflecting on what that process teaches us. You don't have to be 'good at creative writing' to do this. The focus isn't on producing wonderful poems and stories but rather on learning about language through creative experimentation - through a process of doing and then thinking about what you've done. We'll look at creative language use in a range of everyday contexts and we'll think about popular forms of writing like comics, journalism, interactive digital narratives, and spoken-word forms like podcasts.

Learning by doing is an important aspect of many jobs, especially the ones that English graduates often go into, and so the experience this module offers will stand you in good stead for later life. The creative properties of language use are also important for the communication of identity and there will be plenty of opportunity to think about this in relation to aspects of identity that are important to you.

By taking this module you will learn more about language by actually using it, a process that is both rewarding and fun.

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.

Core modules:

Phonetics

The first year module Sounds of English will be expanded upon in order to give a practical knowledge of a much broader range of speech sounds, how they are produced and how they can be analysed by careful listening and by examination of their acoustic properties. A working knowledge of phonetics is fundamental to the wider study of linguistics, both theoretical and applied. You will be given straightforward access to other bodies of knowledge which are often denied to students of the humanities but which inform the study of phonetics, such as the biological and physical sciences. The module has a practical as well as a theoretical component which involves learning to recognise, produce and transcribe the sounds of the International Phonetic Alphabet.

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

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

Optional Modules:

Narrative Experiments

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

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

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

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

Exiles and Monsters: An Introduction to 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

Core Modules:

Research Project 1
Research Project 2

Optional Modules:

Language and Social Justice

Advanced Syntax

This module builds on the material covered in the module Syntax, focusing on both the universal and language-specific rules that govern syntactic structure in human language. The topics covered will intoduce new areas of syntactic structure, including further instances of movement, a more nuanced understanding of verbal structure, and a greater emphasis on data from languages other than English. It will also introduce more links between syntax and other areas of linguistic research, including prosodic intonation and language dialects.

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

Constructed Languages

This module builds on theories learned in Level 1 and 2 ELL and Language and Literature modules, applying them to the constructed languages ('conlangs') created specifically for books, television, and film. Topics covered will include the grammatical patterns underlying the sound and structural systems of conlangs, the similarities and differences between conlangs and 'natural' human languages, the representation of historical change in conlangs, and the textual use and representation of conlangs in literature.

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

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