English language - Subject Guide

Single Honours 

• English Language 

• Linguistics 

Joint Honours 

• English Language and English Literature 

• English Language and Education 

• English Language and Sociology 

• English Language and Psychology 

SOURCE: COMMON DEGREE TITLES FROM WHATUNI

Alternative options 

• Foundation year: A foundation year offers a pathway to university enrolment for students who don’t meet the entry requirements for an undergraduate degree. It provides an opportunity to improve academic skills and english language proficiency, too. 

• Sandwich degrees: Students can extend their undergraduate studies by a year to gain practical experience through work placements or study abroad programs. This ‘sandwich’ year is typically taken between Year 2 and Year 3 of an undergraduate degree. 

• Integrated Master’s: An integrated Master's degree is a great way to gain a postgraduate qualification by extending an undergraduate degree by one year, and at relatively little extra cost. 

• Degree apprenticeships: These qualifications last between three and six years and combine academic study with practical work experience. Employers often sponsor tuition fees, allowing students to earn a wage while gaining valuable skills. 

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SOURCE: WHATUNI

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To pursue a degree in English language, a strong foundation in English language and literature is essential. You’ll need an A-level (or equivalent) in English language, and other preferred choices include subjects that require written and text analysis skills like English literature, history, sociology, and psychology.  

Grades vary considerably between universities, and you may be asked to write a short essay or cover letter as part of your undergraduate application. 

FIND OUT MORE: How to choose your A-level subjects

English language covers a lot of topics within linguistics and its associated fields. There are many options for specialisation that allow you to explore different aspects of language, from historical literature and texts all the way through to the most contemporary sources.  

Typically, you’ll begin to specialise towards the end of your undergraduate degree in preparation for a career within the field of English language studies, or as a platform for further postgraduate work. 

Specialisms include: 

• Sociolinguistics: This field explores how social factors influence language use within communities. It investigates regional dialects, language variations, and sociocultural contexts to understand how language reflects social identities and cultural norms. 

• Discourse analysis: Discourse analysis examines the structure and function of language in communication. It does this by looking at texts to reveal patterns and interpret meanings. By studying language in context, discourse analysis reveals how language reflects social realities and status relations. 

• Phonetics: Phonetics is a more technical aspect of language studies, which investigates the physical properties of speech sounds, including how sounds are made by the body, their articulation, and acoustic characteristics. Phonetics also explores the role of phonetic features in language variation, dialects, and speech disorders. 

• Philology and etymology: Philology looks at the historical development and evolution of languages through written texts, and etymology specifically focuses on the study of word origins and meanings. Together, they can be used to examine how linguistic structures, vocabulary, and grammar change with time. 

• Philosophy of language: Fundamental questions about language and communication are explored by looking at concepts such as truth, meaning, and the idea of thought, within the context of linguistic representation. Philosophy of language also considers language's role in knowledge and social interaction. 

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• Linguistic theory  

• Language acquisition 

• Phonetics and phonology 

• Text analysis 

• Syntax and semantics 

• Accents and dialects 

• Pragmatics 

• Translation studies 

• Sociolinguistic studies 

Through studying English language you’ll gain a comprehensive understanding of how the language has developed over time, and how it’s relevant to literature, poetry, and communication. You'll explore linguistic theories and examine the role of language in society and culture.  

Additionally, you'll develop practical skills in language teaching, literary analysis, and communication strategies, essential for a wide variety of careers in education, publishing and media. 

Transferable skills that you will pick up along the way include: 

• Critical analysis 

• Research 

• Independent study 

• Advanced written communication 

• Presentation skills 

Some English language courses will be accredited by organisations like the British Council for the teaching of English in the UK, however this will depend on the course specifics. Many universities adhere to academic standards set by organisations such as the British Association for Applied Linguistics (BAAL) to ensure quality education and research in the field. 

There are many different degree options which involve similar topics and modules to English language. If you’re more interested in a particular aspect of the subject, such as the literature, teaching, or scientific sides of English, then you might consider the following options: 

• Creative writing 

• Teaching 

• Communication studies 

• Translation 

• English literature  

• Sociology 

With a degree in English language, you’ll have many different career pathways to choose from. You could pursue a creative route and become an author or writer; you could take a more scholarly approach and enter the field of historical text analysis; you could even apply your skills to the fields of education and healthcare by qualifying as a teacher, professor, or therapist working in the areas of speech and communication. 

Graduates can pursue roles such as: 

• English language teacher 

• Copywriter 

• Author 

• Literary researcher 

• Public relations specialist 

• Journalist 

• Content writer 

• Literary agent 

• Speech therapist 

These are just a few of the most common job roles. You'll find plenty of other options available to you, and you can also continue your studies by completing a postgraduate degree in English language or a related subject. 

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