Welcome to Applied Linguistics at Swansea University. This is our blog site, which we will keep updated with news and events. Follow @Swansea_AppLing on Instagram and @Swansea_AppLing on Twitter too for more updates! You can also follow our LINKTREE to all our content.
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In our department we have a range of degree schemes at both undergraduate and postgraduate level. Our degrees look at ways of analysing language knowledge, language use across contexts and time and in the TESOL schemes also relates this to teaching English to speakers of other languages.
What is linguistics and applied linguistics?
Linguistics is the scientific study of how human language is used in a range of different contexts. How it developed over time, how we acquire our first and subsequent languages, how the brain operates in bilingual contexts, how we produce and understand language in real time, and how the underlying language system works for sounds and grammar.
Our courses relate to real world issues with crucial impacts on individuals and communities. This is the “applied” part of applied linguistics. A few examples include: best methods for teaching language to new learners; the psychological challenges of learning new languages; examining discourses of persuasion in society, healthcare and the media; and the sociological aspects of someone’s language identity in day to day life.
In TESOL, we also look at the challenge of learning and teaching of English as a new language, including how different methods are used to teach language; how children learn an additional language; how theories of second language acquisition relate to teaching; and how current research into English Language Teaching informs practice.
Our degree programmes
Our degree programmes consider ways of analysing language knowledge and language use across contexts and time. We have several programmes and offer 3 year courses, and courses with a semester abroad, a year abroad and a year in industry too.
- English Language and Applied Linguistics (Bsc)
- English Language and TESOL (BA)
- English Language (BA)
- English Language and Media (Joint Hons. BA)
- English Language and Literature (Joint Hons. BA)
Embedded CELTA qualification
Opportunities offered to students on our BA degrees include the chance to obtain an internationally recognised, professional teaching qualification (Cambridge CELTA), and the chance to spend a semester or a year studying abroad. We also offer BA students the opportunity to take the Cambridge CELTA qualification. This is a professional, internationally recognised English Language teaching to adults qualification.
Masters programme
We also have a taught Masters programme in TESOL/ TEFL. We offer several research degrees including MA by Research, M.Phil and PhD.
Staff research interests
Our Applied Linguistics subject area has a strong research profile in a number of specialist areas. These include vocabulary studies, second language acquisition, discourse analysis, corpus linguistics, pragmatics, language teaching pedagogy, sociolinguistics and language variation. These are reflected in many of the modules offered our degree schemes.
We have recently invested in an Applied Linguistics research lab, including an eye-tracker and reaction time software. Students will have the opportunity to use these facilities during their dissertations, depending on topic chosen.
Our staff are members of the Language Research Centre (LRC), a global hub for single, inter- and multi- disciplinary empirical research into language data and processes. It draws together academics and postgraduate researchers from across Swansea University and connects their activities with those of the Centre’s global network of Associate Members and distance learning doctoral students.
