BA English Language and Sociology

Example structure
Studying at Essex is about discovering yourself, so your course combines compulsory and optional modules to make sure you gain key knowledge in the discipline, while having as much freedom as possible to explore your own interests. Our research-led teaching is continually evolving to address the latest challenges and breakthroughs in the field, therefore to ensure your course is as relevant and up-to-date as possible your core module structure may be subject to change.
For many of our courses you’ll have a wide range of optional modules to choose from – those listed in this example structure are just a selection of those available. The opportunity to take optional modules will depend on the number of core modules within any year of the course. In many instances, the flexibility to take optional modules increases as you progress through the course.
Our Programme Specification gives more detail about the structure available to our current first-year students, including details of all optional modules.
Year 1
Sounds
Skills for Linguists
Words and Sentences
Language Variation and Change
Researching Social Life I
The Sociological Imagination
Careers and Employability Skills for Languages and Linguistics
Year 2
Continuity and Controversy in Sociology: Sociological Analysis II
Phonology
Analysing the structure of English
Semantics and Pragmatics
Research methods for language and linguistics
Careers and Employability Skills for Languages and Linguistics
Researching Social Life II (optional)
Final year
Current Disputes in Sociology: Sociological Analysis III
Careers and Employability Skills for Languages and Linguistics
Varieties of English (optional)
Globalisation and Crime (optional)
Linguistic Description of English (optional)
Year abroad
On your year abroad, you have the opportunity to experience other cultures and languages, to broaden your degree socially and academically, and to demonstrate to employers that you are mature, adaptable, and organised. The rest of your course remains identical to the three-year degree. Our Programme Specification gives more detail about modules on your year abroad.
Teaching
Teaching is arranged to allow freedom in how you organise your learning experience
Examples of practical work include digitally recording dialect speakers in a small traditional fishing community, or scouring digitised child language databanks
Other teaching methods include lectures, demonstrations and learning by teaching others
Lab sessions to improve technical research skills
Assessment
You are assessed through a combination of coursework (assignments, essays and tests) and end-of-year examinations
Weighted 50% coursework and 50% examinations
In your final year, you conduct research on a topic chosen with one of your lecturers, for your dissertation. Your lecturer supports you throughout your project and is an expert in the research area.
Other methods of assessment include graded participation in seminars and classes, presentations, or group work
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