English Language and Literature (Hons)

Overview

As an English language student at Aston, you’ll gain theoretical knowledge and understanding of the English language, along with an exploration of social processes, organisational dynamics and inter-group relationships.

You’ll learn from world-leading academics with cutting-edge research and teaching experience in fields such as ethnic and gender equalities, global change, theories of social change, forensic linguistics, language, gender and teaching English to speakers of other languages.

On the literature strand of the course, you’ll get a broad introduction to literary genres and periods from the seventeenth century to the present day, and consider all literature’s different manifestations, from graffiti and blogging to poetry, novels and street theatre.

You’ll study literacy as a social practice and will explore how and why people read and write at all levels of society. We will equip you to critically engage with a variety of texts across literary genres and periods, and you’ll be able to develop your skills as a writer through our creative writing module.

In the third year of your English Language and Literature (Hons) degree course at Aston University, you’ll spend a year on placement with a company, working as a teaching assistant in a school or studying at one of our partner universities - you might even choose to combine two of these options, adding further value to your degree, and in your second year we’ll make sure you’re ready to get the most from this opportunity.

Career prospects

Our English Language and Literature graduates are in demand from a wide range of employers, with former Aston students now working at companies such as Bibby Financial Services, IBM, Interserve, CapGemini, Virgin Active and the BBC.

Recent graduates have gone on to work in roles including: Analyst, Digital Marketer, Marketing and Communications Specialist, Project Manager, Recruitment Administrator, Senior Account Executive and Languages Teacher.

Employed Aston English graduates earn £3,600 (15 per cent) more than the UK average, five years after graduation (Longitudinal Education Outcomes, 2020)