Linguistics BA(Hons)

Why study with us? 

• Your tutors’ active research profiles keep course content at the cutting edge of advancements in the field. You’ll be part of a vibrant, research-active programme where our teaching team create a dynamic and supportive environment.
• Taking option modules means that you can tailor your degree to your individual interests or career ambitions and create a unique pathway to suit you.
• This degree provides good grounding for many different industries including publishing and journalism, speech and language therapy, teaching, and is a solid foundation for further study or research.
• You’ll study the relationship between language and the mind, and language and society, going beyond the confines of your own discipline to help you see how linguistics relates to other fields.
• In the first year you’ll ground your studies with an introduction to the three main sub-disciplines of linguistics: structure (morphology and syntax – the study of how words and sentences are formed); meaning (semantics and pragmatics – the study of linguistic meaning and meaning in use); and sound (phonetics and phonology – the study of the speech sounds and how the sound systems of different languages work).
• Usual contact time is nine hours per week and course is delivered through a combination of lectures, seminars and workshops. Tutors regularly offer small group and individual tutorials, and all modules are supported by the university’s online learning environment.
• You have the opportunity to undertake a year abroad in year three, extending your degree to four years.

Year 1

In the first year, you will develop an understanding of the basic concepts and modes of analysis focusing particularly on the four structural approaches to linguistics: phonetics, phonology, morphology and syntax.

Studying language acquisition and development will give you an insight into the processes at work when we acquire our mother tongue. You will also be introduced to essential aspects of the study of semantics (meaning) and pragmatics (use), which then become the key building blocks of your degree.

Modules

• General Linguistics 1: Phonetics and Phonology

  In this module you will develop your understanding of phonetics and phonology. In phonetics, you will study physical properties of speech sounds and of the articulatory mechanisms used in speech production and perception. In phonology, you'll study the systematic use of sounds in language. By the end of the module you will be able to describe phonetic and phonological processes from a variety of the world’s languages, as well as undertake basic phonetic and phonological analysis in a range of languages, and transcribe a wide variety of sounds.

• General Linguistics 2: Morphology and Syntax

  In this module you will develop your understanding of morphology and syntax. Descriptive analysis in the two branches of linguistics will enable you to examine how different natural languages can be, by illustrating a range of morphological and syntactic features.

• Introduction to Semantics

  This module is an introduction to the study of meaning in linguistics. You will explore the key concepts in semantics – the study of word and sentence meaning. These concepts include: the nature of context and the difference between context-dependent and context-independent meaning; semantic competence; the notions of sense and reference; truth-conditions; sense relations; propositional logic; lexical semantics.

• Introduction to Pragmatics

  This module is an introduction to the study of meaning in linguistics. You will explore the key concepts in pragmatics – the study of language in use. These concepts include: the nature of context and the difference between context-dependent and context-independent meaning; Gricean non-natural meaning and ‘saying versus ‘implicating’; generalised conversational implicatures; speech act theory; non-literal language and tropes; relevance theory; contextualist approaches, pragmatics and mental architecture.

• Language Acquisition and Development

  This module will introduce you to the key questions in language acquisition and development, such as:

  • What is distinctive about human language?
  • Are all languages basically similar?
  • How do humans acquire language?
  • What theoretical models have been proposed to explain language acquisition?

  In order to add an empirical dimension to these discussions, you will also look in detail at how English is acquired by children and how disability and impairment can affect language development and use.

• The Structure and Grammar of English

  On this module you'll develop your understanding of the basic structure/grammar of English and develop your awareness of how different choices of forms of spoken and written English might affect meaning.

Our courses are reviewed and enhanced on an ongoing basis in order to make sure that what you learn with us is relevant and that your course enables you to develop appropriate skills. When you apply to study with us, we will inform you of any new developments in your chosen programme through our applicant portal.

Year 2 

Year 2 introduces the study of meaning and different approaches to analysing grammatical structures. It will also provide you with essential tools in skills such as data gathering and analysis and professional knowledge through exploring linguistics as the scientific study of language and its link to psychology, the use of language corpora and the analysis of written and spoken discourse. You will also have an opportunity to address a range of theoretical controversies and evaluate language data in relation to theories.

Modules

• Linguistics and Grammar: Concepts and Analyses
• Semantics
• Mind and Language
• Deconstruction: Language, Theory, Society

Options*

• Multilingualism
• Sign Language Linguistics
• Language, Identity and Power
• Researching English Language Use
• Image and Text: The Language of Comics and Graphic Novels
• Regional Englishes
• Introduction to Journalism
• Creative Writing
• Queer Writing
• Television Studio Production
• American Literature 1850–1960
• Photography: From Painting with Light to Zeros and Ones
• Documentary Filmmaking: Theory and Practice

You can also choose option modules from across our humanities and arts subjects. 

*Option modules are indicative and may change, depending on timetabling and staff availability.

Final year 

In your final year, you will have opportunities to critically evaluate linguistic theories in your areas of interest and specialisation. You will examine the content and explanatory potential of a number of theoretical frameworks that have been proposed to explain language use in context.

You will also be writing your dissertation on a chosen topic in linguistics which you will have had an opportunity to study in depth throughout your degree. This piece of work will be a culmination of your undergraduate experience and a reflection of your expertise in linguistics.

Modules

• Language, Philosophy, Mind
• Non-truth-conditional Semantics
• Pragmatics, Meaning and Truth
• Dissertation

Options*

• Approaches to the Study of Meaning
• Language, Culture and Ideology
• Conversation Analysis
• Language in the Law
• Policy and Planning
• Community Placement: Theory and Practice
• Russian Literature and Culture
• Literature and Philosophy
• Conflict, Migration, Borders
• Culture Wars: Revisiting the Great Divide
• Images of War
• Autobiography and the Screen

You can also choose option modules from across our humanities and arts subjects. 

*Option modules are indicative and may change, depending on timetabling and staff availability.

Watch students talking about their experiences of the Community Placement module.

Staff profile 

Dr Jelena Timotijevic, course leader

An expert in the fields of philosophy of language and contrastive linguistics, Jelena's teaching and research interests focus on contextualism as a philosophical movement within philosophy of language, as well as grammar and modality in English and German.

International requirements

We can help you meet our English language or academic entry requirements.

Course fees

Info

The fees listed here are for full-time courses beginning in the academic year 2019–20.

Further tuition fees are payable for each subsequent year of study and are subject to an annual increase of no more than 5% or RPI (whichever is the greater). The annual increase for UK/EU students, who are subject to regulated fees, will increase no more than the statutory maximum fee.

You can find out more about our fees in the university's student contract and tuition fee policy (pdf).

The tuition fee you have to pay depends on a number of factors including the kind of course you take, and whether you study full-time or part-time. If you are studying part-time you will normally be charged on a pro rata basis depending on the number of modules you take.

What's included in the fee?

When costs such as health or DBS checks, or use of specialist materials are incurred as a mandatory requirement of the course they are included in your tuition fee.

You may incur additional costs depending on the optional modules or activities you choose. The cost of optional activities is not included in your tuition fee and you will need to meet this cost in addition to your fees. Before you apply check with the school that provides your course using the contact details in the Find out more tab (at the end of this page) for advice about what is included and what optional costs you could face so you can budget accordingly.

See our finance pages for advice about funding and scholarships as well as further information about fees and advice on international and island fee-paying status.

Local area

Campus where this course is taught

Accommodation

Maps

Accommodation

University building

Falmer campus