Applied Linguistics (Taught)

Do you want a solid foundation in linguistics and the freedom to explore your passions? Develop your expertise in the areas of language study that interest you the most.

Embark on your journey as a language professional, or gain the skills to enhance your current career. You'll develop critical and analytical skills, preparing you for further academic research or for a professional role involving linguistics.

We also offer a distance learning programme over 2.5 years.

Course highlights

At Birmingham, we explore the boundaries of linguistics and their application in the real world.

Our academics specialise in fields including corpus linguistics, cognitive linguistics, sociolinguistics, discourse analysis and language pedagogy.

Our research isn't just theoretical. You'll learn from experts uncovering how linguistics impacts daily life and society, from applied linguistics and second language acquisition to figurative language and uses of metaphor.

Whichever fields you choose to explore, you'll be part of a world Top 40 Linguistics department that's renowned for research excellence (QS World University Rankings 2025).

• Explore linguistic theories in various contexts, from media and culture, to globalisation, and power and identity.

• Take advantage of our research specialisms and discover second language acquisition and TESOL alongside core modules in applied linguistics.

• Be part of a thriving English Language and Linguistics department, with opportunities to attend research talks, summer schools and conferences.

• Opportunities to enhance your learning with our annual corpus linguistics summer school and regular research events.