English Language

Course summary

What do people think when they hear your accent? What’s a tablet? Ask Aristotle, then Moses, a doctor, then Steve Jobs. What was a vacuum before it became a vacuum? Why might you not want ketchup on your chips once you find out what the word ‘ketchup’ actually means? Is anyone actually laughing out loud when they’ve typed ‘LOL’? Do women tell lies better than men? All of this and more is explored in the wonderful world of English Language. This subject covers a tremendous range of topics – old language, new language, child language, and gendered language, to name just a few. If it has been written, spoken, typed, tweeted, re-tweeted, sent, broadcast, shouted or mumbled, you will study it. We look at how and why language is used in all its forms in the world today and yesterday.