What You Will Study

If you are enthusiastic to discover how the written and spoken word can create atmosphere, change moods or provoke change, this course is perfect for you. You will read a wide range of non-fiction texts, including newspaper and magazine articles, advertisements, blogs, speeches, song lyrics and spoken language transcripts, which you will study though a range of linguistic approaches. You will be encouraged to think about how words represent events and people in different ways, how the writer represents themselves, and how the reader is positioned.

This course will explore how writers and speakers represent factors such as gender, sexuality, region, social background, and occupation, examining the linguistic theories that underpin these ideas. You will also have the opportunity to explore how children learn to speak, read and write.

Throughout the course you will experience a range of workshops, as well as visits from guest speakers. This has previously included scriptwriters, authors of non-fiction, and ex-students who are studying creative writing. We have previously taken students to Paris for a four-day trip, to explore how English Language is presented and communicated in a European country.