English Language

English Language as an academic discipline is concerned with how language works: how it is structured, how it is acquired, how it functions in social interaction, how it evolves over time and how it shapes and is shaped by culture, power and identity. It is distinct from literature study, though the two are often complementary: where literary study focuses on the interpretation of texts, English Language focuses on the system of language itself and the many ways in which people use it in everyday, professional and creative contexts.

At Aston University, this full-time three-year programme includes a sandwich placement year, a year abroad and work placement opportunities, giving you substantial professional and international experience alongside your academic studies. You will develop critical awareness of how language functions across different domains, informed by the research expertise of the faculty in areas such as forensic linguistics, language education, workplace communication, corpus linguistics and literary linguistics. The programme integrates your studies with professional contexts and practical applications from the outset, developing the communication, analytical and critical skills that employers across many sectors value highly.

English Language graduates are well-placed for careers in a wide range of professional fields. Teaching English as a foreign or second language, language education policy and teacher training are natural destinations, as are careers in communications, publishing, marketing, public relations and content creation. Forensic linguistics, which involves the application of linguistic analysis to legal contexts, is a growing specialist field.

Speech and language therapy, research and academia, journalism and the civil service are equally viable routes. Many graduates go on to postgraduate study in applied linguistics, language education, TESOL or communication to develop specialist expertise.