English Language
Scholarships
Ranking
Top 250 in the world for English Language and Literature (QS World University Rankings by Subject, 2020)
Download Brochure
Scholarships
Ranking
Top 250 in the world for English Language and Literature (QS World University Rankings by Subject, 2020)
Download Brochure
Qualifications
Overview
Are you curious about how the English language works? Are you fascinated by the changes that have taken place in the English language over centuries of time? Or even how individuals vary their use of English from one day to the next, depending on social situation or communication medium? Ever thought about how a person’s early experience of English shapes them? Or how and why New Zealand English differs from the language spoken in other English-speaking countries?
English Language studies aim to satisfy these curiosities and illuminate even further; focusing on the structure, functions, and contexts of use of English. Students will learn about the sound systems and grammatical systems of English, and they will come to understand how English varies in different historical, geographical, and social contexts.
- UC is ranked in the top 250 universities in the world for English Language and Literature (QS World University Rankings by Subject, 2020).
- The study of languages is an interdisciplinary field of study that bridges the sciences, the social sciences, and the humanities. The Department of Linguistics and English Language is internationally renowned for its research work on the linguistics of English. This reflects UC’s established staff expertise in this area.
- Te Kāhui Roro Reo | New Zealand Institute for Language, Brain and Behaviour is a research centre at UC, where researchers from different departments at the university reflect on the foundations of language as an integrated, multimodal, statistical system operating in a social, physical, and physiological context.
UC offers a major in English Language within the Bachelor of Arts.
You can also study a minor in English Language within the Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Commerce, Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Sport Coaching, and Bachelor of Youth and Community Leadership.
Students taking English Language courses can also benefit from Linguistics courses, and/or from taking a course in another language other than English or their native language.
English Language major
To complete a major in English Language within the Bachelor of Arts, you will need to take the following courses throughout the degree:
100-level
200-level
- ENLA 210 Language Variation Across Space and Time
- Two 200-level LING courses (which may include one 200-level ENLA course)
300-level
English Language minor
For the English Language minor in the Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Commerce, Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Sport Coaching, or Bachelor of Youth and Community Leadership, you will need to take these courses throughout your chosen degree:
- 75 points in 100 to 300-level ENLA courses, with at least 45 points at 200-level or above
This subject provides a foundation for any career which requires advanced communication skills and/or a detailed understanding of the English language, such as teaching, management, marketing, the media, research, and publishing.
An English Language degree is an ideal preparation for training in teaching English as a second language, which is a popular career and offers excellent travel opportunities.
Find out more about what you can do with a degree in English Language.
Contact us
Department of Linguistics and English Language
Phone +64 3 369 3377
Email artsdegreeadvice@canterbury.ac.nz
Location
Level 2, Elsie Locke building – see campus maps
Postal address
Te Rāngai Toi Tangata | College of Arts
Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury
Private Bag 4800
Christchurch 8140
New Zealand
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