This Masters course will give you a completely new insight into how language really works and the way people use words to create meaning.
If you would like to learn how to explore language using innovative techniques and computer tools, then our course will offer you cutting-edge, research-led training of the highest quality, taught by leading researchers in the fields of linguistics and computer science.
You will have options enabling you to study:
- How people use words to make meanings;
- How to analyse real language usage;
- The role of phraseology, metaphor, and idioms;
- Creative and poetic uses of language;
- New approaches to language teaching;
- Translation tools such as translation memory systems;
- Creating dictionaries using new kinds of evidence;
- Using computer tools for teaching and translation.
The course will enable you to develop interdisciplinary knowledge and practical, transferrable skills, enabling you to meet the most recent and relevant demands of the field.
If you are interested technological aspects of language study, you will also have an option to learn basic computer programming – a skill that is increasingly sought after by companies seeking to employ language professionals.
As a Masters student on this course, you will be part of our Research Institute of Information and Language Processing (RIILP), an independent, research-driven University unit specializing in linguistics and natural language processing.
Join our team of international researchers and start exploring language now!
MA Practical Corpus Linguistics for ELT, Lexicography and Translation is an innovative, unique, and up-to-date course based on high-quality interdisciplinary research, with a selection of modules that is unparalleled both on a national and international level. Our research-led teaching is continually evolving to address the latest challenges and breakthroughs in the field. As a result, the knowledge and practical skills developed on the course will allow you to meet the most recent and relevant demands of the industry.
You will become proficient in the use of sophisticated corpus tools such as the Sketch Engine (https://www.sketchengine.co.uk), as well as state-of-the-art specialist software for professional translators and lexicographers. You will also be given an option to learn basic computer programming in Python, which is one of the most robust, popular, and widely used programming languages in the field. By the end of the course, you will have developed a unique set of transferrable skills that will make you highly competitive in the marketplace and allow you to find employment as a language professional in industry or in academia.
Figures speak louder than words: the University of Wolverhampton boasts an outstanding graduate employability rate – 96 % of students are in work or further training six months after graduation!
Facilities
The course will be run on the City Campus, which is situated in the heart of the city centre, only a seven-minute walk from both the train station and St Georges Metro terminus, and a five-minute walk from the main bus station.
The newly renovated City Campus features:
- The Harrison Learning Centre, which has four floors of electronic, online, hardcopy and audio-visual materials;
- The Technology Centre, which has 500 PCs available for you to use for work or play;
- A 'Social Learning Space', which incorporates a coffee and sandwich bar with islands of PCs and comfortable seating;
- On-campus food court, shops, and outlets such as Starbucks;
- Sports facilities including a gym and a sports hall;
- Three Halls of Residence for 1,000 students, located only a short walk from the campus and next to a 24-hour supermarket;
- City centre location, close to all amenities (post office, restaurants, shopping centres, art gallery, theatre etc.);
- Excellent train connections to all major cities (Birmingham: 20 minutes, London: 1 hour 50 minutes).
Graduates will be able to pursue a career path in language teaching, translation, lexicography, editing, and human language technology, working either as freelancers or in a variety of industry locations, including publishing houses, translation agencies and IT companies that specialize in the development of language resources and tools (e.g. language learning applications, CAT tools). English language teachers will benefit greatly from the course, as they will develop knowledge and practical skills in using modern lexical resources, corpus data and tools in the preparation of teaching material and in the classroom, which will significantly improve their chances of securing a job in the ELT sector.
The course will also provide a sound intellectual platform for students to progress onto doctorate level study and a career in higher education. As the teaching on the course is based on research carried out within the Research Institute of Information and Language Processing (RIILP), graduates will be well-placed to continue their academic careers by applying for PhD positions within our institute or at other leading centres specializing in Corpus Linguistics, ELT/TESOL, Lexicography, Translation Studies, or Natural Language Processing.
This degree will give you a good grounding in major topics in linguistics – the study of how language is structured, represented in the mind and interpreted – and phonetics, the study of how speech sounds are physically produced.
Core modules will introduce you to key aspects of the discipline, such as syntax, phonetics and phonology. You’ll also develop your knowledge of research methods within and outside of the lab. You’ll then choose from optional modules to suit your interests or career plans, such as language acquisition or sociolinguistics.
Spanning the arts and sciences, linguistics is a challenging and rewarding discipline that allows you to gain a real understanding of human communication as well as a wide range of transferable skills. Taught by experts in top-class facilities and supported by the Language at Leeds research network, this programme will give you a good foundation in the subject informed by the very latest research.
Specialist resources
Leeds is a fantastic place to study linguistics and phonetics. Our tutors and research students are active members of the wider Language at Leeds network which brings together researchers from across the University. You’ll be able to enhance your learning with an array of research events throughout the year.
Postgraduates also have access to our extensive facilities, including the Human Communications Suite complete with a recording studio and lab space for psycholinguistics experiments. You can make use of our phonetics lab and the Language Zone, a state-of-the-art space where you can use a range of language-based teaching materials whenever you want.
This programme is suitable for people who have no prior knowledge of linguistics, or those who may have studied some during their first degree. However, if you do have a substantial background in linguistics or phonetics, you may prefer to study for an MA by Research.
This programme is also available to study part-time over 24 months.
Core modules will allow you to develop your knowledge of key aspects of linguistics and phonetics. You’ll study introductory modules in syntax and phonetics and phonology in Semester One, which you’ll build on in more advanced modules in the following semester. You’ll also take core modules to develop your academic and research skills in linguistics.
In addition, you’ll expand your understanding of areas that suit your interests when you choose from optional modules on topics such as pragmatics, sociolinguistics and language acquisition. By the end of the programme, you’ll be able to demonstrate the skills and knowledge you’ve gained when you complete an independently researched dissertation on a linguistics topic of your choice.
If you choose to study part-time, you’ll take fewer modules in each year so you can study over a longer period.
Compulsory modules
Optional modules
For more information on typical modules, read Linguistics MA Full Time in the course catalogue
For more information on typical modules, read Linguistics MA Part Time in the course catalogue
We use diverse teaching and learning methods to help you benefit from our tutors’ expertise. They include seminars, lectures, online learning, tutorials and practicals. Independent study is also a vital element of the course. You’re also encouraged to sit in on classes in modules that you’re not taking, giving you a great opportunity to gain a broad base of knowledge in linguistics and phonetics.
Depending on the modules you choose, assessment methods will vary. However, they usually include coursework , essays and practicals, while core linguistics modules also include exams.
This programme will give you a sophisticated understanding of human communication, as well as valuable transferable skills in areas such as use of quantitative and qualitative data, research, interpretation, oral and written communication and analysis which are highly attractive to employers in a wide range of industries.
Graduates have pursued diverse careers as a result, in areas such as lexicography, journalism, editing, advertising, language education an even artificial intelligence. Many also pursue PhD level study and continue with research into linguistics, or further training in disciplines such as speech and language therapy.
We encourage you to prepare for your career from day one. That’s one of the reasons Leeds graduates are so sought after by employers.
The Careers Centre and staff in your faculty provide a range of help and advice to help you plan your career and make well-informed decisions along the way, even after you graduate. Find out more at the Careers website.
This unique programme bridges the gap between linguistic theory and language teaching practice to enable you to develop a career in language teaching or research.
Whether you’re already a teacher or you plan to become one, this degree offers you a deeper understanding of how language is structured, used and interpreted and how this can inform language teaching. Core modules will introduce you to key topics in linguistics such as syntax, phonetics and phonology, as well as teaching methodologies and how they are applied. You’ll also improve your knowledge of research methods in language sciences.
To enhance your knowledge, you’ll choose from optional modules to suit your career plans or interests, on topics such as language acquisition or sociolinguistics. With support from expert tutors within the Language at Leeds research network, you’ll gain valuable skills and a sound knowledge base to prepare you for further research or to inform your teaching practice.
Specialist resources
Leeds is a fantastic place to study linguistics and phonetics. Our tutors and research students are active members of the wider Language at Leeds network which brings together researchers from across the University. You’ll be able to enhance your learning with an array of research events throughout the year.
Postgraduates also have access to our extensive facilities, including the Human Communications Suite complete with a recording studio and lab space for psycholinguistics experiments. You can make use of our phonetics lab and the Language Zone, a state-of-the-art space where you can use a range of language-based teaching materials whenever you want.
This is an academic programme which approaches English language teaching from the perspective of linguistics, and it is therefore not intended for those who are seeking vocational teacher training or classroom experience.
This programme is also available to study part-time over 24 months.
Core modules in your first semester will give you a good grounding in key topics and approaches in linguistics, introducing you to syntax, phonetics, phonology and language acquisition. You’ll also develop the skills you need to study linguistics effectively.
In the following semester you’ll build on this foundation, improving your linguistic research skills while learning about language teaching methodologies and practices. You’ll also choose from optional modules to focus on topics that interest you, such as pragmatics and language development.
Throughout this programme you’ll develop sophisticated research and analytical skills, as well as a wealth of subject knowledge and teaching techniques. You’ll demonstrate this in your dissertation, where you’ll independently research a topic of your choice and submit the finished product by the end of the programme in September.
If you choose to study part-time, you’ll study over a longer period and take fewer modules in each year.
Compulsory modules
Optional modules
We use diverse teaching and learning methods to help you benefit from our tutors’ expertise. They include seminars, lectures, online learning, tutorials and practicals. Independent study is also a vital element of the course. You’re also encouraged to sit in on classes in modules that you’re not taking, which gives you a great opportunity to gain a broad base of knowledge in linguistics and phonetics.
Depending on the modules you choose, assessment methods will vary. However, they usually include coursework , essays and practicals, while core linguistics modules also include exams.
This programme will equip you with a deeper understanding of human communication and how language is taught and learned. It will also give you high-level research and analysis skills that are valued in all kinds of industries and organisations.
Graduates have pursued a wide range of careers in fields such as language teaching, preparing language teaching materials, lexicography, editing work, the media, marketing and journalism. Many others have pursued PhD level study in fields such as applied linguistics and education.
We encourage you to prepare for your career from day one. That’s one of the reasons Leeds graduates are so sought after by employers.
The Careers Centre and staff in your faculty provide a range of help and advice to help you plan your career and make well-informed decisions along the way, even after you graduate. Find out more at the Careers website.
Are you interested in working with cutting-edge technology at the forefront of language processing?
MA Computational Linguistics is a course run by a leading research group at the University of Wolverhampton. As a Masters student on this course, you will be part of our Research Institute of Information and Language Processing (RIILP), an independent, research-driven University unit specialising in Linguistics and Natural Language Processing.
As the name suggests, Computational Linguistics (sometimes called Natural Language Processing) is the use of computers to study language. On the course, you will be able to study:
• How to use Python and the well-established NLTK library to process natural language texts;
• How to analyse real language usage;
• How to automatically translate text using computer programs;
• The use of computers to study features of language;
• Translation tools such as translation memory systems;
• Computer techniques for automatically classifying natural language texts;
• Understand how Siri, Amazon Echo and Google Home etc. work;
• How to design an experiment that will thoroughly test your research questions.
You will be mentored through this programme by experienced and leading academics from the field. Join our research group today to become part of this team of leading researchers and academics and create your path to a career in computers and language!
MA Computational Linguistics, when studied full-time, comprises of three semesters worth 60 credits each. Three modules will be studied in both Semester One and Semester Two. During the third semester, students will undertake their research project and complete a 15,000 word dissertation on any aspect of Computational Linguistics.
The course covers all aspects of Computational Linguistics in-line with current and leading work in research and industry, and is divided into the following taught modules:
1. Computer programming in Python
The students will be taught the Python computer programming language, which is specially designed for dealing with natural language texts.
2. Corpus Linguistics in R
Corpus Linguistics involves storing large amounts of text on the computer for linguistic analysis. R is a programming language used to study the statistics of language.
3. Machine translation and other natural language processing applications
The automatic translation of text using statistics. The members of the Research Group will each speak on their own research areas throughout the module.
4. Computational Linguistics
The use of computers to study language at all levels, such as relations between words, part of speech tagging, syntactic parsing and anaphora resolution.
5. Translation tools for professional translators
Using computer tools to speed up many aspects of translation, such as product manuals, film scripts, medical texts, video games and simultaneous interpreting.
6. Machine learning for language processing
Computer techniques for automatically classifying natural language texts, for NLP tasks such as making summaries of text automatically.
7. Research methods and professional skills
You will learn how to design an experiment to thoroughly test your research questions.
Translation Tools for Professional Translators is an elective module that may be chosen in the Second Semester to replace another taught module for those students who are interested in pursuing careers in Translation.
You will be expected to dedicate 9 hours per week to lectures and a proportionate amount of time to self-study and tutorials with your supervisor.
Opportunities:
- You will be taught by leading researchers in the field: our teaching staff at the Research Institute of Information and Language Processing (RIILP) are engaged in high-quality research, as evidenced by the latest RAE 2008 and REF 2014 results.
- We offer an exciting programme of invited lectures and research seminars, attended by both students and staff;
- The institute has a wide network of contacts in academia and in the industry from which you will be able to benefit.
The knowledge and skills developed in the course will be assessed in a variety of ways. Assessments will include writing assignments on given topics, reports on practical work carried out in the class, portfolios, projects, oral presentations, and tests.
The culmination of the study programme will be your 15,000-word dissertation, which will allow you to carry out an in-depth study of a chosen topic within the areas of corpus linguistics, language teaching, lexicography, or translation.
Graduates of this course will be well-placed to continue their academic/research careers by applying for PhD positions within RIILP or at other leading centres for language and information processing. This degree will also enable graduates to access research and development positions within the language processing and human language technology industries, as well as in related areas such as translation, software development and information and communication technologies, depending on their specific module choices and dissertation topic. It should be noted that computer programming is a skill that is increasingly sought after by many companies from technological backgrounds and skills gained from this course will place graduates in a good position to take up such posts. Past graduates from this course have also gone on to successful careers specifically within the computer programming industry.
The practical sessions include working with tools and software and developing programs based on the material taught in the lectures, allowing you to apply the technical skills you are learning. Some of the tasks are group based, feeding into the collaboration aspect of blended learning which enhances team-working skills, and some are done individually. Through portfolio building, you will be able to share your learning with other students. You will also be able to enhance your employability by sharing your online portfolio with prospective employers. Some assessments will require you to present your work to the rest of the class, enabling you to develop your presentation skills, which are useful in both academia and industry. Other transferrable skills are the abilities to structure your thoughts, present your ideas clearly in writing and prepare texts for a wider audience. You will acquire these skills through assessed report and essay writing, and most of all through writing your dissertation.
Visit our website for more information on fees, scholarships, postgraduate loans and other funding options to study Literary Translation at Swansea University - 'Welsh University of the Year 2017' (Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2017).
We are an established centre for research into literary translation with expertise in the following languages: Chinese, French, German, Italian, Spanish, and Welsh. We are currently leading a project on the Visualisation of Translation Variation and are particularly interested in proposals which articulate with it. See: http://www.delightedbeauty.org/vvv/Home/Project.
An MA by Research in Literary Translation gives you the chance to pursue a project based around your own passions and interests in Literary Translation, leading to a qualification which can open the door to an academic career or boost employment prospects outside academia (in the private sector, the Civil Service, education, or the translation industry).
The Literary Translation research programme will give you the freedom to explore a topic of your own choosing in Literary Translation and develop a methodology under the close supervision of two experienced academics but without attending regular classes as required in taught programmes.
As a student enrolled on the MA by Research in Literary Translation, you will be supervised closely by two experienced academics in your field. Typically, you will meet them fortnightly in the first term and at regular intervals thereafter. Meetings are logged and goals agreed each time.
All research students are required to attend skills and training courses at College and Institutional level. They give presentations to other research students and staff at departmental seminars and the annual departmental postgraduate symposium in June and the College of Arts and Humanities conference in October. Advanced research students may have opportunities to teach undergraduate tutorials and seminars. You have a budget (currently £200 per year) to attend conferences outside Swansea.
MA by Research in Literary Translation degree typically lasts from one year (full-time study) to two years (part-time study).
The MA by Research in Literary Translation is ideal for those who want:
-an MA qualification in niche areas where taught programmes are not offered;
- the experience of a research degree without committing to a PhD.
Research proposals are invited on any topic in Literary Translation for which staff can provide supervision. You may analyse multiple translations of a classic text, for instance, or the consistency of the translation decisions taken by a particular translator. You may like to investigate a whole genre, such as crime fiction, or you may want to try your own hand at a piece of literary translation, explaining your strategy in a detailed theoretical commentary. It is advisable to email a member of academic staff in the appropriate area before applying (see staff web pages).
For informal enquiries regarding Literary Translation please contact Professor Julian Preece ([email protected]).
Staff research interests in Translation and Interpreting cover a range of themes, including:
• Literary Translation
• Theatre translation/adaptation
• Translation Theory (including non-Western)
• History of Translation
• Comparative Translation Studies
• Translation and Social Discourse
• Corpus-based Translation Analysis
• Translation and the Lexicon
• Computer-based Lexicography and Terminography
• Translation processes: psycholinguistics of translation, translation workflows
• Translation tools and technologies
• Translation visualisation
Research proposals are invited on any topic in Literary Translation for which staff can provide supervision. You may analyse multiple translations of a classic text, for instance, or the consistency of the translation decisions taken by a particular translator. You may like to investigate a whole genre, such as crime fiction, or you may want to try your own hand at a piece of literary translation, explaining your strategy in a detailed theoretical commentary. The Department benefits from extensive library holdings in print and online form. All postgraduate students have access to two computer-based language laboratories, an advanced Translation and Media computing lab, and a more specialised Translation Research facility housing the latest digitisation, corpus analysis and computer assisted translation tools.
We offer a comprehensive range of programmes in Irish in both part-time and full-time mode at a number of centres which serve a diverse body of students. Irish language provision and practice amongst staff and students reflects the University’s strong commitment to cultural and linguistic diversity within Northern Ireland.
Our Irish programmes play a vital role in preserving, sustaining and celebrating Ireland’s Gaelic literary and linguistic heritage as well as serving the demands of the Irish language sector within the local and international job market.
At a personal level our programmes fulfil the needs of individuals who wish to acquire the necessary competence to fully participate in the Irish language community as confident and independent users of the language.
This course is ideal for those who have already attained a high level of proficiency in spoken and written Irish and who wish to pursue a full-time or part-time career in Translation/ Interpretation, although this course would also be suitable for anyone working in the Irish Language sector who wishes to improve their language skills.
It is estimated that 700 new jobs will be created within the EU in Irish translation/interpretation over the next 5-6 years. This exciting new MA programme is in response to the need for translators, editors and lexicographers to work in both domestic and European institutions, and will equip students with advanced language skills currently in demand in the Irish Language sector and in the European Union.
Irish, graduates from this programme will have career prospects in translation/interpretation for business and communications, in the legal sector, as well as in translation for the public sector and in tourism, and in the ever growing fields of both lexicography and language planning, in particular with 'Foclóir Gaeilge/Béarla an Fhorais.'
