Core modules
Route one
In your first year you will take a module in your chosen language (French, German, Italian, or Spanish) and one module focusing on the cultural contexts of that language. You will also take three core modules from Linguistics:
- Linguistics: Understanding Language
- Language in Society
- Research, Academic and Professional Skills
In your intermediate year you will continue to study your chosen language. You will select further modules from the wide range of options available across the School.
You will take the following Linguistics modules:
- Phonetics and Phonology, and Morphology and Syntax
- Sociolinguistics
You will also have a choice between two modules:
- Intercultural Business Communication
- Qualitative Research
You will spend your second or third year abroad consolidating your linguistic and intercultural skills. You will continue to study your chosen language in final year and will be able to choose from the full range of final-year modules available in the School.
In Linguistics you will study 'Communication Modes' and a further module of your choice. You will also complete a Linguistics dissertation.
Route two
In your first year you will take two language modules. You will also take three core modules from Linguistics:
- Linguistics: Understanding Language
- Language in Society
- Research, Academic and Professional Skills
In your intermediate year you will continue to study your chosen languages. You will take the following Linguistics modules:
- Phonetics and Phonology, and Morphology and Syntax
- Sociolinguistics
You will also have a choice between two modules:
- Intercultural Business Communication
- Qualitative Research
You will spend your second or third year abroad consolidating your linguistic and intercultural skills. You will continue to study your chosen languages in final year.
In Linguistics you will study 'Communication Modes' and a further module of your choice. You will also complete a Linguistics dissertation.
Important information
We are planning to make some exciting changes to our Modern Languages and Linguistics (BA) degree for 2023 entry. We continually review our curricula to reflect developments in the relevant disciplines to deliver the best educational experience. The core and optional modules will undergo approval through the University's rigorous academic processes. As modules are approved, we will update the course information on this webpage. It is therefore very important that you check this webpage for the latest information before you apply and prior to accepting an offer. Sign up to receive updates.
Year One
Language 1 (French, German, Italian or Spanish)
Cultural module in Language 1
or
Language 2 (Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Russian, Portuguese or Spanish)
A note on the languages
Mandarin Chinese can be taken at beginner’s, intermediate or post A-Level (or equivalent) level maximum. If you have Chinese at A-Level (or equivalent), please contact ugadmissions@warwick.ac.ukLink opens in a new window before applying to check your suitability. Applicants with Chinese language ability above A-Level (or equivalent), including native speakers, would not be able to study this language.
Arabic, Japanese, Portuguese or Russian can usually only be taken at beginner's or intermediate level. If you have any prior learning or qualifications in the language, please contact ugadmissions@warwick.ac.ukLink opens in a new window before applying to check your suitability.
What is language? What is it made of? What rules do we follow when we put sounds together to create words and when we combine words to create sentences? How many languages are spoken in the world today, and in which ways are they similar or different? These are some of the questions that you will explore on this module. Using examples from different languages, you will analyse real-life language data in order to develop the practical skills required for linguistic analysis.
Read more about the Linguistics: Understanding Language moduleLink opens in a new window, including the methods of teaching and assessment (content applies to 2021/22 year of study).
In this module, you will learn to unpack the ways in which language shapes and is shaped by society. You will analyse critically how language operates in different linguistic and cultural settings, using a range of theoretical concepts, empirical research and methodologies to understand, describe and interpret language use in society. This includes an investigative study of language use, during which you will also develop your communication and study skills.
Read more about the Language in Society moduleLink opens in a new window, including the methods of teaching and assessment (content applies to 2021/22 year of study).
Providing a foundation for modules ET214 (Qualitative Research) and ET215 (Quantitative Research Methods), this module will help you develop the research, academic and professional skills needed to succeed at university and beyond. You will explore research, data-collection and analytical methodologies, using real-life examples of language, culture and communication. You will develop an analytical toolkit to serve you in multiple contexts, including your future career. You will also become familiar with research conventions, including ethical approval, literature review, communication and critical understanding of academic writing.
Read more about the Research, Academic and Professional Skills moduleLink opens in a new window, including the methods of teaching and assessment (content applies to 2021/22 year of study).
Intermediate Year
Core modules in language(s) 1 and 2
Route 1 only: cultural module(s) in Language 1 (including an optional cross-cultural module in the School of Modern Languages and Cultures)
This module expands on concepts introduced during ET118: Linguistics: Understanding Language in order to provide core knowledge and skills for students in phonetics and phonology as essential fields of language study. It aims to:
- Familiarise students with the phonetic and phonological systems of the world’s languages
- Introduce methodologies from a range of linguistic disciplines to document, study, and analyse language data
- Engage students in linguistic analysis within a language and cross-linguistically, both synchronically and diachronically
- Introduce research about and approaches to subfields of linguistics
Read more about the Phonetics and Phonology moduleLink opens in a new window, including the methods of teaching and assessment (content applies to 2021/22 year of study).
What structures do the world’s languages have in common and how are they different? How can we classify languages? Why do languages change? This module expands on concepts introduced during Linguistics: Understanding Language in order to provide core knowledge and skills for students in the core linguistic domains of morphology and syntax. You’ll learn about more advanced morpho-syntactic features of a wide range of the world’s languages and how these features interact with semantics. You’ll explore methodologies to document, study, and analyse real-world language data. You’ll also be introduced to research in subfields of linguistics such as typology and language change.
Read more about the Morphology and Syntax moduleLink opens in a new window, including the methods of teaching and assessment (content applies to 2021/22 year of study).
Why do we speak differently in different situations? Can you identify the features of a Geordie and a Scouse accent? Do men and women speak differently, and if so, why? These are questions you will explore as we examine the relationship between language use and social context. Building on module ET119 (Language in Society), you will develop a greater understanding of linguistic variation. With the opportunity to conduct your own research study, you can expect to complete your course armed with a set of theories, insights and skills to enable you to address such questions, and to explore your own questions about the role of language in society.
Read more about the Sociolinguistics moduleLink opens in a new window, including the methods of teaching and assessment (content applies to 2021/22 year of study).
How does culture affect the way we do business? How can we communicate effectively across culturally different workplaces and with diverse stakeholders? What is (g)localisation and why is it relevant? This module will help you to gain a better understanding of communication within and across global businesses at individual and corporate levels, internally and externally. You'll try out different IBC training activities in the seminars, which is an approach designed to give you hands-on insights into the ways global companies develop their staff. We’ll consider the way digital technology has changed the landscape of business communication and how values and beliefs about culture are having an impact on new media use in the modern business world. This module will promote your awareness and understanding of key aspects of communication, and importantly help you to develop your ability to communicate effectively across differences within the context of global business culture.
Read more about the Intercultural Business Communication moduleLink opens in a new window, including the methods of teaching and assessment (content applies to 2021/22 year of study).
or
Have you got an inquisitive mind? Would you like to learn how to design, develop and conduct research in issues related to language, communication and culture? The ability to conduct research is a great skill to have and is one that is highly sought after by employers. In this course you will develop an understanding of qualitative research, including the primary approaches to carrying out qualitative research, some of the important data collection techniques, and how to analyse qualitative data. You will also have an opportunity to hone the crucial skills and attributes you need to be able to conduct research in the future including resilience, intellectual curiosity, personal and project management and critical thinking. This course will give you an opportunity to formulate, design and conduct your own qualitative research project related to a language, culture and communication issue you are interested in, and will provide you with support and feedback along the way to help foster your development as a researcher.
Read more about the Qualitative Research Methods moduleLink opens in a new window, including the methods of teaching and assessment (content applies to 2021/22 year of study).
Final Year
Core modules in language(s) 1 and 2
Route 1 only: cultural module(s) in Language 1 (including an optional cross-cultural module in the School of Modern Languages and Cultures)
In this module, you will learn how the sounds, gestures and facial expressions we make combine with linguistic choices to give meaning to our messages and influence our interpretation of the messages of others. You will develop a deeper awareness of the impact of different modes of communication and increase your understanding of the research and analysis that underpin our knowledge of human communication in all its complexity.
Read more about the Communication Modes moduleLink opens in a new window, including the methods of teaching and assessment (content applies to 2021/22 year of study).
Do you have a topic or question about Language, Culture and Communication or English Language and Linguistics that you would like to explore in depth? By the time you get to the third year you are likely to have a lot of potential areas of interest. For the dissertation module you get the opportunity to develop a project around one of these interests and, with the support of a supervisor, conduct research and write it up! As well as developing content knowledge in an area of interest to you, the dissertation will help you enhance your research, critical and creative thinking, time management and academic writing skills. The dissertation module also provides excellent training if you are interested in undertaking postgraduate study beyond the BA.
Read more about the Dissertation moduleLink opens in a new window, including the methods of teaching and assessment (content applies to 2021/22 year of study).
Optional modules
