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English Literature and/or Language
A degree in English language and literature is designed to get you reading books, analyzing theories, critiquing prose and verse, and taking a more critical look at the signs and words surrounding us every day. The aim is to get students thinking creatively and analytically about the English language; this differs from other modern language degrees as it is intended for students already proficient in written and spoken English. An English degree can focus equally on the literature and language sides, while others specialize in one or the other; this will usually be clear from the course title.
Digging deeper into subject interests can help you in a number of ways:
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Confirm whether this is (or isn't) something you would be interested in enough to want to study it at university either as the focus of your degree or a minor/elective
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Give you some inspiration to use when creating your questions and topics for IA's (coursework) and your Extended Essay
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Provide you with content for your university application writing in the future, enabling you to reflect on the things you've been doing to explore your interests in a way that is academically relevant to the course or institution you are applying for.
Useful Resources
University of Nottingham e-resources | Blog | Video | Recorded Lecture | The University of Nottingham have a number of resources for students to explore degrees you could study at university. The resources include videos, taster lectures and blogs. Use the menu to select the areas you are interested in to see what they have to offer. | Click Here > | |
Summer Schools in Europe | Events | The most complete directory of summer courses in Europe. It includes courses for high school, undergraduate and graduate students, so ensure you read the descriptions to find options right for you. | Click Here > | |
Research from the University of Bristol | Journal Articles | Website | Explore cutting edge research from the different faculties and departments from the University of Bristol, including free access to their published journal articles. | Click Here > | |
Coursera | Online Course | Coursera is an online platform for distance learning. They have a range of free courses delivered by universities. Search in this section to find courses of interest to you, often these are courses you can follow at your own pace. | Click Here > | |
EdX | Online Course | The X Series courses on the EdX platform are free online courses delivered by universities and aimed at helping you explore areas of interest. | Click Here > | |
FutureLearn | Online Course | FutureLearn is a free online platform where universities from around the globe host FREE online courses you can undertake in your areas of interest. Browse courses by categories or use the search bar to find courses relevant to your interests | Click Here > | |
Springpod: Degree Taster Programmes | Online Course | Virtual programs helping you to explore degree subject areas before you apply which you can complete at your own pace. | Click Here > | |
Subject Insight Series: Comparative Literature | Online Course | Do you have an interest in literatures and cultures from around the globe but feel unsure whether it's the degree for you? Our online course will give you an insight into the subject to help you make the right decision for you. | Click Here > | |
Subject Insight Series: Linguistics | Online Course | Do you have an interest linguistics and English language but feel unsure whether it's the degree for you? Our online course will give you an insight into the subject to help you make the right decision for you. | Click Here > | |
Ancient Mariner Podcasts (University of Southampton) | Podcast | A collection of 4 podcasts from the English Department at the University of Southampton inspired by Samuel Taylor Coleridge's poem The Rime of the Ancient Mariner | Click Here > | |
Fantasy Literature | Podcast | Oxford is a natural home to fantasy literature with those who worked or studied here having written so many famous and influential texts (e.g. Lewis Carroll (C. L. Dodgson), C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien, Susan Cooper, Diana Wynne Jones, Alan Garner, and Philip Pullman to name but a few) – leading to the notion of an ‘Oxford School of Fantasy’. These lectures, short talks, and interviews seek to take listeners into these works and these writers and beyond. | Click Here > | |
Professor of Poetry | Podcast | Professor of Poetry Alice Oswald gives her lectures on poetry, language, literature, beauty and life every term. | Click Here > | |
TORCH | The Oxford Research Centre in the Humanities | Podcast | Recorded Lecture | The University of Oxford is home to an impressive range and depth of research activities in the Humanities. TORCH | The Oxford Research Centre in the Humanities is a major new initiative that seeks to build on this heritage and to stimulate and support research that transcends disciplinary and institutional boundaries. Here we feature some of the networks and programmes, as well as recordings of events, and offer insights into the research that they make possible. | Click Here > | |
University of Southampton Podcast Library | Podcast | Recorded Lecture | A library of the Lifelong Learning Talks and Study Days from the University of Southampton. They cover a wide range of topics but are organised by topic and easy to browse. | Click Here > | |
Books to change the world | Taster Lecture | Recorded Lecture | From vampires to comic books, this recording of a taster lecture investigates writing and reading practices that make a tangible difference to our communities and to the wider world. | Click here > | |
Discovering Dialect | English Taster Lecture | Recorded Lecture | Dr Fiona Douglas, an academic in the School of English at the University of Leeds, delivers a lecture on Discovering Dialect: Language Pioneers and ‘Old Men with Good Teeth’. | Click Here > | |
Springboard | Video | These videos bring you cutting-edge research from Oxford's graduate students on a wide range of topics - from climate change and colonialism, to microbiomes and mathematical logic. Each video offers an introduction to a new topic, plus lots of activities and further resources to explore. When you click on a topic, you will be asked a few questions and then you will be able to play the video you've chosen. | Click Here > | |
ExeTalks | Video | Recorded Lecture | ExeTalks are a chance to discover some of the fascinating research undertaken at the University of Exeter. | Click Here | |
HE+ | Website | Podcast | Blog | Video | The HE+ website has supercurricular resources created and written by Cambridge students and academics including challenging activities, engaging videos, reflective questions and much more. | Click Here > | |
Peripeteia | Website | Webinar | Peripeteia is a website aimed at students studying English at A-Level/IB or University and facilitates discussion on everything from William Shakespeare to James Joyce, prolific short story writers to the War Poets. Brose the forums and keep an eye out for their online seminars. | Click Here > | |
Springpod Virtual Work Experience | Work Experience | Virtual work experience Opportunities across a range of companies and sectors. Most of them are free. | Click Here > | |
Zooniverse - Real Science Online | Work Experience | Website | Online Crowd Science Projects that you can contribute to | Click Here > |
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