English Language/ Greek

English language and ancient Greek is a combination that brings together the scientific study of living language with the demanding but deeply rewarding work of learning one of the world's most significant ancient languages. English language and linguistics examines how the English language works, how it has developed historically, how it varies across speakers and contexts, and what close analysis of language use reveals about communication, society, and human cognition. Ancient Greek opens access to one of the most influential literary and philosophical traditions in human history, from Homer and the Athenian tragedians to Plato and Thucydides, in the language in which they were written.

At the University of Glasgow this part-time programme incorporates a year abroad, giving you the opportunity to study in a different country and to encounter both linguistics and classical traditions from a new perspective. You will develop both the analytical frameworks for studying language as a system and the linguistic knowledge needed to read Greek texts with increasing confidence and pleasure. The combination of a living language science with a classical language gives the degree an unusual temporal scope, situating the study of contemporary English within a much longer perspective on how language works and changes.

Graduates from this combination go on to careers in teaching, translation, publishing, heritage organisations, academic research, journalism, and the civil service. The analytical skills developed through language study transfer to a wide range of professional contexts, while the Greek specialism is particularly valuable for those interested in classical scholarship, archaeology, theology, or the study of ancient texts and their influence on modern culture. Many graduates continue to postgraduate study in linguistics, classical languages, or ancient history, developing specialist expertise in fields where the combination of rigorous language analysis and classical training is rare and genuinely valuable.