Objectives
In this degree programme half of your studies will be in English Language and the other half in the vocationally oriented field of Creative Writing. The degree provides you with a thorough grounding in the study of language and the chance to develop your writing through a range of writing modules. It is designed to give you the skills and knowledge you will need for a range of graduate careers such as teaching or marketing and you will also develop the skills necessary to make a platform for a career in writing. This could mean journalism, poetry, fiction, biography, autobiography, writing for the internet, or writing a novel. Creative Writing is taught by practising writers, with twin careers in teaching and writing. They are, therefore, well placed to advise students. Our students and staff enjoy a lively and productive working environment where there are many opportunities to get involved in performance and readings of their work. The course comprises both core and optional modules in the areas of language and creative writing. As well as developing your writing skills, you will be encouraged to develop your analytical abilities and your social, historical, political and linguistic knowledge.
Course description
Course Structure
The foundation level study provides a descriptive and theoretical basis from which you can progress to higher level work. You will be introduced to description of English from sound to sentence. You will consider the history of the language and its development and its development and will start to consider the use of English in different contexts. Creative writing modules include Introduction to Creative Writing and Language, Literature and Creativity. These offer you foundation level work in poetry, short fiction writing, travel writing, studies in creativity, self-reflective commentary on the creative process and contextual issues central to the writer’s life.
Intermediate level study consists of more descriptive study of English phonology and grammar; investigations into English dialects and other variations in the language and a range of topic-based modules currently including Conversation Analysis, Child Language Acquisition, Sociolinguisitics, Generative linguistics, Stylistics of Narrative, Poetry and Dramatic Texts. The Creative Writing strand also continues, helping you develop your writing. You will explore Writing Beyond the Page, as well as developing techniques for writing poems and short stories.
At honours level you will prepare a final year project on a topic of your choice, and study further modules in English Language, currently including Metaphor, Language of Humour, Language and Power, Language in Education, Pragmatics, Bilingualism, and Feminism and linguistic theory. At the same time, the Creative Writing strand will explore experimental techniques in narrative, and will allow you to develop innovative techniques introduced at Intermediate level, leading to more substantially developed pieces of work in genres of your choice.
