English Language and Literature (Including Placement Year) BA (Hons)

Essex is a world leader in arts and humanities, with English Language and Literature ranked among the top 200 departments on the planet according to the QS World University Rankings (2017). How has English literature changed since the time of Shakespeare? What are the differences between literature written in the UK and literature written in other English-speaking countries? How has social and geographical mobility given rise to the formation of new accents and dialects of English? Our course provides a sound foundation in linguistic and sociolinguistic aspects of the structure and use of modern English, and offers you the chance to study a range of literary genres and approaches to literary criticism. This is a very flexible degree, with the opportunity for you to explore a wide range of topics including: language disorders, the relationship between language and society, literatures of the United States and the Caribbean, English (and European) literature of the 15th-17th centuries and writing science fiction.