English Language

Course summary

You will build on and develop the important language skills you learned in your previous studies such as the ability to explore, discuss and analyse language in many forms. You will read and explore a variety of texts both written and spoken. You will learn to analyze and understand how and why language is used in different social contexts including how you adapt your own use of language to suit specific social situations. The course will equip you with skills which will benefit you whether you go into employment or to continue your studies in higher education. This course is suitable for students who enjoy working both collaboratively and independently and have an interest in the use and power of language in its many guises. • Learn new concepts and frameworks including pragmatics, lexis semantics and grammar to enable in-depth analysis and develop your understanding of language use. • Discuss and analyze many linguistic theories on language discourse. • Explore many different text varieties: written, spoken (rehearsed and spontaneous), and electronic to consider how language is used differently in a variety of contexts. • Study how language is used in different social contexts and how these contexts can affect language use: occupation, gender, age, sexuality, and socioeconomic background. • Learn how children acquire and use language using a variety of different theories. • Consider how the English language has changed (written and spoken) over time from 1600 to now and why these changes have occurred by exploring a wide variety of texts and relating linguistic trends and changes to socio-historical factors. • Analyse the diversity of language in use today: geographical, grammatical, phonological, personal and social varieties. • Be introduced to and debate the many attitudes towards language change and diversity.