English Language for Speech and Language Therapy

English language for speech and language therapy is a distinctive programme that combines the scientific study of language as a system with preparation for a clinical career helping people who have communication and swallowing difficulties. Speech and language therapy is a registered health profession concerned with the assessment and treatment of disorders of speech, language, communication, and dysphagia, which may arise from conditions including stroke, brain injury, autism, learning disabilities, and developmental delays. The English language component of the degree provides a rigorous grounding in linguistics, phonetics, and language development, which is directly relevant to understanding what goes wrong in communication disorders and why.

At Bangor University in Wales, this three-year programme includes a sandwich year with work placement, a year abroad, and work placement opportunities embedded throughout. The placement and work experience elements are particularly important in a professionally oriented degree like this, giving you the opportunity to work alongside qualified speech and language therapists in real clinical settings and to apply your academic learning to the assessment and treatment of clients with communication difficulties. The year abroad gives you the opportunity to study linguistics or observe speech and language therapy practice in a different country, broadening your understanding of how language disorders present and are managed across different linguistic and cultural environments.

Bangor is situated in Wales, a bilingual country where Welsh and English co-exist, which provides a distinctive and enriching context for the study of language and communication, including the particular challenges and opportunities of multilingual communication disorders.

Graduates of speech and language therapy programmes are eligible to apply for registration with the Health and Care Professions Council and to work as speech and language therapists in the NHS, schools, and independent practice. It is a profession with strong employment prospects and significant career development opportunities across the full range of client populations.