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Objectives
This degree provides a solid background in applied linguistics and will give you the opportunity to explore the linguistic, social and cognitive implications of bilingualism – in the individual and in social groups. It will also provide you with the necessary skills to carry out research in various areas of bilingualism. The programme is delivered by staff in the School of Languages, Linguistics and Culture, offering research supervision in a variety of sub-disciplines: second language acquisition; bilingualism; sociolinguistics; psycholinguistics and neurolinguistics; pragmatics; linguistic analysis; cross-cultural communication; translation studies. Your dissertation can cover one or more of these areas. The School is committed to an ongoing programme of innovation in teaching and research, which makes extensive use of a sophisticated IT base. Staff specialise in research into various aspects of language use and language functions in both the individual and society at large. Teaching and research are characterised by a strong cross-linguistic perspective, with academic staff combining an interest in the theoretical underpinnings of their various disciplines with an awareness of the practical implications of those disciplines. All academic staff are active in state-of-the-art teaching and research, and bilingualism at Birkbeck enjoys a strong international reputation for quality teaching and research.
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Entry requirements
Entry requirements Flexible – applicants with relevant experience but who lack standard qualifications may be considered. A sample of written work prior to interview.
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Academic title
Bilingualism (MA)
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Course description
You will follow compulsory course units which provide a grounding in linguistics and applied linguistics, as well as research methods training.
Option modules are chosen from a wide range of subjects, leading to specialisation in an area of focus for your research.
Dissertation seminars and workshops provide support for the development of research skills.
Teaching
A variety of teaching and learning methods, combining lectures and seminars with student presentations where appropriate, maximising the use of time in class developing critical skills in the analysis of complex materials, and ensuring that students use the skills they have learnt. A workshop format is used in the Research Skills course, in which each student presents their work in progress as they put together their critical bibliographies (normally for their dissertations). The teaching and learning environment generated by the programme is both stimulating and intellectually challenging. Class sizes are typically kept small to allow for a high level of teacher-led student participation.
Assessment
Coursework – continuous assessment; Dissertation of 12,000–15,000 words.
