English Language and Communication
Welcome to English Language & Communication at the University of Hertfordshire. Within a friendly, enthusiastic and supportive environment, we offer a unique mix of modules, focusing on the English language itself, on how it is used to communicate, and on how we can teach it as a foreign language.
Modules concerned with the different aspects of English consider its sounds, structure, vocabulary, and meaning, its history, and the role it plays in British society and across the world. You will also learn about how children acquire their first language, the mental processes that take place when we produce and understand language, and the way in which language can break down. You’ll learn how to analyse conversations and other types of discourse and text, and consider the ways language is used by different groups in society.
Modules concerned with English Language Teaching explore questions such as how learners learn English and how they progress in learning, as well as the theories underlying professional ELT practice. These modules can be studied as part of the programme leading to a degree in English Language & Communication, or as a pathway towards a degree title containing English Language Teaching as a named subject.
All members of staff are actively engaged in research in our specialist areas and we regularly present their work at both national and international conferences. We have hosted an Institute of Acoustics Workshop, the Child Language Seminar, a Relevance Theory Workshop and a meeting of the Linguistics Association of Great Britain. In July 2008, we will be hosting the second international conference of Critical Approaches to Discourse Analysis Across Disciplines (CADAAD).
Academic and personal support for students is provided by seminars and one-to-one tutorials; Research Seminars are held to encourage discussion and cater for different areas of academic interest.
We offer supervision for candidates wishing to pursue a postgraduate degree by research in our various areas of expertise.
If you would like further information, please contact Dr Marjolein Groefsema, Subject Leader for English Language & Communication. Tel: (01707) 285699. Email: m.groefsema@herts.ac.uk .
If you are interested in studying as a part-time student please contact Dr Anna Tripp for an informal discussion. Tel: (01707) 285654. E-mail: a.f.tripp@herts.ac.uk .
