English Language, MA (Hons)

The English language has a well-recorded history of more than 1,000 years. Its changes can be traced through written materials ranging from medieval manuscripts to text messages, and more recently, through recordings of spoken English. Using techniques from modern linguistics, you will analyse the structure of written and spoken English and will explore how the language has changed in the course of its history. As well as being interested in the study of change in English, we have a strong tradition of investigating different varieties of the language, including:

• Scots

• distinct dialects of English

• international variations