BA English Language and Literature

This rich and rewarding single honours degree allows you to combine your passions for English language and literature.

In English literature the entire chronological span is open to you, from the Anglo-Saxon period to the 21st century. So too are all genres, from contemporary, crime and historical fiction to poetry, drama, film, music and creative writing. Our curriculum is far from restricted to the printed word, exploring the connections between literature and film, art, music, history, language, and popular culture. This variety allows you to shape your degree to suit, whether your interest lies in periods and genres or literary study with analysis of other cultural forms.

Distinct for our focus on the intersection of language with culture, society, politics and mind, English language offers a rigorous grounding in the analysis of the language, taught by internationally-respected experts. You will learn such essential linguistic tools as phonetics, grammar and discourse analysis from those who are helping develop those fields. Supported by our broad approach to language, you will develop the ability to analyse the multimodal text combining word image and sound that predominates in so much of contemporary media.

Bringing a wealth of expertise, our lecturers will share latest thinking in the classroom from the digital humanities to gender, from the gothic to postcolonial studies and far beyond, drawn from their research in our centres of excellence including the Centre for Language and Communication Research. Outside of the classroom, our public platforms Cardiff BookTalk and Cardiff Poetry Experiment are popular and hugely engaging.

This diverse degree also gives you the flexibility to shape your path as you progress. After an equal split in Year One, you can choose more modules from either discipline to suit your interests and career aspirations.