English Language BA Honours

Clearing - How to apply

What is Clearing?

Each year, universities may have spaces left on their courses after the application window has closed in June.

UCAS Clearing is your opportunity to snap up one of these places, even if you didn't apply to the university prior to the June deadline.

It also gives you a second chance to go to university if you didn't get the grades you needed for your firm and insurance offers.

How do I get in touch?

Our Clearing entry requirements may differ from those advertised; contacting our friendly advisers is the best way to find out if you’re eligible for a place.

You can get in touch through live chat or our hotlines. Call us on 0800 073 5050, or if you’re an international student calling from outside the UK, call: +44 191 222 5000.

Not available in Clearing

This course is not available in Clearing 2024.

This means there are no spaces available for Clearing 2024. If you can't find vacancies in your original course or subject area, try exploring other subjects in a related field.

Search our courses in Clearing

Course overview

This English Language BA Honours course encourages you to explore the English language in all its diversity – past and present, national and international, offline and online.

You'll investigate how English has developed over time. We'll look at how the language is used to mark regional, social and stylistic distinctions. You will learn from experts and world-leading researchers in English Language and Linguistics.

During this three-year English Language degree, you will:

• study how English has evolved over time, how it is acquired, and how it develops in the mind
• examine the grammatical structures and sound systems of different varieties of English
• explore how historical, social and other contexts impact variation in English
• learn different methodologies for studying the use and complexities of English

Download information about this course as a PDF

Your course and study experience - disclaimers and terms and conditions  
Please rest assured we make all reasonable efforts to provide you with the programmes, services and facilities described. However, it may be necessary to make changes due to significant disruption, for example in response to Covid-19.

View our Academic experience page, which gives information about your Newcastle University study experience for the academic year 2024-25.

See our terms and conditions and student complaints information, which gives details of circumstances that may lead to changes to programmes, modules or University services.

Quality and ranking

Professional accreditation and recognition

All professional accreditations are reviewed regularly by their professional body.

Modules and learning

Modules

The information below is intended to provide an example of what you will study.

Most degrees are divided into stages. Each stage lasts for one academic year, and you'll complete modules totalling 120 credits by the end of each stage. 

Our teaching is informed by research. Course content may change periodically to reflect developments in the discipline, the requirements of external bodies and partners, and student feedback.

Optional module availability
Student demand for optional modules may affect availability.

Full details of the modules on offer will be published through the Programme Regulations and Specifications ahead of each academic year. This usually happens in May.

To find out more please see our terms and conditions

You will build a foundation for describing and analysing the English language. There will be a focus on sounds, words, meaning and sentence structure. You’ll also learn about other topics relating to English Language, such as language acquisition and psycholinguistics.

You’ll explore variation in English across time, space, and social groups. At the same time you'll practice different ways of collecting and analysing language data, and presenting research findings.

You will also have the opportunity to broaden your knowledge and try something new. A selection of modules are available from other humanities subjects, such as History, Philosophy, or Sociology.

Modules

Compulsory Modules	Credits
The Nature of Language	20
Introduction to the Structure of Language 1: Phonetics, Phonology & Morphology	20
Introduction to Language Structure 2: Syntax, semantics and pragmatics	20
Dealing with Data	20

Optional modules

You will also choose two optional modules (totalling 40 credits). You will select these from a list of over 100 modules from across different subjects, including Archaeology, Classics, Classical Languages, Creative Writing, Education, English Literature, Geography, History, History of Art, Modern Languages, Music, Philosophy, Politics, Psychology, and Sociology.

You will focus on the historical and social context in which English evolves. You will explore in more depth how and why the English language has changed over time, how it is acquired by children, non-native speakers and neuro-diverse individuals, and why it varies across individuals, social groups and societies. You will learn empirical and quantitative methods for analysing the structure of English in all its forms and guises.

Modules

Compulsory modules

You must take the following compulsory modules (shown in the optional list below):

Sociolinguistics (20 credits)

Early English: Texts, Patterns and Varieties (20 credits)

Modules

Optional Modules	Credits
Career Development for second year students	20
Phonological Theory	20
Syntactic Theory	20
Monsters, Misery & Miracles: Heroic Life in Old English Poetry	20
Experimental Methods in Linguistics	20
Multilingualism	20
Pragmatic Theory	20
CHiLD: Current Hypotheses in Language Development	20
It's not what you say, it's how you say it: Prosody and intonation	20
Introduction to Second Language Acquisition	20
Overseas Exchange (Semester 1)	60
Overseas Exchange (Semester 2)	60

You only take one of the following modules if you undertake the Study Abroad exchange programme:

Overseas Exchange (Semester 1)

Overseas Exchange (Semester 2) 

You will work to develop your own interests, choosing from topics linked to the research specialisms of your lecturers. These may include language origins and evolution, child first and second language acquisition, language and ageing, advanced phonology or syntax and the history of English grammar.

There are extended study and dissertation modules that give you the chance to investigate in greater depth a topic that you are passionate about.

Modules

You must take one of the following optional modules (shown in the list below):

 

Short-form Dissertation 1: English Language and Linguistics (20 credits)

OR

Short-form Dissertation 2: English Language and Linguistics (20 credits)

OR

Long-form Dissertation: English Language and Linguistics (40 credits)

 

Optional Modules	Credits
Career Development for final year students	20
Phonological Theory	20
Syntactic Theory	20
Monsters, Misery & Miracles: Heroic Life in Old English Poetry	20
Experimental Methods in Linguistics	20
Multilingualism	20
Pragmatic Theory	20
CHiLD: Current Hypotheses in Language Development	20
It's not what you say, it's how you say it: Prosody and intonation	20
Introduction to Second Language Acquisition	20
Origins and Evolution of Language	20
Language in the City	20
Short-form Dissertation 1: English Language and Linguistics	20
Short-form Dissertation 2: English Language and Linguistics	20
Long-form Dissertation: English Language and Linguistics	40
The History of Linguistic Ideas	20
Language and Ageing	20
Advanced Second Language Acquisition	20
Laboratory Phonology	20
From Input to Output: The Blackbox of Child Language Acquisition	20
Medieval and Early Modern Meaning: English Historical Semantics	20

Information about these graphs

We base these figures and graphs on the most up-to-date information available to us. They are based on the modules chosen by our students in 2023-24.

Teaching time is made up of:

• scheduled learning and teaching activities. These are timetabled activities with a member of staff present.
• structured guided learning. These are activities developed by staff to support engagement with module learning. Students or groups of students undertake these activities without direct staff participation or supervision

Teaching and assessment

Teaching methods

You can normally expect to spend around 10 hours per week attending lectures, seminars, workshops and film screenings. You also spend around 25 hours per week on class preparation, reading, writing, and other kinds of independent research recommended by your lecturers.

Assessment methods

You'll be assessed through a combination of:

• 

  Assignments – written or fieldwork

• 

  Coursework

• 

  Dissertation or research project

• 

  Essays

• 

  Examinations – practical or online

• 

  Group work

• 

  Presentations

Skills and experience

Practical experience

Studying English Language at Newcastle means you will benefit from access to our state-of-the-art Linguistics Laboratory. The LingLab hosts collections of English language data for analysis of linguistic variation and change. It also hosts a range of equipment for advanced articulatory, phonetic and psycholinguistic research. Activities are supported by a dedicated lab manager. 

Research skills

 As part of your degree, you will complete an independent research project in your final year. You will collaborate with a faculty member to investigate a novel topic in English Language that you are passionate about.

You will also be offered a range of opportunities to participate in staff research projects. Though this is not a four-year degree generally, some students do a placement year.

Opportunities

Study abroad

You can study abroad for one semester in your second year as part of this degree. In Europe we have links with:

• Ghent University, Belgium
• Leipzig University, Germany
• Groningen University, Netherlands
• Radboud University Nijmegen, Netherlands

We also have links with universities in other parts of the world, including Australia, Brazil, Canada, Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea and the USA, including, but not limited to:

• Monash University, Australia
• University of Sydney, Australia
• McGill University, Canada
• University of Hong Kong
• University of Vermont, USA

Find out more about Study Abroad.

Work placement

During your degree, you’ll have multiple opportunities to undertake a meaningful work placement. In your second and third years, you may choose to take the Career Development Module which offers academic credit for 50 hours of placement. You can choose to carry out your placement via part-time work, volunteering or in a local school. You will be assessed through a mixture of written work, presentations, and professional skills assessment.

In addition, you'll have the option to spend 9 to 12 months on a work placement with University support from our dedicated Careers team to help you secure your dream placement in the UK or abroad. Work placements take place between stages 2 and 3.

You'll gain first-hand experience of working in the sector, putting your learning into practice, and developing your professional expertise. Previous placements have been in a range of sectors, including:

• Journalism and Broadcasting
• Sustainable Energy
• Politics
• Digital Media and Marketing
• Education
• Finance
• Museum and Heritage
• Travel and Tourism

If you choose to take a work placement, it will extend your degree by a year. Placements are subject to availability.

Find out more about work placements.

Facilities and environment

Facilities

You'll be based in the School of English Literature, Language and Linguistics. The School is located in the Percy Building, which is at the heart of our city-centre campus. You'll join a lively community of students, academics, writers, and professionals.

You'll have access to:

• A library of 1.4 million books and 54,000 journals on 26km of shelving
• The Percy Building’s student common rooms, study areas and café
• Northern Stage, Great North Museum & the Hatton Gallery for events and exhibitions
• The Students' Union for shops, societies and gigs
• A digital media lab for developing documentaries and film-making

Our literature and creative writing teaching is linked to the Newcastle Centre for the Literary Arts (NCLA) programme. This will give you regular contact with leading creative artists.

Find out more about the NCLA programme

You'll also have access to a diverse programme of events, including spoken-word events and creative writing courses.

Find out more about the School of English Literature, Language and Linguistics

 

 

Support

You'll have the support of an academic member of staff as a Personal Tutor throughout your degree to help with academic and personal issues affecting your academic progress.

Peer Mentors will help you in your first year. They are fellow students who can help you settle in and answer questions you may have when starting university.

Your future

English Language and Linguistics students acquire a range of valuable skills which equip them to pursue diverse career paths.

Your training can be used in:

• teaching English as a foreign language
• publishing
• journalism
• advertising, branding and marketing
• information services and data science

You will gain skills such as critical reasoning and problem solving, project and data management, oral and written communication, collaboration and independent research.

Our degrees provide excellent preparation for a wide number of professions. With further training, our graduates have also become:

• lexicographers
• translators and interpreters
• speech and language therapists
• social researchers
• legal sector workers (including forensic linguists)

Employability

Employability and the engagement with the wider world go hand-in-hand in this degree.

Many of our modules, particularly in Stage 3, model their assessments on the kind of tasks you might be employed to do:

• constructing marketing briefs
• drafting website copy
• curating exhibitions
• designing experiments
• coding websites
• analysing data
• writing a clear and persuasive argument.

Beyond our modules, there are plenty of extracurricular opportunities. These range from freelance work for Newcastle’s student newspaper to paid internships in the department. In particular, the Newcastle Centre for Literary Arts hires students to work on everything from event management to app design.

Careers support

Our award-winning Careers Service is one of the largest and best in the country, and we have strong links with employers. We provide an extensive range of opportunities to all students through our ncl+ initiative.

Visit our Careers Service website

Recognition of professional qualifications outside of the UK

From 1 January 2021 there is an update to the way professional qualifications are recognised by countries outside of the UK

Tuition fees and scholarships

Tuition fees for 2025 entry (per year)

The 2025 home fees have not yet been confirmed (see ‘Home Fee Students’ information below).

Qualification: BA Honours
Home students full time 3 years	Tuition fees (per year) Not set
International students full time 3 years	Tuition fees (per year) 23800

Home Fee Students

Home students starting in 2024 entry
£9,250 is the maximum fee that we are currently permitted to charge for home fee-paying students. This is set by the UK government.

As a general principle, you should expect the tuition fee to increase in each subsequent academic year of your course, subject to government regulations on fee increases and in line with inflation.

Home students starting in 2025 entry
The 2025 home fees have not yet been confirmed. In November 2024 the government increased the maximum fee level to £9,535 for 2025/26. We expect to confirm our Undergraduate Home fees for 2025/26 in December 2024.

As a general principle, you should expect the tuition fee to increase in each subsequent academic year of your course, subject to government regulations on fee increases and in line with inflation.

Read more about fees and funding

International Fee Students

Depending on your residency history, if you’re a student from the EU, other EEA or a Swiss national, with settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, you’ll normally pay the ‘Home’ tuition fee rate and may be eligible for Student Finance England support.

EU students without settled or pre-settled status will normally be charged fees at the ‘International’ rate and will not be eligible for Student Finance England support.

If you are unsure of your fee status, check out the latest guidance here.

As a general principle, you should expect the tuition fee to increase in each subsequent academic year of your course, subject to government regulations on fee increases and in line with inflation.

Read more about fees and funding

Scholarships

We support our EU and international students by providing a generous range of Vice-Chancellor's automatic and merit-based scholarships. See our undergraduate scholarship page for more information.

Year abroad and additional costs

For programmes where you can spend a year on a work placement or studying abroad, you will receive a significant fee reduction for that year. 

Some of our degrees involve additional costs which are not covered by your tuition fees.

Scholarships

Find out more about:

• scholarships for UK, EU and international students
• Student Loans and Government financial support for UK and EU students

How to apply

Apply through UCAS

To apply for undergraduate study at Newcastle University, you must use the online application system managed by the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS). All UK schools and colleges, and a small number of EU and international establishments, are registered with UCAS. You will need:

• the UCAS name and institution codes for Newcastle University (NEWC/N21)
• the UCAS code for the course you want to apply for
• the UCAS 'buzzword' for your school or college

If you are applying independently, or are applying from a school or college which is not registered to manage applications, you will still use the Apply system. You will not need a buzzword.

Apply through UCAS

Apply through an agent

International students often apply to us through an agent. Have a look at our recommended agents and get in touch with them.

Visit our International pages