English Language

Course summary

In the English Language, we study the full range of ways that language is used to communicate out there in the ‘real world’. Everything can be considered a ‘text’ worth studying, and spoken language is as important as written language. In a typical week, you might find yourself confronted with texts including newspaper columns, blogs, websites, recipes, problem pages, letters of complaint, autobiographies, birth certificates, a political speech, a stand-up comedy routine, transcripts of children speaking to each other, football match reports, text messages, romantic novels, adverts from the 1930s…almost anything! It is this variety that makes English Language such a fascinating subject to study. Over two years, you will study how children learn to speak and read, how texts are shaped by context, how speakers and writers use language to represent their identity as well as the differences between spoken and written language. You will also study the development of English from 1550 to the present day and the influence of technology on language. You will undertake an in-depth investigation into an area of language such as The Language of Charity Advertising or Broadcast Journalism. Finally, you will write coursework, which involves writing creatively in a genre of your choice.