MA English Language

About this course

English language and linguistics is the systematic scientific study of one of the world's most widely spoken and culturally significant languages, examining its structure, its history, its variation across communities and contexts, and what all of this tells us about human cognition, culture and society. It is a discipline that brings rigorous analytical tools to the subject matter most of us take entirely for granted, showing that the language we use every day is governed by intricate systems of grammar, meaning and social convention that are fascinating precisely because they mostly operate below our conscious awareness. At the University of Glasgow, studied part-time, you will explore the structure of English through the lens of phonology, morphology, syntax and semantics, examining how the language works at every level from sounds to sentences. Historical linguistics reveals how English has changed over time from its Old English origins to the contemporary global language it has become, while sociolinguistics examines how English varies across regions, social groups and contexts and what those variations tell us about identity and social structure. A year abroad is built into the programme, giving you the opportunity to engage with English in a different national and cultural context, which can be particularly illuminating for understanding how global varieties of the language differ. Graduates of English language and linguistics find their skills are valued in teaching, both as secondary English teachers and in the growing field of English as an additional language. Publishing, editing, lexicography, speech and language therapy training, computational linguistics, natural language processing roles in technology, and language policy work are further destinations. Many graduates go on to postgraduate study in linguistics, applied linguistics, speech and language therapy, education or a related field, using the analytical foundation of their undergraduate training as the basis for professional or research specialisation.

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