Studying our English with TESOL BA (Hons) course will equip you with the skills and knowledge to teach English as a second language with the combined studies of the English language, linguistics and literature. As an English student, you will also be introduced to a range of literary genres including poetry, drama and fiction in our Approaching Literature unit while also exploring a range of theoretical approaches to these texts. Similarly, our Children’s and Young Adult Fiction unit will familiarise you with a range of fictional genres written for children, including film adaptations, fairy tales, and other popular fiction. In core areas of English study, our unit in Describing Language aims to introduce you to the main structures of English language while also familiarising you with the anatomy of the vocal tract and how sounds are produced.

You will then build on key elements of English grammar, descriptive and communication skills in our English Sentence Structure unit while also looking at speech in The Sounds of English unit where you will study the relationship between phonology and grammar, speech and accent variation. This is discussed further in our Exploring Language unit where you will identify aspects of language and its value in specific career fields. Similarly, you will learn How Talk Works and How Text Works by focusing on the rules of conversation, its patterns and norms, and how it varies between people and situations. You will do the same with the written word by exploring the different ways texts are produced, its purposes and meanings to help build your language interpretation skills. In areas of teaching, you will be exposed to research in second-language learning in our Language Teaching, Learning and Assessment unit. Similarly, our TESOL Teaching Practice unit will allow you to apply current theoretical issues in language teaching and methodology to practice. This unit will help you gain the skills to design and deliver your own lessons and materials by exposing you to various teaching techniques and tasks.

You will also be given an Introduction to Linguistics and Phonetics where you will learn how speech and language works, including on a scientific level, by exploring the anatomy of the vocal tract and how speech is produced. Furthermore, you will be provided with an overview of the nature of literacy in our Language, Literacy and Cognition unit and you will look at this on a cognitive level in our Psycholinguistics - Language and the Brain unit. Here, you will explore how language is developed and realised by the human mind and brain. Similarly, you will engage in the study of semantics in our unit called The Meaning of Meaning that will allow you to explore the nature of language interpretation from a cognitive perspective. Moreover, you will focus on how behaviour is understood within educational contexts in our Perspectives on Pedagogy and Behaviour. This unit particularly focuses on children and young people with impairments as well as prioritising their inclusion.