English Language and Linguistics

English language and linguistics is the scientific and analytical study of language itself, asking how the English language works, how it is used, how it varies across communities and contexts, and how it changes over time. Unlike English literature, which focuses on texts and their meanings, linguistics examines the structures, systems, and social dimensions of language as a phenomenon: how sounds are produced and organised, how words are formed and combined, how meaning is created, how conversations are structured, and how social identity is expressed through language choices. It is a rigorous and fascinating discipline that sits at the intersection of science, social science, and the humanities.

Queen Mary University of London's four-year full-time BA in English Language and Linguistics carries a typical entry tariff of 136 points. As the course itself describes, you will develop your analytical skills and gain deep knowledge of language, with the opportunity to undertake hands-on work collecting and analysing data. You will come away with a firm understanding of how modern English is structured, how we use it, and the ways in which it changes, varies, and evolves to suit our needs.

You will study phonetics and phonology, morphology and syntax, semantics and pragmatics, sociolinguistics, psycholinguistics, and the history of English, developing both theoretical understanding and practical data analysis skills.

Linguistics graduates work in education, language teaching, speech therapy (with further training), natural language processing and AI, lexicography, publishing, translation, communications, and a wide range of roles where precise understanding of language is an asset. Many continue to postgraduate study in linguistics, applied linguistics, clinical linguistics, or computational linguistics, where the technical grounding of an undergraduate linguistics degree is directly relevant. The analytical and research skills the degree develops also transfer well to law, the civil service, journalism, and policy.