BA (Hons) History and English Language

Key information

Typical offer:
Entry requirements
Fees: See below
Full details
UCAS code: V1Q1
Institute code: H36
Study abroad option
Work placement option
Find out more

The University of Hertfordshire is committed to welcoming students with a wide range of qualifications and levels of experience. The entry requirements listed on the course pages provide a guide to the minimum level of qualifications needed to study each course. However, we have a flexible approach to admissions and each application will be considered on an individual basis.

UCAS points	A Level	BTEC	Accepted T Levels	Access Course Tariff	IB requirement
112–120	BBC–BBB	DMM	112–120 UCAS points Please see additional requirements for accepted T Level subjects	Overall merit profile in 45 credits at Level 3	112–120 UCAS points

Additional requirements

GCSE: Grade 4/C in English Language and Mathematics

Accepted T Levels: Design Survey and Planning for Construction; Design Production, Design and Development; Education and Childcare; Healthcare Science; Health; Science; Digital Support Services; Digital Business Services; Onsite Construction; Building Services Engineering for Construction; Accounting; Design and Development for Engineering and Manufacturing; Engineering, Manufacturing, Processing and Control; Finance; Maintenance, Installation and Repair for Engineering and Manufacturing; Management and Administration; Agriculture, Land Management and Production; Legal Services.

All students from non-majority English speaking countries require proof of English language proficiency, equivalent to an overall IELTS score of 6.0 with a minimum of 5.5 in each band.

If you do not have the required IELTS or equivalent for direct entry on to your degree programme, our Pre-sessional English and International Foundation courses can help you to achieve this level.

For more details on the University of Hertfordshire's entry requirements, please visit our Undergraduate Entry Requirements page.

Find out more about International Entry Requirements.

Why choose this course?

Join our award-winning Oral History Team (featured on BBC R4)
Focus on your interests - All History modules optional after 1st year
Optional forensic and clinical linguistics modules

Ever wondered how the past shapes the current world? Or why animals can’t talk but humans can? At Herts, you’ll explore this and more in our flexible joint programme. You’ll learn how people learn (or don’t learn) from past events. You’ll start seeing patterns and parallels between the past and present. Maybe even the future.

English language allows you to explore the foundations of language. The specialist optional modules include psycholinguistics, forensic linguistics, and clinical linguistics. You can investigate human communication, the psychology behind language and the use of language in different settings. How is language used to identify criminals? History will teach you the links between past and present. Does history really repeat itself?

Our English Language graduates have gone on to work within various fields, including psychology, speech and language therapy, marketing, and communication. Our History graduates have obtained jobs in research, marketing, data analysis and more. You’ll learn to be critical, identify reliable primary and secondary sources and evaluate data effectively. These are all highly sought-after skills by employers and educational institutions alike.

English Language

You’ll learn from lecturers who specialise in a wide variety of linguistic disciplines. This includes psycholinguistics, bilingualism, language, and gender. You’ll learn about the study of speech sounds, known as phonetics, alongside speech production and syntax, the building blocks of human communication. In addition, you’ll analyse real-life data, transcripts, and texts to understand how the way we talk shapes the world around us. You can use the eye-tracking suite to learn about how the brain processes language. Where do people look when they are reading? Or when engaged in a conversation?

In forensic linguistics, you’ll investigate how language is used to solve crimes. You’ll analyse speech sounds and voice patterns of suspected offenders. Another new and exciting field is sociolinguistics. You’ll explore how people use language differently depending on the context they are in. How does gender affect language use? Can we derive someone’s gender from just reading their texts? Learn about how people make judgments on people’s personalities based solely on their accents and dialects.

History

We are lucky to be situated in is one of the most historic counties of England- Hertfordshire. It’s known for its rich past, museums and market towns steeped in history. St Albans, where the traditional hot cross buns are rumoured to have originated, is only a few miles away. You’ll be able to visit the St Albans Cathedral and the Hertfordshire Archives and Local Studies (HALS), which are only a short drive away in Hertford.

Herts is one of the few universities in the UK with an active Oral History team. Oral history is all about recording people’s stories before they are lost forever. This can be on topical issues, such as immigration or religion. You can even set up your very own project. For example, we've run projects with Watford and Stevenage Football Clubs, local charities, and groups from the wider community, on projects ranging from migrant experiences to the de Havilland Aircraft Company. This optional co-curricular is great for your CV. It helps you develop new skills that employers value. In 2018, some of our students produced interviews for a BBC Radio 4 programme. It was commended in the Public History Prize awards by the Royal Historical Society.  

History was ranked in the top 25% of UK universities for research impact. (Research Excellence Framework, 2021).

What's the course about?

In your first year, you’ll learn the foundations of language. You’ll study phonetics, syntax and the building blocks that make up language. You can choose to explore language in societal groups, humans and even animals! In History, you’ll, explore Africa from the 15th to the 19th century, trade between 1600-2000 and the Heritage Industry in England. You can also choose to study 20th Century American culture, which covers music, sport, and entertainment, including early film.

In your second year, you can take modules on English language teaching, psycholinguistics, forensic linguistics and more. Learn how language is processed in the brain, how children learn language, and learn more about phonetics, phonology, and syntax. All your History modules are optional as well. Explore family life in the 18th century or learn how to make a historical documentary.

Work placement/study abroad option: Between your second and final year, you’ll have the option to study abroad or do a work placement for up to a year. Not only will this give you an amazing experience to talk about but will also give your CV a boost. If you’d rather go straight to your final year, that’s fine too. You’ll decide in your second year with us, so there is still plenty of time to think about this.

In your final year, you can choose from a wide range of modules, from Child Language and Communication to Pacific Histories which explores colonisation, conflict and connections. You also have the opportunity to select to do a final year project of your choosing in either History or English language.

For a full list of modules, see the section under ‘What will I study?’

Your main campus is College Lane

This is where the creative arts, science and health-related subjects are based. This means you’ll share the campus with future nurses, scientists, artists and more. You can use the common rooms to relax with friends, work out in the 24-hour gym or have a drink in our on-campus pub or cafes. We also have restaurants for you to eat in or grab something on the go. Our Learning Resources Centres are open 24/7, which means you can study whenever suits you best. Want to pop over to the other campus? You can take the free shuttle bus or walk there in just 15 minutes.

What will I study?

Degree programmes are structured into levels, 4, 5 and 6. These correspond to your first, second and third/final year of study. Below you can see what modules you’ll be studying in each.  

Level 4

Module	Credits	Compulsory/optional
Language and Mind	15 Credits	Optional
The aim of this module is to enable you to gain an insight into the relation between language and mind. We start with a characterisation of communication systems and with a discussion in what ways human language differs from animal communication. In the light of studies that have tried to teach language to chimpanzees we further explore the question whether the ability for 'grammar' is unique in humans. We then look at particular brain structures that are important for language functions and what happens when these structures are affected by a stroke. We will also look at the question whether language influences the way we think. Children's acquisition of language and cases of language deprivation are other topics on this module. The notion of a 'critical period' in language acquisition will be applied to first and second language acquisition and we will conclude with a discussion of different approaches to language learning.
Communication, Interaction, Context	15 Credits	Optional
The focus of this module is on "language in inter-action". It sets out to maximise awareness of the factors at play when we communicate with others. Language is used to 'do' things in communicative situations and we look at several theories that seek to explain how this is achieved, e.g. Grice's (1989) Theory of Cooperation and Politeness Theory (Brown and Levinson 1987). We also explore how we understand what someone is saying to us when much of the language we use is ambiguous, implied or figurative. Communication involves more than a code, and we explore the role of context, the knowledge we bring to conversations and the importance of 'Theory of Mind' in understanding what someone says to us. The first part of the module will be concerned with face-to-face communication, but in the second part, we will focus on computer mediated communication including communication through social media.
Language in the Media	15 Credits	Optional
In this module, you will develop a range of skills which will enable them to undertake the linguistic analysis of media taken from various sources, including new media sources such as digital media, social media/ online identity, multimodal communication, mobile communication; as well as other media genres such as films, T.V shows and music. You will develop the ability to approach the language in the media critically to understand the importance and powerful effect of the media in our society.
Investigating Language	15 Credits	Compulsory
This module will give students on the English Language and Linguistics Programme the opportunity to develop a variety of skills necessary to be successful in their chosen modules and to thrive in a university environment. You will develop your skills of academic reading, writing, researching, analysing and communicating with others. The learning sessions are designed to foster a sense of community within the student cohort and, at the same time, develop each individual's communication skills whether that be when working in small groups or when giving oral presentations.
Historians' Toolkit	15 Credits	Compulsory
This module provides you with the toolkit of the historical profession. It supports the transition from secondary education, and those returning to education, by teaching you the history skills needed at university, in a hands-on and relevant way. You will learn about the historical development of the discipline, explore the ways historians interpret a wide range of sources, and develop your essay writing skills.
Introduction to English Linguistics 1	15 Credits	Compulsory
This module introduces you to the fundamentals of English Linguistics. We will explore the origins of modern linguistics as a discipline and discuss core concepts of linguistic analysis, including, but not limited to, phonemes, morphemes and parts of speech. In this module you will be provided with the basic knowledge pertaining to different properties of language and how these are described, theorised and investigated. This module is taught in workshops and will give you ample opportunities to engage in hands-on practical tasks that will hone your knowledge and understanding of the core concepts of linguistics and equip you with the analytical skills so that you are able to apply them in different contexts across other modules in your studies of the subject of English Language and Linguistics.
Introduction to English Linguistics 2	15 Credits	Compulsory
This module introduces you to the fundamentals of English Linguistics and builds on 4HUM1150. We will discuss different approaches to grammatical and syntactical analysis and how meaning is theorised, constructed and analysed both on a lexical and text level. We will also explore language change, revisiting and expanding on some of the concepts introduced in 4HUM1150. Finally, we will explore how the fundamental concepts of linguistics are used in one or more areas of applied linguistics. The workshops for this module will provide you with ample opportunities to put your newly gained knowledge into practice by applying it in various tasks.
Faith, Magic, and Medicine 1500-1800	15 Credits	Optional
Many of the debates that define the making of our modern era were concerned with the relationships between religion, science, magic, and medicine. This module begins by exploring the early modern ideas and practices that shaped people's understanding of the natural and supernatural world in Protestant England and Catholic Europe, and also how these influenced European colonial views of the religions and rituals of other cultures. The module will question how events like the witch trials affected people's medical, magical, and theological 'world view', and challenge students to consider the extent to which the Reformation and Enlightenment transformed health, faith, and beliefs in everyday life.
The American Century, 1900-2000	15 Credits	Optional
The influence of the American lifestyle extends far beyond the country's borders, and this module encourages you to reflect on the historical roots of often-familiar elements of culture from the United States of America. By focussing on selected moments in twentieth century American music, sport and entertainment, we will consider the historical processes that shaped the continent's social and cultural history. Building on this, we will also examine how and why the country's cultural identity has been internationally transmitted and how it has been received. Each week you will learn to connect a specific individual, event or movement to broader historical issues through the use of video, texts, images, and song.
Imperial Trade and Global Connections 1600-2001	15 Credits	Optional
International trade has a significant impact on the way we live. The food we eat, the clothes we wear, the gadgets we use and the services we rely on are often created in distant places and delivered to us through complex trading networks. This module will introduce you to the long history of global trade and consumption. We will consider how the desire for foreign commodities helped transform economies, polities and cultures around the world. We will explore the lives of the traders who supplied the goods and seek to understand the desires of the consumers who demanded foreign luxuries. We will also see the impact that consumption in one country has on lives in other places acknowledging the Africans who, as enslaved people, were turned into commodities, the farmers forced into the production of cash crops, and the workers expected to toil in sweatshops to produce cheap goods for multinational corporations.
History on the Page, Stage, and Screen	15 Credits	Optional
From the Assassin's Creed video games to the enormously popular Bridgerton series historical events, people, and scenarios dominate our cultural landscape. They are presented in novels, on television, on film, and on the stage. The past is the source of inspiration for societies around the world. Writers use it as the setting for their stories; governments use it to justify their policies; businesses use it to sell their products or services. This module explores how history is represented in popular culture and provides students with an understanding of how historians are involved in shaping these depictions. It asks students to question the extent to which contemporary depictions tell us more about our own times than about the past and to consider the extent to which popular representations of the past connect with debates amongst academic historians.
Global Gender History, 1550-1850	15 Credits	Optional
Gender shaped the lives of people around the world between 1550 and 1850. From the cradle to the grave, gender played a major role in determining how societies understood the 'proper' places of women and men. Taking a global approach, you will chart similarities and differences in the experiences of persons who lived, loved, and worked in places as varied as Britain, China, France, Ireland, the Low Countries, North America, Latin America, Spain, and Sweden. Close attention will be paid to how local factors, like race, religion, and labour status, further refined and defined the gendered lives of individuals. The module begins by introducing you to gender history as both historical field and approach, before moving on to consider the different types of primary sources that enable us to access the gendered intimacies of everyday life. Possible topics may include: Crime, Marriage, Piracy, Reproduction, Sexuality, War, and Work.
Revolutions, Riots, and Social Justice 1776-Present	15 Credits	Optional
This module takes you through 200 years of national and global conflicts over people's rights, and the complex history of the recognition of human rights. Taking a 'history from below' approach, this module will give you critical thinking skills in understanding how global change affects individuals and different communities, and how different social movements fought for rights, including women, sexuality, race, and disability. You will investigate the impact of revolutions and new ideas in inspiring different groups across the world to challenge and defend their social, political, and economic rights.
Africa and the World 1500-1850	15 Credits	Optional
The history of Africa is rich and varied but has all too often been viewed through European lenses of prejudice and self-interest; such perspectives shaped by the experiences of Africa's slave trades and of colonisation. This module explores the history of Africa and its peoples from 1500 to the mid-nineteenth century, and, taking an African perspective, how Africa and Africans encountered and engaged with the people, culture, and religions of the wider world. The module will explore how contact with the nations and peoples of Europe, Asia and America forged new political institutions and global trade networks, changed religious practices and social conventions, and drew Africans – willingly and unwillingly – into a global diaspora.

Level 5

Module	Credits	Compulsory/optional
Propaganda in 20th century War and Politics A	15 Credits	Optional
This broad survey module will encourage students to connect the development of mass communications with domestic and international politics in the twentieth century. Time will be spent on defining public opinion, censorship and propaganda; on examining propaganda channels and techniques; and, on analysing and measuring propaganda effects. Emphasis will be placed on Britain's pioneering role in the new world communications network via its empire, and on the importance attached to the First World War in changing the face of propaganda. A variety of sources, including film, will be used to assess the increasing sophistication of political persuasion thereafter. Particular attention will be paid to Hitler's Germany, Stalin's Russia and the international conflicts in Vietnam in the 1960s and the Middle East in the 1990s. Seminars will involve group work centred on core interpretative texts.
Learning and Teaching Language 2	15 Credits	Optional
This module is the second of two that look in some depth at issues in the learning and teaching of language, with special reference to English. In this module, more emphasis is laid on teaching. The module takes a broadly historical approach to language learning and teaching. The starting-off point will be a resume of the state of EFL as a result of the professionalization of teaching at the end of the C19 and the effects of the Reform Movement. Thereafter there will be examination of such trends and approaches as the grammar / translation 'method', behaviourism, the audio-lingual approach, the communicative approach, the Natural Approach and the Lexical Approach. Connections will be made in each case with the key concepts discussed in the preceding module. A final session looks at classroom generated research and at what teachers can hope to learn from it.
Language in Society	15 Credits	Optional
Sociolinguistics is the study of language in society. This module will introduce you to the major issues in sociolinguistics. We will start by addressing the relation between language and society and the nature of variation. We will address varieties of language use at the level of the group and the individual and explore three kinds of lectal variation: regional, social and functional. We will consider how and why users vary their language according to different social settings as well as the social pressures that cause language change. Further topics to be studied include accents and dialects, language and ethnicity and language and gender. This module should appeal to anyone interested in the way language is used to signal identity and negotiate society.
Sounds of English	15 Credits	Compulsory
This module will offer you the chance to study the sounds of English at two levels: the surface level (phonetics) and the underlying mental level (phonology). We will start by looking at the physiological apparatus involved with the production of speech before examining in more detail how individual speech sounds are made (articulatory phonetics). We will then turn to the organisation of speech sounds at the underlying mental level. Here we will identify the distinct 'sound concepts' of English and explore the various ways they each may be realised phonetically. We will then move on to analysing syllables and stress. The module offers you an important descriptive tool for further language study as well as essential knowledge for careers in areas such as speech and language therapy. This module is a prerequisite for study of English Language and Communication at level 3.
Forensic Linguistics	15 Credits	Optional
In this module we will be concerned with real examples of language use in legal contexts. Specifically, the module will first give an introduction to discourse analysis and then apply the methods of discourse analysis to Forensic Linguistics, the application of linguistics in order to understand conversation in legal contexts and establish authorship, authenticity and veracity in forensic texts. The talk and texts we will analyse will be taken from court proceedings, police interviews, witness statements, confessions, emergency calls, hate mail and suicide letters.
Learning and Teaching Language 1	15 Credits	Optional
This module is the first of two that look in some depth at issues in the learning and teaching of language, with special reference to English. In this module, more emphasis is laid on theories of second language development and the learner, while greater emphasis is placed on the teaching of a second language in the second module. The module examines both naturalistic methods of learning and classroom learning, discussing the impact of and typical outcomes for the learner in each condition. It considers the work of contemporary theorists, and examines factors such as the role of the L1, the different aspects of L2 knowledge and the interplay of variables that contribute to successful second language development.
Hearth & Heart: Family Life in the Long Eighteenth-Century	15 Credits	Optional
This module examines the history of the family in Britain and Ireland over the long eighteenth-century. It will introduce you to the methodological approaches and historiographical debates in the history of the family, and will cover a wide variety of topics, from family size and structure, to representations of ideal families in literature and art, family relationships, deviant sexuality, and the regulation of the family by church and state. Questions it will consider include: What was family life like in this period? Did parents really love their children? How widespread was pre-marital sexual intercourse? And, in what ways did the family change over time? Close attention will be paid to the role that gender and social class played in shaping family life over the period. The module will make use of a rich array of source materials including, letters and diaries, church court minutes, art and census material.
Nation & Identity: Newly Independent States in Interwar Europe, 1918-1939	15 Credits	Optional
This module explores a fascinating period in European history when empires crumbled, and new nation-states emerged. The process of state building is investigated in detail. Through an analysis of the settlements that gave birth to the new states, the module seeks to establish the extent to which they influenced and, in some cases, hindered the states' development. The various political, economic, social, religious, and cultural forces that shaped the states will also be examined and evaluated. Close attention will be paid to the various efforts to create national identity through a range of diverse range of forums, including membership of international bodies, major sporting occasions, state-sponsored art, and religious events. Building on these themes, the module will subsequently address why some states survived and others collapsed with the outbreak of a second world war.
Making a Historical Documentary	15 Credits	Optional
Historical documentaries are one of the key ways that the public learn about the past. The most successful documentaries take complex issues and communicate them in a straightforward and engaging manner. This practical module will guide you through the various stages of television documentary-making, from generating an idea to actually producing your own short twelve-minute documentary. Archive research, scripting, filming and interviewing, and editing are among the basic techniques that will be covered. You will also develop the ability to critically assess documentaries, learning to detect strengths and weaknesses. Over the course of the semester, you will gain and expand a range of practical transferable skills.
Postcards from the Empire: Experiences of British Imperialism	15 Credits	Optional
At the empire's height, Queen Victoria claimed sovereignty over nearly one in four of the planet's human inhabitants. The lives and experiences of each were sculpted by international, national, and local dynamics. This module explores the stories of these everyday lives through snapshots of life in the British Empire up to 1922. Case studies may draw from places including Australia, Aotearoa New Zealand, Africa, India, Ireland, Canada, America, and the Caribbean. Themes may include race, gender, class, religion, economics, and adventure. A particular emphasis will be placed on exploring the histories of racialized and colonized peoples, with attention to the historical approaches developed over the past several decades that have changed the ability of historians to identify and engage with these voices.
Maladies and Medicine in Early Modern Europe	15 Credits	Optional
Early modern men and women contended with a range of deadly, disabling, and distracting disease throughout their lives. Those offering treatments jostled for attention and clients in a competitive medical marketplace. This module explores the nature of medical knowledge and treatment between c. 1550-1750. We will look at a range of illnesses including mental illness and disability and disfigurement. The course will investigate the treatments offered to patients and who they were treated by. A series of lectures will form the spine of the module introducing the key themes and historiographical debates in this field. The seminars will then consider specific examples and particular historiographical issues in greater depth. The module will move through three main areas; medical knowledge and learning, disease and death, and medical provision in the period.
Crime and Society in England, 1550-1750	15 Credits	Optional
One way of understanding early-modern English society is to examine the nature of criminal activity, and the perception and response to crime in the period. In this module you will be introduced to a wide variety of criminal activities and behaviours, ranging from the pattern and nature of 'petty' crimes, such as poaching and defamation, to more 'serious' crimes, such as murder and treason. You will be encouraged to reflect on the motives for crime and what such activities can tell us about early modern society. Considerable emphasis will be place on understanding the system of justice and the nature of law enforcement in the period. To this end, you will identify, consult and undertake qualitative and quantitative analyses of online historical datasets and databases, such as The Proceedings of the Old Bailey, and will be encouraged to reflect on the ethical implications of using such resources for historical research.
The Age of the Cold War, 1945-1991	15 Credits	Optional
This broad survey module will examine the origins, nature and end of the Cold War in a global context between 1945 and 1991. The first section of the module assesses the nature of the Cold War in comparative historical context, before investigating the origins of the Cold War, the nature of superpower conflict, and the global expansion of the Cold War. The module then adopts a thematic approach, concentrating on the ideological, diplomatic, economic, political, military and cultural dimensions of the Cold War of the 1950s through to the 1980s. The module will consider the conflict between the superpowers, but also the effect of the Cold War on the periphery and unaligned nations. The final section of the module deals with the collapse of the Soviet Union and the People's Democracies in Europe following Gorbachev's rise to power in 1985, and the diplomacy and events that brought the Cold War to an end.
Doing History: Investigating the Historians' Craft	15 Credits	Optional
This module prepares students for Level 6 dissertations and extended essays by equipping them with essential historical research skills. Engaging, hands-on workshops enhance their ability to conduct scholarly enquiry, build confidence, and collaborate effectively. The module also focuses on project development, proposal writing, mastering digital tools, ethical research practices, and exploring diverse approaches. Whether for dissertation preparation or independent research, this course provides a strong foundation and valuable expertise for impactful historical study.
Vocabulary	15 Credits	Optional
In this module you will investigate different aspects of English vocabulary. In particular, we will look in detail at different ways in which words are defined, how they are formed, what they mean, and how they change over time. In addition, we will look at the use of corpora in the study of word meaning and word collocations by accessing different corpora via Sketch Engine. The module will also look at the way dictionaries are assembled, with special reference for example to the Oxford English Dictionary or the Collins Co-Build.
Toolkit for Linguistic Research	15 Credits	Optional
This module provides you with a broad overview of various research skills using software, and the theoretical and empirical issues involved in carrying out research using each type. We will focus on certain software tools used to store, code, and analyse language data, for example NVivo; Sketch Engine, CHILDES, Superlab and Eye-tracking Software. You are introduced to current research strategies used in English Language and will develop the IT skills required in order to code and analyse pre-existing, naturalistic, experimental and questionnaire data. Data archives and computer-based analysis programs as well as psycholinguistic experiments are explored. The module will prepare you for the kinds of work you will undertake at level 6, as well as for conducting a long or short project.
English Grammar	15 Credits	Compulsory
In this module you will look at what grammar is and what it isn't. You will learn how to identify the different word categories of English and how these word categories are put together into phrases to form sentences in English, as well as what grammatical functions these different phrases have in a sentence. You'll also learn how you can recognise different sentence types and how to analyse the structure of complex sentences and different sentence types. This will give you the toolkit you need to study English Language & Linguistics modules at level 6.
Employability Skills	15 Credits	Optional
Producing graduates who are highly employable is a key aim of the University of Hertfordshire. This module aims to help you bridge gaps between your specialist academic studies and the world of graduate employment. As well as allowing you to reflect on and further develop your employability skills we will explore the changing nature of employers' needs. Using case studies, we will consider a range of issues (legal, gender, equality) that can arise in recruitment and the workplace. The module will also focus on career planning and job searching, as well as recruitment and selection processes including the work of assessment centres and psychometric testing. Overall the intention is that you will be able to develop your job-market awareness and identify and explore potential career pathways. The module is worth 15 credits and may be chosen in place of a 15-credit subject module at Level 5, or as an additional module at Level 6, alongside 120 credits of modules in your subject(s).

Level 6

Module	Credits	Compulsory/optional
Close Encounters: Natives and Settlers in Colonial America, 1600-1780	15 Credits	Optional
This module explores the relationship between English settlers and indigenous peoples in Colonial America. When the first English colonists arrived in America in the early seventeenth century, they found themselves living alongside native groups whose languages, belief systems, and cultures were entirely different to their own. This module examines how both parties responded to the sudden presence of an unfamiliar 'other' in their midst. The module will interrogate English efforts to conquer and convert indigenous peoples, and instances of co-existence and cross-cultural exchange.
Child Language & Communication	15 Credits	Optional
This module provides a detailed investigation of how children acquire their first language and the theories that seek to explain the process. We will look at child language from the pre-linguistic stage through to the acquisition of words, morpho-syntax and inflections. You will also explore the relation between language and cognitive development, as well as the acquisition of communication skills. These topics will be considered for both monolingual and bilingual children.
Clinical Linguistics	15 Credits	Optional
This module examines the effects of developmental and acquired disorders of language and/or communication on the acquisition and use of language. Different kinds of linguistic disorders are presented in an attempt to explore the nature of language and communication. Topics include, for example, the study of phonological disability, stuttering, grammatical impairment, semantic/pragmatic disorders, hearing impairment, Downs Syndrome and autism. The module also looks at other language modalities, such as British Sign Language and addresses issues concerned with the assessment of comprehension and production and the use of computer programs and databases in language analysis.
Language Processing	15 Credits	Optional
Learning outcomes will be achieved through a combination of lectures, seminars, tutorials and directed tasks. The module introduces you to the theories and methodologies of psycholinguistics relating to language processing. You will consider psycholinguistic models of the mental lexicon and of language production and comprehension. You will be taught how to critically examine this work, looking not just at the results but how they were obtained. You will assess the contribution that linguistics can make. You will also collect and analyse relevant data.
Communication and Cultures	15 Credits	Optional
The module gives you an opportunity to bring to the surface some of your personal / social cultural assumptions and working beliefs, and to see how they map onto those of other cultures, with specific attention to a specified domain of each student's choice. In particular, you are encouraged to look at inter-cultural communication, in the forms of face-to-face conversation, interviews, group encounters, formal situations such as conferences, e-mail and other forms of written communication, in order to see how other cultures, and especially a culture of your own choosing, articulate, disguise, hide and express beliefs.
Meaning and Context	15 Credits	Optional
This module is concerned with meaning in language and communication. It introduces students to different types of meaning and different theoretical approaches to studying meaning in the philosophy of language and linguistics. A key issue will be the distinction between semantics and pragmatics, where the boundary between them lies, and the way in which the two realms interact in the communication of meaning.
Year Abroad	0 Credits	Optional
A Study Abroad year is an optional additional year that increases the length of the Honours degree award to a four−year full− time degree. The additional year comprises an agreed programme of study in a partner institution abroad with whom the University of Hertfordshire has an institutional agreement.
Bodies and Sexuality in the Early Modern Period A	15 Credits	Optional
The body was fundamental to gender roles, social relationships and experiencing everyday life. This course will explore popular ideas about the body and sexuality in the early modern period. Through a series of workshops, you will examine a diverse range of primary source material and supporting historiography to evaluate the assumptions that underpinned early modern notions of normal and abnormal bodies. The course will emphasise the ways in which some bodies were thought to be unsuited/suited to sexual activity. The course will then consider the importance of sexuality and sexual behaviours to early modern life. The course will consider whether certain sexual behaviours were thought to be normal or abnormal and will think about how these activities were monitored and policed. The module will provide experience of researching and using a range of unusual source materials including medical treatises, portraits, jokes and erotic literature.
The Humanities Placement Year	0 Credits	Compulsory
The Placement Year provides students with the opportunity to set their academic studies in a broader context and to utilise the intellectual skills they have gained through their degree in the workplace. The module enables students to strengthen their time management, organisational and communication skills as well as develop employability skills. Students gain experience of applying for jobs and of working within a commercial, business or professional environment prior to graduating thus increasing employability skills such as teamwork, communication skills and commercial awareness.
Gender in Language and Communication	15 Credits	Optional
We will begin the course with a study of the historical and theoretical background to the study of language and gender within the larger area of sociolinguistics. We will examine various theories that attempt to account for gendered differences in language and look at the key pieces of research in this area. This will include a focus on the following: sexism in language; gender differences in pronunciation and grammar; sex and convert prestige, discourse features and turn taking, narratives and storytelling, and politeness. We will then move on to contemporary theories in the area that move beyond the binary distinction of men and women to how speakers can perform their gendered identity. This includes a focus on workplace discourse to examine how leadership and power are enacted within masculine and feminine workplaces. Recent changes in language and gender studies, such as the incorporation of the Community of Practice framework to analyse language use, will also be addressed.
Global Englishes	15 Credits	Optional
This module will focus on the global spread of the English language, which is no longer used only by native speakers but increasingly by speakers from diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds. Despite these changes, the native speaker continues to dominate in English Language Teaching. This module will explore various issues in the spread of English, including: the influence of other languages on English; the rise, standardisation, ideology and ownership of English; varieties of English across the world (including 'New Englishes', English as a Lingua Franca, pidgins & creoles); attitudes towards varieties of English and the pedagogical implications of these issues for English Language Teaching in the context of Global Englishes.
Italy and Fascism	15 Credits	Optional
How and why did Fascism come to power in Italy? Claiming that Italians were the true heirs to the Roman Empire and that the nation had been betrayed and undermined by its former allies, Fascists demanded a new and expanded role for Italy on the world stage and implemented sweeping and dramatic changes at home. On this module, we will explore how the Fascist project advanced in the aftermath of the Great War, setting this in the context of the underlying social, economic, political, and cultural structures and cleavages in Italian history. You will have the opportunity to work with a wide range of visual and textual primary sources relating to Italian Fascism, and all written documents from the period will be provided in English translation.
Corpus-based Studies in English Language	15 Credits	Optional
In this module you will learn how to use electronic databases (corpora) to address research questions in English Language & Communication. We will look at a range of different corpora (spoken, written, different genres and speakers) to see how they are adapted for research both qualitatively and quantitatively. We will explore areas of English Language (including word use, collocations, discourse, gender, language change, language teaching, translation), select suitable corpora for investigation and analyse the data output. In this module we will also address issues in the compilation of corpus data and the way corpus investigations can impact on theories of language.
Popular Protest, Riot and Reform in Britain, 1760-1848 B	15 Credits	Optional
Britain experienced a period of tumultuous social and political upheaval in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. This module will examine the development of social and political protest movements, and survey the causes and consequences of popular unrest in Britain, 1760-1848. You will engage with the secondary literature of the subject and with a wide range of primary sources, visual, written and digital. Topics may include the development of ideas of democratic rights through the influence of the American and French revolutions, radical political and social movements in Britain; Luddites and trade unions; Swing rioters and rural unrest; Chartism; anti-New Poor Law Riots.
Everyday Lives: An Intimate History of Twentieth Century Women	15 Credits	Optional
This module offers an intimate history of the everyday lives of women in America, Britain and Ireland. We will explore the lives, roles, experiences and perceptions of ordinary women during the twentieth century. Students will be introduced to an array of sources – including popular and visual culture, objects and digital sources, oral testimony and literature (fiction and memoir) – and to what they reveal about the manner in which women were perceived and represented; how women viewed themselves; and how women of different generations experienced, negotiated and reacted to social change. Fashion, consumerism, courtship, sexuality, and advertising are among the areas considered for what they reveal about women and the world around them. Such themes will be analysed within the context of continuity and change across the twentieth century and three geographical perspectives. The module will conclude by questioning the extent to which women's movements were representative of ordinary women.
Final Year History Dissertation	30 Credits	Optional
With the dissertation, students have the chance to select their own topic to research, subject to approval. Albeit under supervision, this module requires largely independent study and research based partly on primary sources, with students expected to address historical problems in depth by gathering, sifting, reading, analysing and reflecting critically upon historical sources and advanced secondary literature. Students present their research in a poster or presentation format, and submit a draft chapter followed by a dissertation.
Witch-Bottles to Wishing-Wells: The Material Culture of Everyday Ritual	15 Credits	Optional
If a picture can say a thousand words then what can a physical object tell us? This module will consider this question by engaging with the material culture (the physical objects and spaces that shape cultures) of everyday and calendar rituals, from 1650-present. Few people in Britain, both today and in the early modern period, would claim to regularly participate in rituals. However, ritual activities are in fact a large part of everyday domestic and private lives, ranging from the use of bottles in the 18th century to counteract bewitchment, to the blowing out of birthday candles today. Through a series of extended, interactive workshops we will examine a diverse range of objects. These will be analysed and interpreted as primary source material, in order to consider the prevalence of everyday rituals and the value of material culture. Artefacts will vary but may include early modern protective charms; votives and offerings; ritual foods; and contemporary seasonal objects.
Placement with Study Abroad	0 Credits	Compulsory
Students on this unique module will have the opportunity to undertake both a semester at a partner university and to undertake a semester of placement, thus both improving their cultural awareness and employability. Students who have been on the Placement Year and Study Abroad Year, both normally undertaken after level 5 and before entering the final year, have reported high levels of satisfaction with both and many have said the Placement or Study Abroad year was one of the highlights of their university career. The Placement Year is offered by only a handful of universities offering Humanities subjects, so this module is a fantastic opportunity for students to explore both aspects of Study Abroad and Placement both here and abroad.
Communication and Cultures	15 Credits	Optional
The module gives you an opportunity to bring to the surface some of your personal / social cultural assumptions and working beliefs, and to see how these relate to other cultures. You will develop your cultural sensitivity to diverse communication and cultural practices and patterns. In particular,you are encouraged to look at intercultural communication, in the forms of face-to-face conversation, interviews and online communication, in order to see how other cultures, and especially a culture of your own choosing, articulate, disguise, hide and express their beliefs.
Syntax	15 Credits	Optional
In 1958 Noam Chomsky published the book 'Syntactic Structures' which revolutionised the way in which we do Linguistics. In this module you will be introduced to a generative syntactic theory which has grown out of Chomsky's approach to Linguistics. You will learn what principles and mechanisms are proposed to account for the grammatically well-formed sentences of English and analyse the structure of sentences using this theory. We'll look at range of language puzzles and see how the theory attempts to explain these, for example why it is okay to say, 'What did Mary claim that Peter did?' (cf. Mary claimed that Peter lied) but we can't say 'What did Mary make the claim that Peter did?' (cf. Mary made the claim that Peter lied), even though the sentences mean virtually the same thing and we can understand them both.
Boom Cities and New Towns in the 20th Century A	15 Credits	Optional
This module explores the rise of 'boom cities' and new towns in Britain and across the world in the 20th century. Hertfordshire was the central county of experiments in urban planning, from garden cities to new towns. You will study the utopian visions of urban planners and postwar governments, and how these ideas were exchanged in new towns across the world, including Poland, India, the USA and Australia. The module also examines the social history of planned settlements. Who moved to new towns and what was everyday life like there? Did 'new town blues' really exist? You will develop your skills in analysis of a wide range of primary sources, including plans, correspondence and oral histories from planned settlements in Britain.
Sinners, Scoundrels & Deviants: Non-Conformity in the Atlantic World A	15 Credits	Optional
How do societies decide what constitutes 'deviant' behaviour, and who is responsible for making that distinction? This module challenges students to rethink societal definitions of 'deviant' behaviour. It will explore why certain groups and certain behaviours were deemed to be deviant at particular points in time. Focusing on the Atlantic World, the module charts changing perceptions of deviant and traditional behaviour amidst a period of immense social, cultural and political change. Drawing on a diverse range of primary source materials, we will explore how the church, state and community responded to differences in sexuality, lifestyle, religion and race, to create acceptable standards of behaviour. Possible 'deviant' behaviours to be explored include incest, alcohol misuse, bigamy, fist-fights, same-sex and inter-racial relationships.
Cold War Film and Propaganda	15 Credits	Optional
The Cold War between 1945 and 1991 saw one of the most intense propaganda conflicts in history. Popular culture played a vital role in the icy stand-off between the East and West. Through media such as popular film, each side promoted the virtues of their respective systems, while simultaneously demonising their opponents. This module uses feature films and documentaries to analyse different aspects of the battle for hearts and minds in the Cold War. Some films will be used to help illustrate the key propaganda themes of the Cold War; others will be viewed as primary source documents--i.e. they will be discussed and analysed in the context of when they were produced and what they tell us about the mindset of Americans and Russians at the time. Combined with in-class discussion and analysis of primary documents, examining Cold War films provides students with an engaging way of exploring the relationship between history, propaganda and entertainment.
The Middle East in turmoil: The Arab-Israeli conflict since 1948	15 Credits	Optional
The Arab-Israeli conflict stands as one of the most enduring and, some claim, most intractable political issues in the modern Middle East, if not the whole world. This module offers a detailed examination of this ongoing conflict from its beginnings in the First World War until the present day. It explores the growth of the Zionist movement, the emergence of Palestinian nationalism, the impact of the critical years of 1948 and 1967 that saw the birth and consolidation of the state of Israel and the continuing dispossession of the Palestinians, and the ongoing attempts of forging a political solution since that time. The module is broadly chronological in shape, but uses primary and secondary sources to explore a range of issues including Israeli state and society, European and American intervention in the Middle East, terrorism and war, religion, and efforts to bring peace.
Delivering British Justice? Law in the British Empire, 1760-1965	15 Credits	Optional
What does 'justice' look like in an unequal world? Is the law ever truly neutral or objective? Does law shape society and culture, or the other way around? In this module we will explore the multiple and contested ways in which law was created, resisted, and understood in the British Empire between 1760 and 1965. The perception – both at the time, and one often still referred to in the 21st Century – that the British Empire was 'fairer' than other European colonial powers was an extremely important one for justification of the imperial project both at home and abroad. The ways in which law was imposed, negotiated and resisted in the empire was fundamental to this belief, often framed as delivering 'British justice' to colonial subjects. Exploring a range of themes and case studies from across the globe, we will use law as a window into understanding politics and society.

Study abroad

An opportunity for an amazing experience, which will help make you stand out from the crowd. With more and more companies working internationally, experience of living in another country can make a great impression on future employers.

This course offers you the opportunity to enhance your study and CV with a sandwich year abroad. The University has partnerships with over 150 universities around the world, including the USA, Canada, Asia, Africa, Australia, South America and closer to home in Europe.

If you study abroad between your second and third year of study, you’ll pay no tuition fee to the partner university and no tuition fee to us either. We’ll ask you to make your decision in your second year, so there is plenty of time to think about it.

Find out more about Study abroad opportunities
Work placement

Graduate with invaluable work experience alongside your degree and stand out from the crowd.

This course offers you the opportunity to enhance your study and CV with a work placement sandwich year. It’s a chance to explore career possibilities, make valuable contacts and gain sought after professional skills.

Our dedicated Careers and Employment team are here to help guide you through the process.

If you take up a work placement between your second and third year of study, at the University of Hertfordshire you’ll pay no tuition fee for this year. We’ll ask you to make your decision in your second year, so there is plenty of time to think about it.

Find out more about work placements
What if I need support?

You’ll get a personal tutor to guide you through your course, all the way to graduation.
You might also want or need extra support during your time with us. Rest assured, no matter what you study, we’ve got you covered. For help with study skills, including referencing, essay writing and presentations, you’ll have access to our academic support services. You can attend workshops, 1-to-1 sessions, and online tutorials. Both our LRCs (Learning Resources Centres) run drop-in study skills sessions. And the best thing is, it’s all free.

Check out our student blogs

Alumni Stories

Eleanor Pilcher

Meet Eleanor Pilcher who since graduating in 2016 has taken the publishing industry by storm. Eleanor currently works as a Marketing Manager at Avon, HarperCollins Publisher.

Read more stories Find out more about this course

Current job role	Marketing Manager
Year of graduation	2016
Course of study	BA (Hons) History and Creative Writing

University experience and employability

Eleanor is a keen writer with great creative ambitions. During her degree she undertook a six-month internship at a literary agency in her final academic year. In 2016, shortly after her studies, Eleanor landed a placement at Penguin before getting a job in publishing recruitment. After developing her skills within the industry and amassing and impressive amount of knowledge and experience, Eleanor began her current role at HarperCollins Publishers.

Eleanor's degree encompassed a broad spectrum of critical, analytical and evaluative skills and helped shape her as a writer. Throughout her studies she had been writing a novel, which she submitted to literary agencies after being encouraged by her tutor to do so. It was Eleanor's passion for writing that uncovered her interest in working for a literary agency. Due to the fantastic lecturers on her course and the invaluable industry networks available to students, Eleanor managed to secure impressive opportunities in her chosen industry that have informed her career.

Sher recognises the impact the University has had on getting her to where she is today. 'For me the advice and feedback I received on both my History essays and Creative Writing finals was incredibly useful to my academic and professional development. I learnt to take criticism and to harness it and also write more because of it.'

Ambitions for the future

Eleanor has established herself in her chosen industry yet still has ambition to continue pursuing new goals. On her hopes for the future, she says: 'I hope to run a marketing department within a publishing company, possibly the one I'm at now. I hope to publish a novel and continue my freelance writing and public speaking on the side.'

Alumni Stories

Alex Olney

Meet Alex Olney who has applied his skills in communication to the gaming industry. He is currently a Senior Video Producer at Nintendo Life.

Read more stories Find out more about this course

Current job role	Senior Video Producer
Year of graduation	2015
Course of study	BA(Hons) English Language and Communication

University experience

While not his first choice of university, Alex is grateful that he applied to the University of Hertfordshire through Clearing as whilst at the University he discovered and explored his passion for everything linguistic. This passion has had a profound impact on his life since graduating.

He says, ‘Studying a language gave me confidence and a deeper understanding of human and non-human communication and has allowed me to create a distinct idiolect that identifies me as a creator and, more importantly, entertains tens of thousands of people every day.’

He credits his success to the support he received from his lecturers who encouraged him throughout his studies: ‘The lecturers were not only well informed about the subject matter but had a genuine passion for language.’ He states that they pushed him to explore languages so much so that ‘it became a driving force in my everyday life.’

Alex also believes that the transferable skills he learnt while at the University have helped him throughout his professional life including time management. He states that he learnt effective time management skills to ensure that he never leaves projects and deadlines to the last minute and plans out in advance what is required.

The future

Alex really enjoys his current role at Nintendo Life as he likes the hands on nature of producing content but would eventually like to manage and become a head of the video editing department.

View our Alumni profiles

Eleanor Pilcher Alex Olney

Course fact sheets
BA (Hons) History	Download

Programme specifications
BA (Hons) History	Download
BA (Hons) English Language	Download

Additional information
Sandwich placement or study abroad year	Optional
Applications open to international and EU students	Yes
Course length	Full Time, 3 Years Sandwich, 4 Years
Location	University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield

International/EU applicants without pre-settled status in the UK

Apply through our international/EU application portal

Home and EU applicants with pre-settled/settled status in the UK

Apply using the links below:

2025

Start Date	End Date	Year	Location	Link
23/09/2025	31/05/2026	3	UH Hatfield Campus	Apply online (Full Time)
23/09/2025	31/05/2026	1	UH Hatfield Campus	Apply online (Full Time/Sandwich)
23/09/2025	31/05/2026	2	UH Hatfield Campus	Apply online (Full Time/Sandwich)

2026

Start Date	End Date	Year	Location	Link
23/09/2026	31/05/2027	3	UH Hatfield Campus	Apply online (Full Time)
23/09/2026	31/05/2027	1	UH Hatfield Campus	Apply online (Full Time/Sandwich)
23/09/2026	31/05/2027	2	UH Hatfield Campus	Apply online (Full Time/Sandwich)

Fees and funding
Fees 2025
UK Students
Full time
- £9535 for the 2025/2026 academic year
EU Students
Full time
- £15965 for the 2025/2026 academic year
International Students
Full time
- £15965 for the 2025/2026 academic year
*Tuition fees are charged annually. The fees quoted above are for the specified year(s) only. Fees may be higher in future years, for both new and continuing students. Please see the University’s Fees and Finance Policy (and in particular the section headed “When tuition fees change”), for further information about when and by how much the University may increase its fees for future years.

View detailed information about tuition fees

Read more about additional fees in the course fact sheet

Other financial support

Find out more about other financial support available to UK and EU students

Living costs / accommodation

The University of Hertfordshire offers a great choice of student accommodation, on campus or nearby in the local area, to suit every student budget.

View detailed information about our accommodation

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BA (Hons) History and English Language

Key information

Typical offer:

Fees: See below

UCAS code: V1Q1

Institute code: H36

Study abroad option

Work placement option

Additional requirements

Why choose this course?

English Language

History

What's the course about?

Your main campus is College Lane

What will I study?

Check out our student blogs

Student Blogs

My week at a glance

Student Blogs

Things you need to know before studying History at Herts

Student Blogs

What I love most about my course

Student Blogs

Alumni Stories

Meet Eleanor Pilcher who since graduating in 2016 has taken the publishing industry by storm. Eleanor currently works as a Marketing Manager at Avon, HarperCollins Publisher.

University experience and employability

Ambitions for the future

Alumni Stories

Meet Alex Olney who has applied his skills in communication to the gaming industry. He is currently a Senior Video Producer at Nintendo Life.

University experience

The future

International/EU applicants without pre-settled status in the UK

Home and EU applicants with pre-settled/settled status in the UK

2025

2026

Fees 2025

UK Students

Full time

EU Students

Full time

International Students

Full time

Other financial support

Living costs / accommodation

Your main campus is College Lane