English Language and History BA (Hons)

You will study the structures and theoretical principles of English and language in general, to understand and analyse spoken and written English discourse in context. This may include investigating sounds, word meanings, sentence structures, discourse analytical principles, child language acquisition, and language variation and change. You will be offered a variety of assessment types, which will equip you with the academic experiences you need to make the most of employment opportunities following your degree. Staff have considerable expertise in the areas of sociolinguistics, historical linguistics, child language acquisition, models of grammar, critical discourse analysis, dialectology and comparative linguistics, as well as some of the most cutting-edge subjects, such as Corpus Linguistics (computer-assisted discourse analysis) and Cognitive Stylistics (how readers' minds process literary and non-literary discourse). 

Explore the past and prepare for your future with modules covering a thousand years of local, national and international history. Set within the historic environment of Chester, our exciting course offers not only an exploration of the past but also a gateway to your future. Our inclusive curriculum means that you will challenge existing narratives about the past, and be encouraged to think critically about how and why these narratives have developed. You will also explore important themes and issues relating to race, diversity, gender, imperialism, conflict and climate change. Through the study of the past, we can make sense of our present and start to think about how to work together to shape our future.  Join our passionate team to start shaping your future. 

In English Language, our focus is on small-group teaching. For some modules, you will attend a lecture and discuss ideas in seminars and workshops; other modules are taught via seminars and practical workshops. You may work in pairs and small groups and occasionally give short presentations. Assessment includes online blog entries, seminar presentations, conversation and phonetic transcriptions, data collection, research and analysis, syntax trees, and short answer exercises. There are also traditional discussion essays. 

The majority of your teaching in History will be in small groups, in seminars and tutorials, but you will also get the chance to meet fellow students in large lectures for the core modules.  When we can, we’ll take you out on field trips to historic locations or heritage sites for ‘hands-on’ learning.  You will be assessed through a wide range of coursework methods, all of which are designed not only to test your understanding of history but also to allow you to develop and demonstrate skills that are essential for success after university. These include essays, source analyses, literature reviews and presentations, reflective exercises, digital assignments including video essays and other digital media, poster presentations and portfolios. There are no exams on our History course.   

On this course, you have the opportunity to spend five weeks working for a host organisation via our innovative Work Based Learning module. You’ll have the chance to test-drive a future career, boost your CV and gain real work experience. 

Our Experiential Overseas Learning module offers a unique opportunity to participate in a short-term placement around the world. 

This course offers the exciting opportunity to study abroad for a full academic year at one of our bilateral exchange partners or through ISEP (International Student Exchange Programs), a network of over 300 additional higher education institutions worldwide. 

Job prospects

Graduates in English Language typically secure employment in professions such as teaching, publishing, the media and communications, speech therapy, Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL), advertising, public relations, journalism, librarianship, management and administration, and personnel work. Many students have gone on to postgraduate study in the discipline. 

History graduates from Chester have pursued a wide range of careers reflecting the excellent transferable skills offered by a History degree, including - amongst many others - careers in teaching, law, the civil service, publishing, business, IT, and research. History continues to be one of the most attractive degrees to employers and we work closely with our students and the Careers Service to help students develop a range of transferable skills. 

Progression options

• Creative Writing: Writing and Publishing Fiction MA
• English Language and Linguistics MA
• Secondary (including School Direct) PGCE with QTS 
• Primary (5-11) PGCE with QTS 
• Storytelling MRes

Careers service

The University has an award-winning Careers and Employability service which provides a variety of employability-enhancing experiences; through the curriculum, through employer contact, tailored group sessions, individual information, advice and guidance.

Careers and Employability aims to deliver a service which is inclusive, impartial, welcoming, informed and tailored to your personal goals and aspirations, to enable you to develop as an individual and contribute to the business and community in which you will live and work.

We are here to help you plan your future, make the most of your time at University and to enhance your employability. We provide access to part-time jobs, extra-curricular employability-enhancing workshops and offer practical one-to-one help with career planning, including help with CVs, applications and mock interviews. We also deliver group sessions on career planning within each course and we have a wide range of extensive information covering graduate jobs and postgraduate study.