English Language with a Year in Industry

English Language explores how language works and how societies communicate. Studying this four-year degree opens up a range of exciting career opportunities by helping you develop skills, which are highly valued by employers.

Based on our stunning Singleton Park campus, in parkland overlooking Swansea Bay on the edge of the Gower Peninsula,

English at Swansea is ranked:

11th in UK for Research Impact (REF2021)
Top 20 in the UK for Teaching Satisfaction (Guardian University Guide 2025)
Top 101-150 in the World (QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025)
This programme has been designed to provide concise and balanced coverage of linguistic theory.

In year 2, you have the option of taking the internationally recognised Cambridge Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults (CELTA), a professional qualification for teachers of English as a foreign language.

In year 3, you can undertake an independent research project in an area of specialism supported by academic staff. Some of our students’ work is showcased at our annual conference and published in international journals.

The degree is also available as a four-year course with a year abroad, studying in an overseas university (Q311).

Throughout your degree you will have a personal tutor who will provide you with pastoral and academic support.

During the second year of your degree, to enhance your student experience and career prospects, you have the option to study a semester abroad in USA, Canada, China, Hong Kong and Singapore.

If you prefer to stay closer to home there are plenty of other opportunities, The Swansea University Work Placement Programmes offer three work place programmes: Week of Work (WOW); Swansea paid Internship Programme (SPIN) and Santander Universities Funded Placements.

The Swansea Employability Academy (SEA) provides a network for linking students with employers, ranging from employer talks and workshops through to student led networking events.

Please visit our course page for more information: https://www.swansea.ac.uk/undergraduate/courses/culture-communication/english-language-tesol-applied-linguistics/ba-english-language/

In Year 1, you will typically study areas including: The sound system of English, Mythbusters: beliefs and truths about language, Grammar and Meaning.

In Year 2, you will typically study areas including: Language Teaching in Context, Sociolinguistics, Child Language and Literacy, Psycholinguistics of Bilingualism, World Englishes

The third year of this 4-year course with a Year in Industry will be spent on placement. You will have the opportunity to gain real-world industry experience and develop your employability skill set. We have a strong network of industry contacts, and you will receive dedicated support from our employability team, ranging from CV advice through to mock interviews.

In Year 4, you will typically study areas including: Second Language Acquisition, Issues in current ELT, Media Linguistics, Language Policy and Planning, Applied Linguistics Dissertation, Language Technologies: Linguistics in the AI era.

This degree programme is delivered through lectures, tutorials and seminars. You will usually receive nine hours minimum scheduled contact time with your teachers every week. Full attendance at lectures, seminars and personal tutorials (personal tutorials are obligatory). All Arts and Humanities degree programmes include independent learning which requires initiative and hard work.
We will challenge you with demanding teaching and assessment. Assessment includes essay, coursework and examination, presentations and a dissertation.