OVERVIEW

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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?’