English Language

In this course, Professor Henriëtte Hendriks (University of Cambridge) provides an introduction to child language acquisition. In the first module, we provide an introduction to the study of language acquisition, before turning in the second...

In this course, Dr Chris Montgomery (University of Sheffield) explores accent and dialect variation, and also attitudes to accent and dialect variation. In the first module, we introduce some of the key terms associated with accent and dialect,...

In this course, Mr Dan Clayton (Independent Scholar) explores a variety of linguistic issues related to the use of the English language. In the first module, we think about why people take language so seriously, and why debates about its 'correct'...

In this course, Dr Lucy Jones (University of Nottingham) explores language use through the lens of gender and sexuality. In the first module, we outline some of the traditional approaches to the question of why men and women use language...

In this course, Professor Simon Horobin (University of Oxford) explores language change in the English language. In the first module, we think about why we should study language change at all. In the second module we provide an introduction to the...

In this course, Dr Rob Drummond (Manchester Metropolitan University) explores the relationship between spoken language and identity – how we speak and who we are. In the first module, we think about language variation itself, focusing in...

In this course, Professor Helen Sauntson (York St John University) explores language, gender and sexuality. In the first module, we provide an introduction to the field, including an overview of recent research. In the second module, we think...

In this course, Dr Hazel Price (University of Salford) explores the fields of semantics and pragmatics. In the first module, we provide an introduction to both fields, before turning in the second and third modules to explore each field in more...

In this course, Professor Rodney Jones (University of Reading) explores how we can analyse texts on a linguistic level, i.e. by looking at the language itself. In the first module, we think about what we mean by the word 'text', including the...

In this course, Dr James Murphy (University of the West of England, Bristol) explores politeness theory. In the first module, we introduce the concept of politeness theory and think about its development from the 1970s to the present day. In the...

In this course, Professor Emma Moore (University of Sheffield) thinks about the relationship between language and power. In the first module, we think about the relationship between social class, language and power, focusing in particular on the...

In this course, Professor Bas Aarts (University College, London) provides an introduction to English grammar in context. In the first two modules, we ask the questions 'What is grammar?' and 'Why study grammar?', before turning in the third module...

In this course, Professor Christopher Hart (Lancaster University) explores the ways that language can serve to enact power and enable social inequalities and injustices, particularly in relation to social issues such as immigration and political...

In this course, Dr Dominic Watt (University of York) explores the concept of accent bias – the idea that some accents are considered 'better' or 'more correct' than others. In the first module, we think about what we mean when we talk about...