English Language and Literature University of Reading

Overview

Key features

• Within this English Language and Literature BA programme from the University of Reading you will learn about how to research issues in the social sciences and how to conduct fieldwork. You will enhance your knowledge of grammar and phonetics as well as learning about how language is used in different social settings, how language is acquired by children and adults, and how our uses of English are being re-shaped by the media.
• You will study the same number of modules in English literature as in English language. Our literature curriculum at the University of Reading has everything you would expect from a department with a century-long reputation for innovative research.
• You will read more of major authors like Shakespeare and Dickens, Sylvia Plath and Samuel Beckett, but you will also be able to explore the most exciting contemporary writing in English from around the globe. Whether your interests are in creative writing, publishing studies or children’s literature, you will be able to develop your own interests with expert help.

Career opportunities:

• The interdisciplinary scope of this degree prepares you for a wide variety of professions. As an English graduate, you will enter the job market with highly developed research and communication skills. You will know how to access reliable information on any topic and how to present your findings in clear and persuasive language: valuable assets in today’s economy, where information and communication skills are vital. You will have the critical and cultural awareness necessary for working in the public sector and the media. Our innovative placement modules will ensure that you have the complete package that employers are looking for: a good degree, workplace skills and experience.
• In the latest Graduate Outcomes Survey 2020/21, 95% of our leavers are in work or further study within 15 months of graduation*. Our graduates work in publishing and the media, (Oxford University Press, the BBC and ITV). They also work as communication experts in large organisations like the NHS, in banks and in government; others are now working as teachers in the UK and as teachers of the English Language in China and Japan (among other places). Many of our students decide to continue their studies at postgraduate level too.
• Your communications skills, your ability to research a problem thoroughly, to manage data and documentation, and to present ideas and policies clearly and persuasively, will equip you for the career you want.