English Language and Linguistics

Within our flexible Part I system, this 40-credit module runs over the course of the year and introduces students to the field of English Language. It is organised into eight units that cover:

Visual English and English Vocabulary

This unit covers the development of English spelling, including changes in letters and punctuation. We also look at the origins and development of English vocabulary and the complexities involved in defining fundamental units, such as words.

English Sounds and Structures

This unit explores the building blocks of speech, the workings of the human vocal tract, and how we can analyse and transcribe speech. It then builds upon this to examine how smaller units are combined into grammatical structures, while teaching a framework for the analysis of sentence structure.

Media English

This unit considers how media genres have developed, such as how language is used on TV, in newspapers and online. It also explores how language is used across a range of media, including political speeches, advertising, and campaigning, and how social media may be influencing language in real-time.

English Dialects

In this unit, you’ll explore the richness of English dialects, understanding where they came from and how they might change in the future. In doing so, we’ll also examine how English spread around the world and whether there’s such a thing as ‘standard English’.

Analysing English in Use

This unit will teach you fundamental skills in discourse analysis, allowing you to develop a set of tools for analysing texts and their contexts. This includes analysing how language is used to frame political topics, techniques for persuasion, and language and power.

Creative English

What is the difference between ‘ordinary’ and ‘literary’ language? In this unit, you will explore creative uses of English, spanning literature, poetry and metaphors. We will also think about creativity in everyday language, showing how seemingly ordinary speech and writing contains boundless novelty and verbal artistry.

Changing English

One of the most fundamental characteristics of language is that it changes over time. But why does language change? In this unit, you’ll explore the origins of English, how it has changed over time, and how we can use databases of historical language to track changes in writing.

Teaching English

English is the most widely spoken language in the world, but the majority of speakers learn it as a second language. In this unit, you’ll explore issues and opportunities in the teaching of English as a second language, including classroom interaction and the current best practices on how to teach a language.

Within our flexible Part I system, this 40-credit module runs over the course of the year and introduces students to the field of Linguistics. It is organised into six units that cover:

Structures of Language

This unit focusses on the core areas of linguistic description: phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics and pragmatics. The unit introduces students to the structure and meanings of words and sentences as well as the way words and sentences are understood in specific contexts of use.

Language Beginnings and Endings

This unit explores the evolution of language in our species, the way children acquire language and the way second languages are learned as children and adults. It also considers how language can be impaired and how and why languages die out.

Language and Society

This unit considers how languages differ according to social variables like class, gender and region. It also considers the relationship between language and politics and language and culture. The implications of multilingualism and issues of language policy and planning are also addressed.

Language Variation and Change

This unit explores different modalities of language including writing systems and sign language. It also explores the relationships between different languages and the way languages can change over time. Diversity in the world’s languages and the effect language may have on the way people think are also addressed.

Applied Linguistics

In this unit, students are introduced to some of the areas where knowledge and methods from linguistics are applied. You’ll explore the contributions that linguistics has made to areas like forensic science, computer science, health communication, education and literacy.

Methods of Linguistics

In this unit you’ll be introduced to some of the research methods relied on in linguistics, including both qualitative and quantitative methods. You’ll explore the different ways that data is collected and analysed in linguistics through ethnography, corpus linguistics, surveys and experiments.

An introduction to the discipline, Lancaster’s first-year History core course offers a fascinating survey of the last fifteen-hundred years. The course focuses on pivotal trends and events in European history, but it encompasses regions of wider world as distant as California, India, Japan and the South Pacific.

You’ll become familiar with a wide range of primary sources used by historians in the writing of history. You’ll gain insights into how historians conduct research and interpret the past, and will therefore better understand the reasons for changing historical interpretations.

In the process, by undertaking directed reading, by independent research, by attending lectures, by participating in seminar discussions, by working sometimes in a team, and by writing and receiving constructive feedback on what you have written, you will develop your study techniques and other transferable skills.

The long chronological range and types of history covered by the course will extend your intellectual and historical interests and enable you subsequently to make informed choices from among the many historical options available to you in Part 2, either as a History Major student or as a Minor.

This module considers the forms of organisation in which gender is produced and reproduced, the structures of power that have developed as a result, and ways in which communities and movements have resisted marginalisation. We will look at the connections between the ways gender manifests in society and culture and the ways in which gender is studies (and not studied) in academic fields. We will also make connections between academic work, feminist movements and diversity activism more generally.

We will introduce you to some of the central aspects of the discipline of International Relations, providing a firm grounding in the major concepts and debates necessary to understand the modern world of international politics. You will have the opportunity to learn about: the dominant features and power relations of the contemporary global system; the nature of sovereignty and security, their expression and limitations; the real-world problems confronting the international community today.

Areas of study typically include:

+ International Relations Theory: the study of how relations between states can and should be viewed and theorised, Realism, Liberalism, Constructivism and Feminism.

+ Regional Studies: the study of some of the key regions of the world, and the politics of their interactions.

+ International Institutions and Law: the international organisations, customs, and rules that govern inter-state relationships.

+ Global Politics and Belief: the study of how religious and ideological belief can shape international politics and the relation of states.

+ International Crises: the study of pressing issues confronting the international community, such as environmental collapse, technological advance, the rise of non-state actors, and terrorism.

+ International Relations and the Domestic: the study of how the domestic agendas can shape and influence international politics.

Because of the increasing interdependence of the national and global, domestic politics and international relations can no longer be properly understood in isolation from one another. To ensure the best possible foundation for a degree in International Relations, in first year, we strongly recommend you also take Politics in the Modern World.

Cognition is the mental process of acquiring and using knowledge; it underpins our ability to perceive the world around us. This module will equip you with a firm foundation of the conceptual knowledge and terminologies used in cognitive psychology.

You will be introduced to key topics in cognitive psychology, such as attention, perception, categorisation, language, memory, problem-solving, and decision-making. These core topics will be explored using key theories, classic paradigms, and experimental approaches, looking into both past and current research.

Once the module is complete, you will be able to describe key theories and processes, as well as illustrate classic paradigms and experimental approaches used in cognitive psychology. This will provide a foundation for those continuing with psychological studies in Part II.

This year-long module is focused on the development of your own writing. You will be encouraged to experiment with various forms and genres, to explore new approaches in drafting and editing your own work, and to develop the gentle art of responding to the work of fellow students. The lectures will introduce you to a range of exciting texts and helpful terminology, and offer insight from published authors. The follow-up workshops allow you to practice technique, mature your voice, and nurture your writerly instincts.

This module provides an introduction to criminology and criminal justice. You will benefit from a multi-disciplinary approach, which allows you to focus on the social, political, cultural and economic contexts of crime, deviance and criminal justice.

The module has a three-part structure and begins with criminological perspectives. This is your chance to delve into a range of key perspectives in criminology including biological, psychological, sociological and feminist. You’ll also consider the ways in which the media influences representations of crime.

In part two we will move on to contemporary criminological issues such as domestic violence, green criminology, serial killing, revenge porn, drugs, sex offending and hate crime. Part three then provides a critical overview of the key criminal justice agencies in the UK (such as prison, police and probation) – at this point we also explore approaches to punishment.

You will be taught by expert lecturers who will introduce you to cutting-edge research. Due to our unique approach to first year, you will study alongside students from across the University, which brings real diversity to the discussions within our small group teaching and workshops, enriching your learning experience.

This module is intended to provide you with the essential knowledge and competencies to undertake the academic study of film at university level. The first term provides you with an understanding of the formal and technical composition of films to allow you to undertake detailed analysis of films, from the level of close scrutiny of individual images, and their interrelation with the soundtrack, to the narrative assembly of shots and scenes. Through the analysis of a range of examples, you will be given the opportunity to become familiar with the key formal and semantic conventions of cinema. The second term aims to provide you with a framework knowledge of world film history. By focusing on a selection of key films and filmmakers, this section of the module will explore historically significant movements and themes within international cinema from the 1960s to the present day. This term is thematically organized around issues of ideology and realism, and explores the shifting social and political status of cinema during the last century. In the third term you will undertake a practical project, working with a small group to produce a short film.

This module is designed to give you a broad and critical introduction to the subject of marketing through a series of lectures and seminars. A comprehensive range of topics is taught at foundational level which you will then explore further in your second and final years. Subject areas that you will study include Understanding Markets, which examines how markets are created and sustained, Consumer Behaviour, Marketing Communications, Marketing Research and Innovation.

Throughout the year, you will be asked to consider how theory works in practice, by examining your own experience of marketing as well as current stories from the press and marketing media. Assessment consists of coursework including an individual essay and a group-based business report, and a summer exam which is largely essay-based. As part of your studies on this module, we will help you to develop all of the necessary academic skills to succeed in your first year at university and throughout your degree.

Neuroscience gives us an insight into the inner workings of the brain, which underpin human behaviour; neuroscience helps us to understand the biological mechanisms that make us human.

In this module, you will gain an understanding of the anatomy of the nervous system, the main structures of the brain, and the functions of neurons; the specialised cells which receive, send, and process information in the nervous system. Once key neural mechanisms are covered, you will examine the effects of drugs on the brain, the processes that allow us to see and hear, the neural control of movement, the control of sleep and dreaming, and the neural bases of learning and memory.

On completing this module, you will have a broad understanding of brain function, be able to critically evaluate neuroscience research, and express your understanding of such topics through discussions and assessments.

This module introduces students to key themes in the study of philosophy. Consciously drawing on a broad range of philosophical traditions -- Continental, Analytic, and non-Western -- it aims to present a comprehensive overview of various theoretical sub-disciplines within philosophy, but also to equip students with the ability to reason and think clearly about the most fundamental questions of human existence. The course, though designed as an introduction to the advanced degree-level study of philosophy, will also function as a self-standing introduction to philosophy suitable for those seeking to broaden their understanding of philosophy as it has been practiced throughout various traditions.

The module will involve the study of European and non-European sources, and areas of study will typically include:

1. Epistemology: the study of the nature of knowledge, belief, and the mind's ability to apprehend the world.

2. Metaphysics: the study of the nature of matter, causation, freedom, and being.

3. Phenomenology: the study of the nature and structure of consciousness.

4. Philosophy of Religion: the study of the nature and existence of God and of religious faith.

5. Philosophy of Mind: the study of the nature of mind and the mental.

In this year-long module you will encounter a broad range of literature -- from the Middle Ages to the 21st century, moving from Chaucer, through Shakespeare and Milton, to Virginia Woolf, Alison Bechdel, Paul Muldoon, and many others. You will also encounter a whole range of literary genres including plays, films, short stories, novels, poetry, essays, and the graphic novel. The module is currently focused around themes related to: Englishness and Empire; Authority and Revolution; Gender, Body, and Voice; and Adaptation and Queering. The module concludes with a range of mini-modules relating literary research to real-world scenarios; recent options have included: Mediaeval Manuscripts in the Digital Age; Creating a Literary Podcast; Building Minecraft Worlds for the Teaching of Literature; Creating a Literary Tour; Reading Lancaster Priory; and Re-writing Waiting for Godot.

The module concludes with a range of "mini-modules" relating literary research to real-world scenarios; recent options have included: Mediaeval Manuscripts in the Digital Age; Creating a Literary Podcast; Building Minecraft Worlds for the Teaching of Literature; Creating a Literary Tour; Reading Lancaster Priory; and Re-writing Waiting for Godot.

The details of this module (for example, materials studied) may vary from year to year.

This module aims to introduce students to key themes in practical philosophy, and to develop their ability to reason and think clearly about the question of how we ought to act and organise our interaction. The course aims to treat this issue both systematically and in an applied manner: to familiarise students with various accounts of moral and political theories, but also to use these theories to think critically about real-world problems. The course, though designed as an introduction to the advanced degree-level study of philosophy, will also function as a self-standing introduction to philosophy suitable for those seeking to better understand the foundations of modern moral and political thought. Areas of study will typically include: 1. Moral Philosophy: the study of how we should act, and what we should value. 2. Political Philosophy: the study of the values which underpin our political institutions and how we ought to organise our collective lives. 3. Gender and Philosophy: the study of the nature of gender and gendered thinking, and its relation to ethics and politics. 4. Ethical Controversies: the study of practical questions of ethics, such as the nature of animals rights, choices of life and death, the value of privacy, and problems of discrimination. 5. Applied Political Philosophy: the study of practical political issues, such as immigration rights, international inequality, the permissibility of war, free speech and propaganda from a philosophical standpoint. 6. Environmental Philosophy: the study of our relationship to nature, and how to respond to the environmental crisis.

This module is designed for students who have already completed an A-level in Chinese or whose Chinese is of a broadly similar standard. The language element aims to enable students both to consolidate and improve their skills in spoken and written Chinese. A further aim is to provide students with an introduction to the historical and cultural development of China in the past, and also to contemporary institutions and society.

Seminars are based on a textbook, and emphasis is placed on the acquisition of vocabulary and a firm grasp of Chinese grammatical structures. You will have the opportunity to develop listening and speaking skills through discussions and activities and with the support of audio and visual materials.

You are given the chance to examine how key moments in Chinese history have shaped contemporary Chinese culture. We will look at examples including films, plays, and novels.

Would you like to be able to communicate using Mandarin Chinese? Do you want to acquire key elements to become an expert of Chinese culture, society, and institutions? We focus on teaching absolute beginners how to speak, listen, and read so you can confidently use day-to-day Chinese. You’ll also be given the opportunity to learn about Chinese culture, history, and contemporary society.

You will have the opportunity to learn Chinese pronunciation and intonation, the basics of Chinese grammar, key sentence structures, and insights about the graphical element of writing, such as the significance of types of strokes, radicals, and their ancestral meaning.

To explore Chinese culture, you are given the chance to examine how key moments in Chinese history have shaped contemporary Chinese culture. We will look at examples including films, plays, and novels.

This module is designed for students who have already completed an A-level in French or whose French is of a broadly similar standard. The language element aims to enable students both to consolidate and improve their skills in spoken and written French. A further aim is to provide students with an introduction to the historical and cultural development of France in the past, and also to contemporary institutions and society.

In seminars, the emphasis is placed on the acquisition of vocabulary and a firm grasp of French grammatical structures. You will have the opportunity to develop listening and speaking skills through discussions and activities and with the support of audio and visual materials.

You are also given the chance to examine how key moments in French history have shaped contemporary Francophone culture. We will look at examples including films, plays, and novels.

(If you are studying BSc Hons International Business Management you only complete the language elements of this module).

This module is designed for students having little or no knowledge of the French language. Consequently, a substantial part of the module is devoted to intensive language teaching aimed at making the student proficient in both written and spoken French. At the same time, students will be introduced to aspects of French history, culture and society in the twentieth century.

Seminars are based on a textbook, and emphasis is placed on the acquisition of vocabulary and a firm grasp of French grammatical structures. You will have the opportunity to develop listening and speaking skills through structured activities and with the support of audio and visual materials. Each week, we aim for one of your language classes to be entirely devoted to the acquisition and development of oral skills.

To explore Francophone culture, you are given the chance to examine how key moments in French history have shaped contemporary French culture. We will look at examples including films, plays, and novels.

(If you are studying BSc Hons International Business Management you only complete the language elements of this module).

This module is designed for students who have already completed an A-level in German or whose German is of a broadly similar standard. The language element aims to enable students both to consolidate and improve their skills in spoken and written German. A further aim is to provide students with an introduction to the historical and cultural development of Germany in the twentieth century, and also to contemporary institutions and society.

In seminars, the emphasis is placed on the acquisition of vocabulary and a firm grasp of German grammatical structures. You will have the opportunity to develop listening and speaking skills through discussions and activities and with the support of audio and visual materials.

You are given the chance to examine how key moments in German history have shaped contemporary German culture. We will look at examples including films, plays, and novels.

(If you are studying BSc Hons International Business Management you only complete the language elements of this module).

This module is designed for students having little or no knowledge of the German language. Consequently, a substantial part of the module is devoted to intensive language teaching aimed at making the student proficient in both written and spoken German. At the same time, students will be introduced to aspects of German history, culture and society in the twentieth century.

Seminars are based on a textbook and the emphasis is placed on the acquisition of vocabulary and a firm grasp of German grammatical structures. You will have the opportunity to develop listening and speaking skills through structured activities and with the support of audio and visual materials. Each week, we aim for one of your language classes to be entirely devoted to the acquisition and development of oral skills.

You are also given the chance to examine how key moments in German history have shaped contemporary Germanic culture. We will look at examples including films, plays, and novels.

(If you are studying BSc Hons International Business Management you only complete the language elements of this module).

This module is designed for students having little or no knowledge of the Italian language. Consequently, a substantial part of the module is devoted to intensive language teaching aimed at making the student proficient in both written and spoken Italian. At the same time, students will be introduced to aspects of Italian culture and society.

Seminars are based on a textbook and emphasis is placed on the acquisition of vocabulary and a firm grasp of Italian grammatical structures. You will have the opportunity to develop listening and speaking skills through structured activities and with the support of audio and visual materials. Each week, we aim for one of your language classes to be entirely devoted to the acquisition and development of oral skills.

You are also given the chance to examine how key moments in Italian history have shaped contemporary Italian culture. We will look at examples including films, plays, and novels.

(If you are studying BSc Hons International Business Management you only complete the language elements of this module).

All DeLC first year language programmes are supported by a module designed to offer students further opportunities to expand and consolidate their knowledge and skills base. The module is non-credit bearing but students are expected to participate so as to acquire complementary skills useful in areas such as, essay-writing, expanding vocabulary, diversity of learning styles and engaging with culture, alongside other useful strategies to enhance autonomous language learning outside the classroom.

This module is designed for students who have already completed an A-level in Spanish or whose Spanish is of a broadly similar standard. The language element aims to enable students both to consolidate and improve their skills in spoken and written Spanish. A further aim is to provide students with an introduction to the historical and cultural development of Spain in the twentieth century, and also to contemporary institutions and society.

In seminars, the emphasis is placed on the acquisition of vocabulary and a firm grasp of Spanish grammatical structures. You will have the opportunity to develop listening and speaking skills through discussions and activities and with the support of audio and visual materials.

You are also given the chance to examine how key moments in Spanish history have shaped contemporary Hispanic culture. We will look at examples including films, plays, and novels.

(If you are studying BSc Hons International Business Management you only complete the language elements of this module).

This module is designed for students having little or no knowledge of the Spanish language. Consequently, a substantial part of the module is devoted to intensive language teaching aimed at making the student proficient in both written and spoken Spanish. At the same time, students will be introduced to aspects of Spanish culture and society.

Seminars are based on a textbook and emphasis is placed on the acquisition of vocabulary and a firm grasp of Spanish grammatical structures. You will have the opportunity to develop listening and speaking skills through structured activities and with the support of audio and visual materials. Each week, we aim for one of your language classes to be entirely devoted to the acquisition and development of oral skills.

You are also given the chance to examine how key moments in Spanish history have shaped contemporary Hispanic culture. We will look at examples including films, plays, and novels.

(If you are studying BSc Hons International Business Management you only complete the language elements of this module).

You’ll be introduced to some of the key themes in the study of modern politics, and will have the chance to gain critical insight into the nature and use of political power in the contemporary world. You will learn about: the foundations of the modern nation-state, and the ways in which our institutions can reflect or fail to meet the ideals of liberal democracy; the behaviour of individuals and groups in political contexts; the workings of national constitutions and international organisations; the interaction of global events and domestic agendas.

Areas of study typically include:

+ Political Theory: the study of the scope, nature, and justification of state authority, and the history of political thought.

+ British Politics: the study of the theory, and political reality, of British governance in the twenty-first century.

+ Comparative Politics: the study of the various institutions of the nation-state, in a comparative context.

+ Ideologies: the study of political ideologies such as (neo-)liberalism, (neo-)conservatism, socialism, and fascism, their cohesiveness and social/political function.

+ Political Behaviour: the study of the ways in which agents and groups engage with politics in the age of mass and social-media.

+ Politics and Religion: the study of the relevance of religion to politics in contemporary society.

+ Politics in a Global World: the influence of global movements and events on domestic and international politics.

Because of the increasing interdependence of the national and global, domestic politics and international relations can no longer be properly understood in isolation from one another. To ensure the best possible foundation for a degree in Politics, in first year, we strongly recommend you also take International Relations: Theory and Practice.

Whether we want to understand ourselves or the world around us, social psychology can offer valuable insights. This module will present theories and findings, demonstrating how the principles of this field are relevant to our everyday lives, and it will help to develop a range of knowledge and skills that you will be able to apply to your studies as they progress throughout your degree, as well as approaches that you will find helpful for applying psychological knowledge in practice.

The module will equip you with knowledge of basic issues in social psychology, as well as applied psychology. You will be exposed to classic studies as well as cutting-edge research. Lectures will introduce a range of core topics including attraction, the self, and leadership.

In addition, this module will explore how the topics covered are being updated in relation to the modern digital age and how this affects our social world. The module will help you in understanding the main theoretical ideas and traditions of social psychology and relating individual psychological

What does it mean to ‘think sociologically’? When there are so many academic disciplines and non-academic areas of professional expertise, what is unique and important about starting with the social? This module begins with fundamental questions about the value of sociology in understanding the contemporary world and goes on to explore how the significance of our questions and everyday experiences are transformed when investigating all kinds of contemporary social problems, from inequality to globalisation, sociologically.

This full-year module is organised into different ‘blocks’ that connect themes in sociology – such as the relationship between self and society or between self and power – to both long-standing and newly emerging research. Whether or not you have studied sociology before, this module will introduce you to new areas of sociology, as well as demonstrating how key themes such as consumption, identity, social justice, or culture and media intersect with different sociological questions and sites of enquiry. Lecturers draw upon the ongoing research undertaken at Lancaster, giving you access to current insights that are inspiring change in policy and professional organisations.

The benefit of having multiple topics and themes addressed within one year-long module is that the assessments are carefully designed to slowly build up your research and study skills over your first year of study, whilst still giving you the flexibility to write major essays on the topics that are most interesting to you. The module provides you with a fantastic opportunity to explore new ideas and find new inspiration for understanding how we lead our lives today, and what possibilities there are for change tomorrow.

From mass media to social media, from debates on authenticity and representation in reality-tv to struggles between users and the creative industries on platforms such as Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram.

This full-year module enables you to critically examine and analyse a range of media and cultural practices, texts, and technologies in a wide variety of contexts. It introduces you to a number of key concepts and theories that deal with media and culture, and it enables you to become a creative, critical, and confident consumer and producer of media in an ever-changing cultural and technological landscape.

This module is divided into a number of blocks, focusing on a variety of important topics such as: Media and Representation, Media and Practice, Media and Participation, Media and Technology, and Media and Reality. These topics will be discussed and explored with help of a range of contemporary examples, cases, and debates in television, digital games, film, advertisement, popular music, and social media.

One advantage of this full-year course is that it is carefully designed to help you develop skills at presenting your analysis and ideas in different ways, including in group discussions, essays and exam answers. By the end of the module you will be able to interpret and analyse different contemporary media and cultural phenomena with confidence, and be able to support your views and opinions with plenty of academic sources.

This year-long module seeks to look beyond the boundaries of traditional courses in English Literature by enabling you to explore a wide and exciting range of literatures in English and in translation. These include texts that have influenced the development of literary English, from the Bible and classical figures such as Ovid and Homer, through to Medieval and Early Modern authors such as Dante and Rabelais. It also considers modern and contemporary world authors in translation (such as Kafka, Borges, Salih and Murukami), as well as new-media writing and the graphic novel. The module concludes with a creative-critical project which introduces students to the possibilities afforded here by creative modes of literary criticism.

The details of this module (for example, materials studied) may vary from year to year