English Language

English language as a degree subject is the scientific and humanistic study of language itself, with a focus on English in its many historical, social and geographical forms. It is distinct from English literature, though the two are connected, and distinct from language teaching, though it underpins it. English language studies draw on linguistics, phonetics, sociolinguistics, discourse analysis, historical linguistics and cognitive approaches to language to examine how English works, how it varies, how it has changed over time and what it tells us about human communication and cognition.

At Newcastle, this three-year programme combines rigorous linguistic analysis with a rich engagement with the diversity of English across communities, media, history and global contexts. You will study the sound systems, grammar, meaning and use of English, examine how language varies with social identity, region and context, trace the history of English from its Germanic origins to its global present, and explore how language is used in conversation, writing, media and digital communication. The programme includes a sandwich year, a year abroad and work placement opportunities, which give you professional experience and the chance to study English in an international academic context.

The typical entry tariff is 136 UCAS points.

Graduates work in speech and language therapy (with further postgraduate study), TEFL and English language teaching, publishing, journalism, copywriting, communications, the civil service, human resources, education and applied linguistics research. The analytical precision and understanding of language that this degree develops are valuable across any profession in which communication and language play a central role, which is to say most of them. Many graduates also continue to postgraduate study in linguistics, applied linguistics, speech therapy or TESOL.