Course overview

Our BA (Hons) English Language is a degree programme in which you will gain a greater understanding of the English language and an insight into the ways it is used in a variety of contexts. Through the wide range of units offered, you will acquire sophisticated analytical skills as well as the ability to produce texts of different types and with different purposes. You will also understand the ways in which language is used to act on listeners or readers, as the course has a strong emphasis on the ways in which language is actually used in a broad range of real-life environments. Plus, if you are interested in becoming a teacher of English as a foreign language, you can choose to follow a special strand which will lead to the award of the Trinity Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (CertTESOL).

Placements

This course allows you to take the Learning From Experience (LiFE) option, which lets you earn credits toward your degree for work / research placements, volunteer roles or internships undertaken alongside your studies.  The option gives you the opportunity to enhance your employability skills, to reflect on the ways in which you've done so, and to learn to express this to potential employers.

Why study at Portsmouth?

The School of Languages and Area Studies is one of the largest in the University of Portsmouth and has an excellent reputation in teaching and research. In 2008 our research in European studies was rated top in the UK in the last research assessment exercise.

With its wide range of options in languages and area studies, situated in a city campus by the sea, the School attracts students from all over the world, both to its degree programmes and as exchange students. You will be part of a lively, multicultural and multilingual environment and will be able to work together and socialise with many students from around the world.

Find out more

For further information and advice, please contact our Admissions Centre (details below). As the support base for all our students, the Admissions Centre is happy to help you with your enquiry, through to completion of application forms and offer.

Course content

In the first year you will be introduced to the fundamentals of linguistic analysis and how to 'do things' with language. You will also learn the methods for carrying out language-based projects and how to properly report their findings. Emphasis is also placed on making sure that you become familiar with the conventions of academic writing in the area of English and linguistics. The first year consists mainly of core courses to ensure that you have a firm foundation for further study.

In the second year there are a wider range of options. You will refine the knowledge that you acquired in year one and become familiar with the subtle links between language structure and meaning. You will be working with a wide range of texts in order to understand and appreciate how language is used and manipulated in different contexts and for different purposes in the media, advertising, literature and so on.

Year three focuses on communication theory and practice, as well as the way in which language is used in professional contexts. You will also be able to study the historical evolution of English, how it has become a global language and the varieties that have emerged as a result of its spread. You will also research your own topic for the dissertation with the help of a supervisor. This will form a substantial part of your work.

Year one

• Language, Society, & Mind 
• Working with Texts 
• How Language Works 
• Language & Language Teaching 1 
• Studying at University (English Language) 
• Starting Language Research 

Year two

• Meaning in English 
• Style in English 
• Structure of English
• Language of Literature
• Options including:
  • Language & Language Teaching 2;
  • Discourse in Media;
  • Forensic Linguistics;
  • Language;
  • LiFE unit;

Year three

• Dissertation
• Professional Communication 1 
• Professional Communication 2 
• Options including:
  • Using Technology in ELT;
  • English Words & Phrases;
  • English in a Historical Perspective;
  • Creative Activities in the Language Classroom;
  • Mass Communication;
  • English in the World

Teaching and assessment

We provide a varied, creative and stimulating learning environment. Our aim is to enable you to become an independent thinker equipped with skills that will continue to influence your experiences beyond your time at university.

Our staff are highly motivated and research active, ensuring that you are taught by enthusiastic specialists in their subjects. They will enthuse you about their specific fields of expertise, from Discourse Analysis to World Englishes to English Language Teaching, provide advice and guide you to appropriate learning resources.

Blended learning means that through ‘Moodle’, your University interactive Intranet site, you will be given opportunities to develop and support your knowledge and skills acquired via traditional class contact. Classes include general lectures and seminars. Most of our seminar teaching is undertaken in small groups so that students acquire skills and confidence in their analytical skills and are encouraged to ask questions and develop arguments and debates. Students are encouraged to work in small teams analysing primary documents so that all students learn from a range of opinions and interpretations and increase their academic abilities in a genial environment. Emphasis is placed not just on what the student can take from the seminar but what they can bring to the experience and how they interact and learn from their peers.

Our assessment methods are varied, with relatively few formal examinations. The emphasis is on continuous assessment, with assessments designed to measure the learning outcomes of your various units. Most assessment is done through submission of essays, reports, case studies, book reviews or other pieces of written work. Some units are assessed by means of projects, which can be particularly useful to build up your career profile. Oral presentations are also occasionally used, to ensure that you are able to present a topic of your choice in front of a small audience.

Career prospects

The knowledge and skills you will acquire on this course will be useful in a variety of fields, including advertising, education, communication media, marketing, publishing, and technical writing. If you choose the TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) pathway within the degree, you will be able to teach English as a foreign language anywhere in the world. In addition, this degree can also be your ideal springboard for postgraduate studies in applied linguistics, literary studies, communication studies, translation, etc.

Your time at the University of Portsmouth will also help you to develop a wide range of skills in analysis, criticism and argument. During your course, you will have the opportunity to develop a range of capabilities and skills that are valued by prospective employers, such as:

• communication
• research
• time management
• team working
• problem solving

These transferable skills are used in many careers across the private, public and voluntary sectors. Allied with intellectual and academic development, they will provide a sound preparation for the world of work or further study.

Facilities and features

Park Building is located just behind the Guildhall in the centre of the city. It houses two modern lecture theatres, a number of smaller lecture theatres, three computer suites, language laboratories, seminar rooms and editing suites. The Learning Resources Centre provides facilities for independent study. You will also have access to the University Library, which has recently undergone an £11 million extension, housing more study rooms, IT spaces, a new café and space for an extra 60,000 volumes.

Entry requirements

View all the entry requirements for BA (Hons) English Language for the academic year 2013/14 (opens in new window).