The Linguistics MA is a flexible programme which aims to explore the breadth and the depth of linguistics. It builds on the widest range of teaching and research expertise, covering all aspects of theoretical and descriptive linguistics: phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, pragmatics, discourse and conversation analysis, typology, historical linguistics, sociolinguistics, cognitive linguistics and psycholinguistics, computational and corpus linguistics, field linguistics, and the documentation and description of endangered languages. The academic staff teaching on the programme work on various practical applications of linguistics (e.g. language codification and language policy, institutional language, language in the community) and have expertise in a wide range of languages, including English and its varieties, Germanic, Latin and Romance, Russian, Polish, Kurdish and other Iranian languages, Arabic, Hebrew, Turkish, and several languages spoken in the Americas (e.g. Huave, Quechua, Ulwa), Australia (e.g. Jamingjung), and beyond.
All students receive a solid foundation for linguistic study in three core modules (of which at least two are compulsory):
The remainder of the programme allows the students to make the most of what the staff have to offer. Students can either take a variety of course units in different areas including the new Forensic Linguistics unit, or specialise in one of the following pathways: Phonetics and Phonology, Sociolinguistics, Syntax and Semantics, Typology or Romani Linguistics.
The course aims to give students a grounding in breadth and depth in Linguistics, by exploring the central features of linguistic theory: its history, objectives, principal theoretical frameworks, methodologies, contested areas and uncontested results. Students will gain experience of excellence in teaching and learning at an advanced level, in an environment where they will benefit from the fact that the School is also home to world-leading research in Linguistics.
Teaching takes on a variety of forms. Core course units and other MA specific course units are typically taught as seminars, in a small group, combining lectures with discussion. Many of them have practical tutorials as well which will help students prepare for individual research projects. Directed Readings involve individual or small group meetings during which pre-set readings on a particular topic are discussed. The enhanced Level 3 undergraduate course units combine lectures or seminars, depending on the aim of the course unit, with more optional tutorials. The aim across all teaching forms is to create the opportunity for intensive scholarly work, with areas of focus determined by the participants and their individual interests, which can be investigated in considerable depth.
If you wish to discover more about the academic staff in the department, please visit:http://www.alc.manchester.ac.uk/about/people/staff-directory/linguistics-english-language-staff/
Course units are assessed at the end of the semester during which they are offered. All taught course units except Introduction to Grammatical Theory and Phonetics and Phonology are assessed by examined coursework only. All course units include formative assessments to ensure interim feedback during the semester.
Deadlines for assessments are stated in the MA in Linguistics and English Language 2016-2017 Programme Handbook .
The Linguistics MA consists of the following elements:
Alternatives to the compulsory course units in Introduction to Grammatical Theory and/or Phonetics and Phonology may be chosen if students can provide evidence of having covered comparable material in their undergraduate degree; in borderline cases, students may be asked to take a proficiency test in Welcome Week.
The optional course units can be selected to follow specialised pathways, which include Sociolinguistics, Phonetics and Phonology, Syntax and Semantics, Typology, and Romani Linguistics. One or two course units may take the form of Directed Reading units, which are individual or small group seminars about set readings on a particular topic. These are available after consultation with an appropriated member of staff and the PGT Officer. One or two course units may also be taken from a list of MA course units available in other subject areas within the School of Arts, Languages and Cultures, or from a list of enhanced Level-3 undergraduate course units in Linguistics and English Language, which supplement the MA specific course units on offer.
For details of postgraduate course units currently on offer, please refer to the Programme Handbook.
All postgraduate students on this programme can make use of the purpose-designed Centre for Graduate Studies within the Ellen Wilkinson Building. The Centre opened in 2014 and provides state-of-the-art facilities for postgraduate study. These include 30 computers, LaserJet printers, `hot-desk' facilities for around 50 students (including workstation facilities for students with disabilities), and 132 secure lockers. The Centre is a meeting place for postgraduate taught and postgraduate research students, and also has several areas to relax, socialise and network.
In addition to the Centre for Graduate Studies, the University has five major computer clusters, together with many smaller clusters. In total there are more than 10,000 PCs and workstations across the campus. All provide access to standard office software as well as specialist programs, and all are connected to the campus network and internet. Every student is registered for email, file storage and internet access. If more demanding computer access is required, our specialist computing division Manchester Computing can provide high-end and specialist computing services.
The University Library is one of the best-resourced academic libraries in the UK and is widely recognised as one of the world's greatest research libraries. We also have one of the largest academic IT services in Europe - supporting world-class teaching and research.
Practical support and advice for current students and applicants is available from the Disability Advisory and Support Service. Email: [email protected]
Kent's MA in Applied Linguistics with TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) provides teachers with advanced knowledge of linguistics and language pedagogy, informed by research and scholarship, to enhance, develop and inform an understanding of language learning and classroom practice.
The programme is offered by the Department of English Language & Linguistics, and benefits from staff expertise in areas of linguistics that inform classroom practice (such as syntax, morphology, semantics, pragmatics and phonetics), raising awareness of these fields and applying them to TESOL. Students gain an understanding of the theory, methodology and interdisciplinary nature of TESOL, as well as a firm foundation in linguistics.
Practical teaching opportunities are a feature of the programme, including teaching to peer groups and international students. There is also the opportunity to observe language classes.
Students begin by studying eight modules across the Autumn and Spring terms, before writing a 12,000-word dissertation or teaching portfolio over the summer, supervised by an expert in the department.
The programme is an ideal for teachers aiming to improve their understanding and abilities in communicating across the barriers of language and those who wish to build an international dialogue.
Visit the website: https://www.kent.ac.uk/secl/ell/postgraduate/taught-applied-linguistics-for-tesol.html
English Language and Linguistics (ELL), founded in 2010, is the newest department of the School of European Culture and Languages (SECL). ELL is a dynamic and growing department with a vibrant research culture. We specialise in experimental and theoretical linguistics. In particular, our interests focus on quantitative and experimental research in speech and language processing, variation and acquisition, but also cover formal areas such as syntax, as well as literary stylistics. In addition to English and its varieties, our staff work in French, German, Greek, Romani, Korean, Spanish and Russian.
Staff and postgraduates are members of the Centre for Language and Linguistic Studies (CLLS), a research centre that seeks to promote interdisciplinary linguistic research. We also have links with research networks outside Kent, and are involved with national and international academic associations including the Linguistics Association of Great Britain, the British Association of Academic Phoneticians, the Linguistic Society of America, the Association for French Language Studies and the Poetics and Linguistics Association.
The programme starts with two core linguistics modules (Sounds and Structure), the choice between two modules (Meaning or Research Skills) and a module on language awareness for teachers (Language Awareness and Analysis for TESOL) so that you have a firm grasp of the linguistic bases of language teaching.
In the spring term the focus is on how languages are learned (Second Language Acquisition), how you can improve classroom technique (Methods and Practice of TESOL), plan for your students' needs (Course and Syllabus Design for TESOL) and the option between two modules (Materials Evaluation and Development for TESOL or one of the linguistics modules offered that term).
Students can choose to do either a Research Dissertation or a Teaching Portfolio in the summer term. The dissertation will be an opportunity to plan and develop a piece of empirical research which can be of direct relevance to your current or planned teaching situation. The teaching portfolio functions both as the culmination of the year's work on the program and as preparation for students' professional development as language teachers.
Modules are typically assessed by a 3-4,000-word essay, but assessment patterns can include practical/experimental work, report and proposal writing, critiques, problem solving and seminar presentations. You also complete a 12-15,000-word research dissertation on a topic agreed with your supervisor.
- Provide TESOL practitioners with advanced knowledge of linguistics related to language pedagogy, informed by research and scholarship, which will enhance, develop and inform their understanding of language learning and classroom practice.
- To produce graduates who will contribute locally, nationally and internationally to the TESOL community.
- To prepare students to be more effective in the TESOL classroom.
- To provide students with teaching and training which is informed by research, scholarship, practice and experience.
Alongside our research centre below, we also have links with research networks outside Kent, and are involved with national and international academic associations including the Linguistics Association of Great Britain, the British Association of Academic Phoneticians, the Linguistic Society of America, the Association for French Language Studies and the Poetics and Linguistics Association.
- Linguistics Lab
The newly established Linguistics Lab is currently housed in Rutherford College and has facilities for research in acoustics, sociophonetics and speech and language processing. English Language and Linguistics (ELL) members also have access to the School of European Culture and Language (SECL) recording studio and multimedia labs which can be used both for research and teaching.
- Centre for Language and Linguistics
English Language and Linguistics is the main contributor to the Centre for Language and Linguistics. Founded in 2007, the Centre promotes interdisciplinary collaboration in linguistic research and teaching. Membership embraces not just the members of English Language and Linguistics but also other SECL members with an interest in the study of language, as well as researchers in philosophy, computing, psychology and anthropology, reflecting the many and varied routes by which individuals come to a love of language and an interest in the various disciplines and subdisciplines of linguistics.
Postgraduate work in English Language and Linguistics prepares you for a range of careers where an in-depth understanding of how language functions is essential. These include speech and language theory, audiology, teaching, publishing, advertising, journalism, public relations, company training, broadcasting, forensic and computational work, and the civil or diplomatic services.
Find out how to apply here - https://www.kent.ac.uk/courses/postgraduate/apply/
The Linguistics MA advances your knowledge of critical theory in theoretical linguistics and the philosophy of language, specifically with regard to the syntax/semantics interface, the semantics/pragmatics interface and grammar.
The MRes is designed for students who already have some background in linguistics and intend to progress to PhD study. It is designed as an enhanced route of entry to a PhD programme, giving you an opportunity to develop research skills early in order to be fully prepared for your doctorate.
The programme is designed for both full-time and part-time students, with a flexible framework that can fit in with your professional and personal commitments. Modules are taught across the two semesters, usually in nine sessions per semester.
In addition, you are expected to work independently and engage with reading and research in your subject area. You will be offered support through tutorial supervision and the university's online virtual learning environment.
The Linguistics MA covers semantics, pragmatics (minimalism and contextualism), the philosophy of language, grammar, language variation and attitudes, language and identity (class, age, gender, ethnicity, social networks), language in interaction (politeness, speech accommodation, cross-cultural communication), feminist theory and linguistic theory, and ethnocentrism/racial prejudices in colonial discourse.
You approach these topics by: analysing and evaluating different approaches to studying the structure of the English language; engaging with theoretical frameworks which attempt to account for meaning in language; and examining the relationship between the philosophy of language and linguistics on one hand, and the influence of philosophical theories on the analysis of language on the other.
One from:
The Linguistics MA prepares you for careers in linguistics, linguistic anthropology, forensic linguistics, speech therapy, sign language, journalism, writing, English language teaching, politics and sociology.
This degree brings together the strengths of the former Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) MA and Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) MA degrees, which it replaces. It provides an exciting programme suitable for those currently working as language teachers, those who plan to work as language teachers in the future, and those who simply have a strong interest in language learning and teaching.
Core modules cover four areas considered essential to an applied linguistics degree whereas optional modules can be chosen from a range of specialised or broader topics.
You will study a range of modules as part of your course, some examples of which are listed below.
Core
Optional
Information contained on the website with respect to modules is correct at the time of publication, but changes may be necessary, for example as a result of student feedback, Professional Statutory and Regulatory Bodies' (PSRB) requirements, staff changes, and new research.
Coursework and dissertation
This is our most flexible taught programme. You take one core module and a dissertation that further develops your specialist interests.
We also offer an extended dissertation option. Support for your studies is provided by the non-credit Postgraduate Academic Study Skills module, which runs in terms 1, 2 and 3.
You will study a range of modules as part of your course, some examples of which are listed below.
Core
Optional
Information contained on the website with respect to modules is correct at the time of publication, but changes may be necessary, for example as a result of student feedback, Professional Statutory and Regulatory Bodies' (PSRB) requirements, staff changes, and new research.
The MA in English Language and Literary Studies is ideal for you if you would like to combine your studies of English Language with the study of literature and literary theory. This MA is taught jointly by the Department of Linguistics and English Language and the Department of English and Creative Writing, allowing a great deal of flexibility to follow your own interests.
It consists of six credit-bearing modules, including at least two from each department, at least one research methods course and a dissertation. Support for your studies is provided by the non-credit Postgraduate Academic Study Skills module, which runs in terms 1, 2 and 3.
You will study a range of modules as part of your course, some examples of which are listed below.
Core
Optional
Information contained on the website with respect to modules is correct at the time of publication, but changes may be necessary, for example as a result of student feedback, Professional Statutory and Regulatory Bodies' (PSRB) requirements, staff changes, and new research.
Coursework and dissertation
