English Language and Literature

Overview

As well as British literature, you can study works written in English from other parts of the world, and some originally written in other languages, allowing you to think about literature in English in multilingual and global contexts across time. The course allows you a considerable degree of choice, both in developing your personal interests across core papers, and in choosing a topic for your dissertation and for a special option in your final year. Options have included Literature and revolution, Postcolonial literature, Writing lives, Old Norse, Tragedy, and Film criticism.

Studying  English Language and Literature course offered at the University of Oxford involves the development of sophisticated reading skills and of an ability to place literary texts in their wider intellectual and historical contexts. It also requires you to consider the critical processes by which you analyse and judge, to learn about literary form and technique, to evaluate various approaches to literary criticism and theory, and to study the development of the English language.

Careers

Our students go on to succeed in a very wide range of careers: the analytical and communication skills that develop during this course equip them for many different paths. Popular careers and fields include the law, advertising, acting, publishing, politics, teaching, librarianship, public relations, journalism, writing, further research, management consultancy and finance.