- UCAS course code
- Q1Q3
- UCAS institution code
- M20
Bachelor of Arts (BA)
BA English Language
Explore the science of language and how this everyday phenomenon impacts our lives.
Duration: 3 years
Year of entry: 2025
UCAS course code: Q1Q3 / Institution code: M20
- Key features:
Study abroad
- Typical A-level offer: AAB
- Typical contextual A-level offer: BBB
- Refugee/care-experienced offer: BBC
- Typical International Baccalaureate offer: 35 points overall with 6,5,5 at HL
Fees and funding
Fees
Tuition fees for home students commencing their studies in September 2025 will be £9,535 per annum (subject to Parliamentary approval). Tuition fees for international students will be £26,500 per annum. For general information please see the undergraduate finance pages.
Policy on additional costs
All students should normally be able to complete their programme of study without incurring additional study costs over and above the tuition fee for that programme. Any unavoidable additional compulsory costs totalling more than 1% of the annual home undergraduate fee per annum, regardless of whether the programme in question is undergraduate or postgraduate taught, will be made clear to you at the point of application. Further information can be found in the University's Policy on additional costs incurred by students on undergraduate and postgraduate taught programmes (PDF document, 91KB).
Scholarships/sponsorships
- Find out more from student finance
- Eligible UK students can apply for bursaries and scholarships
- Funding for EU and international students is on our country-specific pages
- Many students work part-time or complete a student internship
Course unit details:
The Changing English Language
| Unit code | LELA20401 |
|---|---|
| Credit rating | 20 |
| Unit level | Level 2 |
| Teaching period(s) | Semester 1 |
| Available as a free choice unit? | Yes |
Overview
In this unit, we will explore some of the major changes to the words and grammar of English. We will discuss how semantic and grammatical changes are studied, modelled and explained, including cases of contact-induced change. As such, this unit is also an introduction to these topics in Historical Linguistics in general and to some of the methods, theories and discussions in this subdiscipline of Linguistics.
Pre/co-requisites
| Unit title | Unit code | Requirement type | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| History and Varieties of English | LELA10342 | Pre-Requisite | Compulsory |
| English Word and Sentence Structure | LELA10301 | Pre-Requisite | Compulsory |
Aims
- Study some of the major changes affecting the words and grammar of English
- Consider contexts and consequences of contact between English and other languages
- Introduce students to (English) Historical Linguistics and prepare them for more advanced study as well as research projects in this area
Syllabus
The first week will be devoted to an introduction to (English) Historical Linguistics. After that, the unit is organised thematically with a first group of topics centred around semantic changes, a second group around grammatical changes, and a third considering contact-induced change. We also look at competing motivations for change.
The seminars will introduce students to current methods in Historical Linguistics: historical corpora, data collection, data analysis, reading and writing linguistic analyses.
Teaching and learning methods
Lectures 11x 2 hours
Seminars 11x 1 hour
Canvas site
Homework including reading and data analysis
2 x 1hr weekly consultation hours
Knowledge and understanding
- Sophisticated understanding of a number of major semantic and grammatical changes in English
- Insight into the workings and effects of language change over a long period of time
- Knowledge of main terms, as well as some theories and debates in (English) Historical Linguistics
- Good understanding of the data and methods used in (English) Historical Linguistics
Intellectual skills
- Explain and apply key terms in Historical Linguistics to new data sets
- Critically discuss different theoretical approaches to and debates about major changes affecting or involving English
- Understand main claims in research papers on semantic and grammatical change, and contact-induced change.
Practical skills
- Collect data to study semantic and grammatical changes in English
- Analyse and interpret sets of selected examples evidencing change in English
- Speak and write about semantic and grammatical change
Transferable skills and personal qualities
- Skills in linguistic analysis that can be applied to the study and analysis of other languages
- Problem solving and analytical thinking skills, when faced with new data sets and grammatical puzzles
- Oral and written communication skills, including essay writing and scholarly referencing
- Attention to detail and precision in analysis and reporting
Employability skills
- Other
- This unit will develop students' capacities to understand, compare and evaluate different accounts of language changes. Many employment sectors require and value skills of analysing, evaluating and selecting from a range of possible options.
Assessment methods
Assessment Task | Formative or Summative | Weighting |
Written coursework, including data analysis | Formative and Summative | 30% |
Data analysis and writing tasks (in seminars) | Formative | 0% |
Exam, including a theory question and a data analysis question | Summative | 70% |
Feedback methods
| Feedback method | Formative or Summative |
| Discussion and Q&A in lectures and seminars | Formative |
| Individual comments on coursework | Formative and Summative |
| Seminar feedback on data question | Formative |
| Individual comments on exam (upon request) | Summative |
Recommended reading
- Kay, Christian & Kathryn L. Allan. 2015. English historical semantics. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.
- Hopper, Paul J. and Elizabeth C. Traugott. 2003. Grammaticalization. 2nd ed. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
- Bybee, Joan. 2015. Language change. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
- Thomason, Sarah G. 2001. Language Contact: An Introduction. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.
(Sections from) books and papers on individual topics will be added during lectures
Study hours
| Scheduled activity hours | |
|---|---|
| Assessment written exam | 3 |
| Lectures | 22 |
| Seminars | 11 |
| Independent study hours | |
|---|---|
| Independent study | 164 |
Teaching staff
| Staff member | Role |
|---|---|
| Tine Breban | Unit coordinator |