English Language and Linguistics

English language and linguistics is the scientific study of language itself: its structure, its history, its variation across communities, and the cognitive and social processes through which human beings acquire, use and adapt it. While English literature is concerned with what has been written, linguistics is concerned with how language works, and the English language focus brings that inquiry to bear on one of the most globally significant languages in the world. The discipline draws on phonetics, syntax, semantics, sociolinguistics, psycholinguistics and historical linguistics to build a comprehensive account of language as a human phenomenon.

At Cardiff, you will study the core areas of linguistic theory and apply them to English in its many forms, from regional dialects to global varieties, from everyday conversation to political discourse. You will learn to analyse the sounds, structures and meanings of language using formal tools, examine how language varies with social identity and context, trace the historical development of English from its Germanic origins to its current status as a world language, and explore how language is acquired by children and processed in the mind. The three-year full-time programme develops precise analytical skills alongside a broad theoretical understanding.

The typical entry tariff is 120 UCAS points.

Graduates work in speech and language therapy (many pursue further study in this area), publishing, journalism, copywriting, education, translation, language teaching, communications, marketing, law and the civil service. The analytical rigour and attention to language that linguistics develops transfers remarkably well across sectors, and employers in many fields value graduates who can communicate with precision and understand how language shapes meaning. Many graduates also continue to postgraduate study in linguistics, applied linguistics, speech therapy or language-related research.