English Language - BA (Hons)

Lancaster University

English is the world’s lingua franca. Digital innovations are created, science is advanced, and business is conducted in English. But English is also the language of England, where it first evolved. Explore the kaleidoscope of English variation – its regional dialects, storytellers, and ways of looking at the world – with our global leaders and discover how English works.

- Learn from renowned experts who are famous for their work in literacies, English dialects, forensic linguistics, Shakespearean language, and language in politics and media- Discover the English language from a range of perspectives, drawing on subjects such as history, psychology and politics- Benefit from world-leading lab facilities, equipped with the latest language research technology- Extend your learning beyond the classroom through our dedicated language research centres and groups- Enhance your professional skills with our fully funded internship opportunities, allowing you to work with members of staff on ground-breaking English language research projects

If you live in the United Kingdom, you are surrounded by Englishes and their regional idiosyncrasies if you live outside the United Kingdom, then you are very aware that English remains the world’s lingua franca. Your English is used at work, at home, in conversations with friends, in schools, hospitals and courtrooms, in the news, in films, on social media and in reading great works of literature.At this point in your life, your English may differ from the English used by people around you. Understanding where English came from, how it works, how it is used and how it is changing is key to understanding our societies, identities, institutions and practices, as well as the place of English in the creative world.In this fascinating subject, you will study fundamental issues including:- The history and development of English- The sounds and structures of English- The accents and dialects of English in the UK and beyond- Varieties of English connected to social variables such as gender and ethnicityYou will have the opportunity to look at the way English is used in advertising, politics, media, literature and the law. You will also learn how technology can be harnessed to study English across large databases and how even small instances of interaction can reveal a person’s stance to the world.

Lancaster prides itself on providing outstanding resources and facilities to help support your studies. During your studies, you will have access to several fully equipped laboratories, and research centres including:- Eye tracking lab- Phonetics lab- Perceptions and learning laboratory- CASS (Corpus Approaches to Social Science) research centreYou will gain valuable insights into cognitive processes, articulatory phonetics and speech acoustics as well as cultural relativity in language learning and child language analysis. You will develop your research skills and gain valuable hands-on experience that will be attractive to employers.

English Language is not just a fascinating area of study, but also an opportunity to gain a skill set that opens doors to a range of exciting and rewarding careers. Transferrable skills include a capacity for critical thinking, an ability to gather, organise and analyse large quantities of data, and an aptitude for developing new and innovative ideas.You will have the chance to develop specialist skills in the lexical and grammatical analysis of English, the use of technology to track trends in the way English is used, and crafting language for creative industries.