Do you have a story to tell, or have you always wanted to be a writer? Perhaps you want to learn how to be a critical reader or gain a greater understanding of the craft or writing? Through the BA English Language and Creative Writing, you’ll gain a better understanding about the English Language, as well as the process of writing so that you can find your voice, whether as linguist, a poet, playwright, or novelist.
In English Language you’ll learn all about the building blocks of language. Where does it come from? Why is Worcester spelt one way, but pronounced so differently? You’ll also look into the scientific study of everything to do with language. We offer a stimulating and supportive environment in which you can explore your ideas and understand how to use language effectively. Our English Language lecturers are also published researchers who work in different areas of applied linguistics. Our creative writing modules are taught by lecturers who are themselves award-winning practitioners and who bridge the gap between creative and academic approaches to literature. They include our poetry lecturer Wayne Holloway-Smith, winner of the Poetry Society’s Geoffrey Dearmer Prize and Seamus Heaney Prize nominee.
In your first year, you’ll explore the building blocks of language. You’ll learn the basics of phonetics, which is the study of speech sounds, grammar and you’ll work on your academic writing skills. For Creative Writing, you’ll learn how to become a writer, looking at building words in fiction genres and writing for the screen. There are a few optional modules for you to choose too, including language and mind and language in the media.
In your second year, you’ll continue looking at grammatical structures and phonetics. All other modules are optional. You’ll choose from a range of modules, from vocabulary to language in society. You can choose to learn how to write plays, learn the art of the poem and look at literature. You’ll even have the option to study a module on English language teaching to speakers of other languages.
Work placement/study abroad option: Between your second and final year, you’ll have the option to study abroad or do a work placement for up to a year. Not only will this give you an amazing experience to talk about but will also give your CV a boost. If you’d rather go straight to your final year, that’s absolutely fine too.
In your third year, you can undertake a Creative Writing project in either poetry or prose. This is the culmination of three years of writing studies. You can choose to do an English Language project as well, where you’ll independently research an area of linguistics of your choice. You’ll take a two hour weekly short story writing workshop, where you produce your own writing and discuss this with your course mates. Other modules include clinical linguistics, child language and meaning and context.
For a complete overview of each module, see the ‘What will I study?’ section below.
