English Language and Literature

English is the world’s lingua franca. Digital innovations are created, science is advanced, and business is conducted in English all over the world. But English is also the language of the British Isles and its rich histories, literature, migrations and identities. In this degree, you will explore the kaleidoscope of English variation – its regional dialects, storytellers, and ways of looking at the world – with our global leaders and discover how English works.

You will read the greats of English literature, as well as the voices that history has overlooked. From ancient myth to the contemporary graphic novel, you’ll explore a host of different literary forms, develop your critical voice, and discuss your reading and ideas with widely published scholars.

Why Lancaster?

• Learn from experts who are world renowned for their research in literacies, English dialects, forensic linguistics, Shakespearean language, the language of politics and media, and more; and with scholars working in all periods of literature from classical civilisation and the Middle Ages through to the twenty-first century, as well as many literatures from beyond Britain

• Explore the English language from a range of perspectives, drawing on subjects such as history, psychology and politics, and study a wide range of genres from both ancient and modern literatures

• Benefit from the latest language research technologies, including those used to study past and present forms of English or to investigate and solve crimes

• Develop your own critical (and even creative-critical) voice

• Enhance your professional skills by getting involved with our student-run literary journals: Cake, Lux, Flash, and Errant

Understanding the English language

Understanding where English came from, how it works, how it is used, how it varies now and how it has changed and continues to change over time is key to understanding our societies, identities, institutions and practices.

You will study fundamental issues including:

• The history and development of English

• The accents and dialects of English in the UK and beyond

• The way English is connected to ideas of gender and ethnicity

• Creative uses of English in areas like politics, media, advertising and literature

Explore the broader theories that make the study of English possible

Explore why people use English the way they do, why you may interpret English differently from others, how English reflects identity and how it is used to persuade and manipulate.

Ancient to contemporary

You will have the chance to study all the great names, as well as voices that have been forgotten or overlooked. You’ll also explore a wide range of literary forms—from ancient myth to slave memoir, Gothic fiction to dystopian narrative, and Shakespearean drama to the contemporary graphic novel.

Acts of reading

We enable our students to read widely, closely, and deeply, experiencing literature in a host of new and immersive ways.

Literature and language in the world

You will have the chance to expand your literary horizons and cultural sensitivity by studying works in translation from other languages, such as Hebrew, Latin, Greek, French, German, Spanish, and Palestinian and Egyptian Arabic.

Cultural community

We run many special literary events, often in spectacular locations such as Lancaster’s medieval Castle, the awe-inspiring Priory, or the archive-rich Wordsworth Grasmere in the Lake District.

These events develop a sense of community and help you to establish friendships through your studies. You will also have the opportunity to be involved in organising, marketing and hosting some of these events.