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Your life in the Department

If you choose to study with us, you'll find our Department the ideal place to read, discuss, create and reflect.

Over the past 50 years, it has been home to many of the world's most distinguished scholars in language studies, and has produced graduates whose work has come to define the field. 

The Department is a highly-collaborative environment where you'll be encouraged to produce your very best work.

I didn't think that the course would be so involving and give so many options. Around the core modules that you study, there is a variety of options which can take you in different linguistic disciplines, from sociology to pathology, psychology or even forensic science. If you're willing to work, the staff are more than happy to give you their attention, support and lend you some expertise.
Richard Rhodes, BA Applied English Language Studies

A day in the life - Katie, BA English Language and Applied Linguistics 

  • MORNING

  • LUNCHTIME

  • AFTERNOON

  • EVENING

Katie normally wakes up up early at around 7:30am to get ready for her 9:00am lecture, entitled 'English Phonology'. She walks to campus, meeting her friend Morgan halfway, allowing time for a coffee and a chat beforehand.  Lectures for BA English Language and Linguistics are usually either one hour or two hours depending on the module and content delivered. 
At lunchtime they get an hour break, so everyone dashes to Co-op to get a meal-deal. Katie heads to the English Language break room on the second floor of Edith Morley - it's a great place to relax with friends or work on individual or group projects. There is even a mini-fridge to store food and drinks, as well as a lovely comfortable sofa.
In the afternoon, Katie has a ‘Sociolinguistics’ seminar - it's a really good opportunity to consolidate ideas from the morning lecture. Discussing themes with course mates and asking the lecturer questions develops their knowledge and is really useful for assignments. After the seminar Katie does some volunteering: ‘Students in Schools’ is a scheme run by the university that allows students the opportunity to work with younger pupils in primary and secondary schools.

In the early evening, Katie meets her friend Morgan for their weekly Zumba session - it's a great way to incorporate exercise into the week and provides a nice break from studying. After the hour session, she returns to her student accommodations for dinner - Katie and her housemates take it in turn to cook for one another. She then relaxes, watching TV, and calls her family to let them know what she's been doing.  

 

An open and friendly environment

We encourage students to collaborate with each other during workshops, and develop their critical thinking by exploring English language in a range of settings.

Our experts

Meet our team of experts: active in academic research and cutting-edge practice.

How we support you

The welfare of our students is extremely important to us. That's why we have a dedicated range of services to support your personal and professional development during your studies.

We offer both academic support, as well as non-academic support for your mental, emotional and physical wellbeing. For our international students, we offer academic English support if English is not your first language, and also specialised guidance on immigration and visas.

Our Disability Advisory Service offers support for students requiring assistance during their studies. This service provides bespoke advice to suit our students' individual needs.

Read more about the support available to you during your studies

Life on campus

Our main campus is set on 130 hectares of beautiful parkland, so you'll find plenty of places to relax. Our campus is home to a thriving community and features the Students' Union, Library and places to eat.

Life in Reading

Step off campus and you'll find yourself in a bustling town centre offering a variety of shops, restaurants and activities. We're also well-connected – you can reach London Paddington within half an hour by train.