English Language and Literature

English language and literature is a discipline that combines two closely related but distinct modes of engagement with language. English language study approaches language scientifically, examining its structure, history, variation and use, asking how English works as a system and how it functions in social and communicative contexts. English literature approaches language as an art form, attending to the aesthetic choices writers make, the meanings texts generate, and the cultural and historical worlds in which they were produced.

Studying both gives you a double perspective on English: you understand it both as a living human system and as the medium through which some of the most significant imaginative and intellectual work in the world has been expressed.

At the University of Nottingham this four-year full-time programme begins with a foundation year, providing a structured and supported entry to degree-level humanities study for students who want additional preparation before advancing to the full honours curriculum. The foundation year develops your academic reading, writing and critical thinking before you move into the main programme, where you will encounter the depth and range of literary and linguistic study that Nottingham's strong reputation in this area supports. You will read widely across literary periods and genres, develop skills in linguistic analysis, engage with critical theory and the history of the English language, and construct well-evidenced arguments about both literary texts and language use.

The combination of literary and linguistic training develops a remarkably versatile set of skills: close reading, analytical precision, clear and persuasive writing, the ability to handle complex ideas and the cultural awareness that comes from engaging seriously with the diversity of English-language writing.

Graduates pursue careers in publishing, journalism, education, the civil service, marketing, communications, broadcasting and the legal professions. Teaching is a common path, typically following a PGCE. Many go on to postgraduate study in English, linguistics, creative writing or related fields.