English Language and Linguistics
English language and linguistics is the scientific study of language itself, asking fundamental questions about how languages are structured, how they are acquired, how they vary across communities and contexts, and how they change over time. Where English literature focuses on the content of texts, English language and linguistics focuses on language as a system, examining the sounds, words, grammatical structures and meanings that make up a language and the social factors that shape how it is used. English is both the primary object of study and a vehicle for exploring broader questions about the nature of human language.
The University of Westminster's programme examines how languages differ and what elements they share, developing your understanding of both the historical development of English and its current diversity across cultures, dialects and social groups. The programme is delivered part time, making it accessible to students who are managing other commitments alongside their studies. Westminster's London location places the programme in one of the most linguistically diverse cities in the world, giving immediate relevance to questions about multilingualism, language contact and language variation.
No typical tariff is published for this programme.
You will study phonetics and phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics and pragmatics, alongside sociolinguistics, the history of English, language acquisition, discourse analysis and the relationship between language and identity. The programme develops your ability to analyse language systematically and rigorously, using the conceptual and technical tools of linguistics to describe and explain linguistic phenomena.
Graduates of English language and linguistics programmes work in education, language teaching and TESOL, speech and language therapy support roles, publishing, translation, lexicography, language technology, corporate communications, advertising, journalism and research. The analytical skills developed through linguistics training are transferable across a wide range of professional contexts, and many graduates find their linguistic background gives them a distinctive perspective in roles involving communication, media and language-related technology. Postgraduate study in linguistics, applied linguistics, speech and language therapy or TESOL is a well-supported next step.