Bachelors in Language & Literature in UK

The English Language and Literature course at Oxford is one of the broadest in the country, giving you the chance to study writing in English from its origins in Anglo-Saxon England to the present. As well as British literature, you can study works written in English from other parts of the world, and some originally written in other languages, allowing you to think about literature in English in multilingual and global contexts across time. The course allows you a considerable degree of choice, both in developing your personal interests across core papers, and in choosing a topic for your dissertation and for a special option in your final year. Options have included Literature and revolution, Postcolonial literature, Writing lives, Old Norse, Tragedy, and Film criticism.

Studying literature at Oxford involves the development of sophisticated reading skills and of an ability to place literary texts in their wider intellectual and historical contexts. It also requires you to consider the critical processes by which you analyse and judge, to learn about literary form and technique, to evaluate various approaches to literary criticism and theory, and to study the development of the English language.

From the history and culture of Anglo-Saxon England, and Celtic languages to Viking exploits, Anglo-Saxon, Norse, and Celtic (ASNC) allows you to explore a range of cultures, and to look at history, language and literature side by side.

ASNC focuses on the history, material culture, languages and literature of the peoples of Britain, Ireland and the Scandinavian world in the earlier Middle Ages.

ASNC students discover medieval history while learning one or more languages and reading great works of literature in the original languages, such as the Old English poem Beowulf, the epic medieval Irish tale Táin Bó Cúailnge (The Cattle Raid of Cooley) and Icelandic sagas. Exactly which areas you study and to what depth is largely up to you, and to support your learning Cambridge has rare and exceptional resources to offer in the University Library, the College libraries, and in the Fitzwilliam and other museums.

Develop an in-depth knowledge of French language and culture and a multifaceted understanding of historical processes with our BA in French and History.

We'll show you how exciting and wide-ranging our subject can be. Employers like the skills developed in an English degree: written and verbal communication, analysis and discussion of ideas and broad, creative thinking.

With more than 500 million native speakers, Spanish is the second most commonly spoken language in the world. Speaking Spanish will help you conduct business more confidently in countries that are becoming increasingly important in world markets. 

Studying with us will give you the chance to become a fluent linguist and, with our year abroad programme, an opportunity to experience living, working and/or studying in another country.

Our BA Language and/with History with Foundation Year combines the study of a modern language and its associated culture with a study of history. You will be taught by internationally renowned researchers, reflecting the latest trends in the study of history and cultural studies in modern languages. You will also have the opportunity to study a number of cross-cultural modules allowing you to explore specific themes across a variety of language-speaking areas.

This degree is designed to give you a solid foundation in linguistic theory, and to link this theory to the huge array of real-life contexts in which language is used. Our mix of core and optional modules means that you will have the freedom to design the course that suits you, building on the topics that most capture your imagination.

In your first year, you take modules that encompass the fundamentals of linguistic research: linguistic theory, historical linguistics, sociolinguistics, and research methodology. Our modules focusing on linguistic theory and the structure and sounds of English will allow you to learn about how language actually works and how linguists study it. You'll then apply this knowledge to modules that examine the history and varieties of English, teaching you about how language varies in space and time.

Do you want to study a wide range of authors, genres, historical periods, literary movements, techniques and critical approaches? Would you like to combine this with discovering how the language at the heart of key literary texts actually functions? A joint English Language and Literature degree could be the answer.

You’ll be taught by one of the country’s largest Linguistics and English Language departments and an English Literature department that provides a vibrant array of authors, genres, historical periods, literary movements, techniques and critical approaches.

The core modules in your first year will give you a good foundation in English Language and English Literature. We’ll cover plays, films, short stories, novels and poetry from the sixteenth century to the modern day. You’ll study lexis, grammar and phonetics as well as descriptive concepts such as accents and dialects.

On our BA (Hons) English Literature with Creative Writing course, you’ll study vital and influential works of literature, reading and discussing contemporary works as well as classics in a wide range of genres. You’ll also develop a wide range of creative writing skills and knowledge, looking at forms such as novels, short stories, poetry, plays, screenplays and graphic novels.

Alongside classic works like those of Shakespeare and George Eliot, you’ll study contemporary works by writers including Kazuo Ishiguro and Jhumpa Lahiri.

Genres you’ll study include travel writing, nineteenth-century theatre and Beat writing.

Our creative writing modules will develop your understanding of the techniques used and challenges faced by the writers you study on your English literature modules. They will also help you find inspiration and root your own creative work in the authors and literary traditions you’ll be studying.

As a student of English Language and Literature, you will discover the complex and fascinating relationships between literature, politics and history and study language analysis and language use across different contexts. This three-year degree opens up a range of exciting career possibilities by helping you to develop transferable skills which employers want.

The course covers how we acquire language, how language works, how societies communicate and over a thousand years of literature, from Beowulf to the present day. You will have the chance to study national and global literature, Renaissance literature, Gothic and genre fiction, 19th century literature, modernity and contemporary fiction, gender and culture, creative and professional writing.

You will have the option of taking the internationally recognised Cambridge Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults (CELTA) during your second year, further improving your student experience and career prospects.

On this BA, you’ll explore the relationship between linguistic structure and its literary heritage – and how language operates in both society and literature. 

Our bold, forward-thinking curriculum allows you to study the transformative power of language. We offer a distinctive approach to a radical breadth of literary and non-literary language.There’s an emphasis on close reading, creative and critical writing, and a broad range of linguistic approaches. You’ll be taught by engaged and passionate tutors who will guide you through each year of your degree. Our cross-disciplinary approach will help you tailor your degree to what interests you most in language and literature.

You’ll be part of a close-knit community of staff and students who all support each other.