BA English Language and Literature

How has English literature changed since the time of Shakespeare? What are the differences between literature written in the UK and literature written in other English-speaking countries? How has social and geographical mobility given rise to the formation of new accents and dialects of English?

An understanding of our language enhances our self-awareness, inspiring us to address fundamental questions about our communication as human beings; and this is epitomised in literature.

Our course provides a sound foundation in linguistic and sociolinguistic aspects of the structure and use of modern English, and offers you the chance to study a range of literary genres and approaches to literary criticism. This degree offers you the opportunity to explore a wide range of topics including:

• The structure and use of English language
• The relationship between language and society
• Literatures of the United States and the Caribbean
• English (and European) literature of the 15th-17th centuries
• Writing science fiction

We are 1st in UK for research impact in modern languages and linguistics (Grade Point Average, Research Excellence Framework 2021).

Study abroad

Your education extends beyond the university campus. We support you in expanding your education through offering the opportunity to spend a year or a term studying abroad at one of our partner universities. The four-year version of our degree allows you to spend the third year abroad or employed on a placement abroad, while otherwise remaining identical to the three-year course.

Studying abroad allows you to experience other cultures and languages, to broaden your degree socially and academically, and to demonstrate to employers that you are mature, adaptable, and organised.

If you spend a full year abroad you'll only pay 15% of your usual tuition fee to Essex for that year. You won't pay any tuition fees to your host university

Placement year

On a placement year you gain relevant work experience within an external business, giving you a competitive edge in the graduate job market and providing you with key contacts within the industry.

If you complete a placement year you'll only pay 20% of your usual tuition fee to Essex for that year.

Our expert staff

Our language and linguistics staff are 1st in UK for research impact in modern languages and linguistics (Grade Point Average, Research Excellence Framework 2021). We maintain excellent student-staff ratios, and we integrate language learning with linguistics wherever there is synergy.

At Essex, we also have an impressive literary legacy. Our history comprises staff (and students) who have been Nobel Prize winners, Booker Prize winners, and Pulitzer Prize winners. Our academic staff specialise in a range of areas including modernism, comparative and world literature, Shakespeare, the Renaissance, travel writing, nature writing, translated literature, cultural geography, Irish and Scottish writing, U.S. and Caribbean literature, and the history of reading.

Specialist facilities

• Meet fellow readers at the student-run Literature Society or at the department’s Myth Reading Group
• Access the University’s Media Centre, equipped with state-of-the-art studios, cameras, audio and lighting equipment, and an industry-standard editing suite
• Write for our student magazine Albert or host a Red Radio show
• View classic films at weekly film screenings in our dedicated 120-seat film theatre
• Our on-Campus, 200-seat Lakeside Theatre has been established as a major venue for good drama, staging both productions by professional touring companies and a wealth of new work written, produced and directed by our own staff and students
• Our ‘Visual World’ Experimental Lab records response times and eye movements when individuals are presented with pictures and videos
• Our Eye-Tracking Lab monitors eye movement of individuals performing tasks
• Our Psycholinguistics Lab measures how long it takes individuals to react to words, texts and sounds
• Our Linguistics Lab has specialist equipment to analyse sound
• Our Languages for All programme offers you the opportunity to study an additional language alongside your course at no extra cost

Your future

Studying language and literature allows you to develop your research and IT skills by collecting and analysing linguistic data using state-of-the-art technology, and a combination of team-work and independent projects enhances your communication, problem-solving, and management skills.

Our graduates have gone on to have careers in a wide variety of fields, including teaching (in the UK and abroad), journalism, branding, advertising, marketing, travel, communications, publishing, speech and occupational therapy, interpreting, translating and media.

For example, one of our department’s recent graduates is now an Assistant Editor at Scholastic, whilst another teaches English in South Korea. Other graduates have gone on to work for a wide range of high-profile companies including:

• Royal National Institute for the Blind
• Macmillan Publishers
• Cambridge University Press
• Decisive Media Ltd
• Royal Bank of Scotland
• HSBC
• British Telecom

We also work with the University’s Student Development Team to help you find out about further work experience, internships, placements, and voluntary opportunities.

Clearing entry requirements

Specific entry requirements for this course in Clearing are not published here but for most of our degree courses you will need to hold a Level 3 qualification. If you are interested in applying and have already received your results, use our Clearing application form to apply for 2022 entry and find out if you are eligible. You will be asked to provide details of your qualifications and grades.

English language requirements

English language requirements for applicants whose first language is not English: IELTS 6.0 overall. Different requirements apply for second year entry, and specified component grades are also required for applicants who require a Tier 4 visa to study in the UK.

Other English language qualifications may be acceptable so please contact us for further details. If we accept the English component of an international qualification then it will be included in the information given about the academic levels listed above. Please note that date restrictions may apply to some English language qualifications

If you are an international student requiring a Tier 4 visa to study in the UK please see our immigration webpages for the latest Home Office guidance on English language qualifications.

If you do not meet our IELTS requirements then you may be able to complete a pre-sessional English pathway that enables you to start your course without retaking IELTS.

Additional Notes

If you’re an international student, but do not meet the English language or academic requirements for direct admission to this degree, you could prepare and gain entry through a pathway course. Find out more about opportunities available to you at the University of Essex International College here.

Course structure

Our research-led teaching is continually evolving to address the latest challenges and breakthroughs in the field. The following modules are based on the current course structure and may change in response to new curriculum developments and innovation.

We understand that deciding where and what to study is a very important decision for you. We’ll make all reasonable efforts to provide you with the courses, services and facilities as described on our website. However, if we need to make material changes, for example due to significant disruption, or in response to COVID-19, we’ll let our applicants and students know as soon as possible.

Year abroad

On your year abroad, you have the opportunity to experience other cultures and languages, to broaden your degree socially and academically, and to demonstrate to employers that you are mature, adaptable, and organised. The rest of your course remains identical to the three-year degree. Our Programme Specification gives more detail about modules on your year abroad.

Teaching

• Teaching is arranged to allow freedom in how you organise your learning experience
• Innovative ways of engaging with texts include editing 16th century sonnets and archival research
• Examples of practical work include digitally recording dialect speakers in a small traditional fishing community, or scouring digitised child language databanks
• Other teaching methods include lectures, demonstrations and learning by teaching others

Assessment

• You’re assessed through a combination of coursework (assignments, essays and tests) and end-of-year examinations.
• Weighted 50% coursework and 50% exams depending on which modules you choose.
• Other assessment methods include quizzes, presentations, portfolios, group work, and projects.