Hi there my name is Caitlin and I am a
third year English Language and
Linguistics student at York St John
University. I've really enjoyed my time
at YSJ studying ELL so I'm going to chat
to you a little bit about what it's been
like. The best thing about the ELL
course, in my opinion, is that it has so
many different branches. Modules range
from Forensic Linguistics to Accents and
Dialects to Phonetics and Phonology to
Child Language Acquisition. When you
first start, one of your first modules
will be Introduction to English Language
and Linguistics, this is a really great
opportunity to get everyone up to speed
and introduce you to some key theories
and areas of research. One way you could
prepare for this course is to look at
some introductory linguistic theory, and
it would also be worthwhile to
familiarise yourself with the
International Phonetic Alphabet just
like the one behind me, as it's an
important aspect to several of the
modules on this course but please don't
worry because you don't have to have it
memorised for day one. This course also
gives you the opportunity to study a
second language, I personally took two
semesters off BSL (British Sign Language) but other options
include Japanese and Korean both of
which are very popular at the minute.
This is a really great opportunity and
one that I would really encourage you to
take advantage of, as studying a second
language helps you to understand the
intricacies of your own language and how
its structured. It's also a module that
you'll get really stuck into and you can
come out the other side with valuable
knowledge that you'll take with you.
Speaking of which, Linguistics is a very
transferable subject as language is
pretty much everywhere, you'll learn how
to take apart even the most mundane
interactions and pull them apart to find
something really really interesting
underneath. Researching linguistics can
study a huge range of areas just because
language is such an integral part of
life.
Obviously there are far too many
different aspects of Linguistics to have
a YSJ module dedicated to them
but for those that the course doesn't
offer they may be covered in the
fortnightly colloquium lecture series.
Each of these lectures is presented by a
guest speaker who will share their work
with you and introduce you to a wider
circle of Linguistic research. When it
comes to working on your final projects
including your dissertation,
having such an abundance of options mean
you can focus on something that
genuinely interests you which believe me
it makes ten thousand words come much
much easier.
I've recently been researching language
use on social media for one project
and analysing Klingon for another. I
really don't think there's a limit to
what you can apply linguistics to. As for
my favourite module I think I'd have to
go with Attitudes to Language as we
cover so much content and it has a
really strong discussion element, in fact
posts to a discussion forum count for 50%
of the grade, which was really refreshing
from writing essays. It's also a third
year module which means everybody knows
each other and is comfortable
contributing and getting a conversation
going so it's a really involved module.
Alongside your dissertation your other
final module will be Reflections and
Connections in Linguistics, as the title
suggests this involves reflecting on
your whole three years at university and
everything that you've learnt during
that time. You'll produce a portfolio
about any linguistic topic that you like,
as long as you can draw connections to
it with your previous modules and
readings. I think this is a really good
example of how flexible this course is
and how much freedom you get to explore
your own research and do things that
interest you.
That sort of freedom makes university
much more enjoyable and also provides
you with the independence that you're
capable of. That being said, if you ever
need help or advice the lecturers are
fantastic and will always support you
where you need it.
Lecturers are available through their
drop-ins or one-to-one tutorials and are
hugely knowledgeable and genuinely
passionate about their subjects, if
you're feeling lost or struggling they
will always help you. In terms of
facilities we have the Linguistics Lab,
this is a dedicated space for Linguistic
students only on the top floor of the
library, you may well have seminars and
workshops in that space but when it's
not being used for those you can work
there anytime, and it is a lifesaver when
the library is really busy and a really
productive space to get work done.
Finally, there is also the Linguistic
Society or Ling Soc which is a
course-based society that supports students
in their learning. I've been part of the
committee for this past year and we've
been working hard to improve the Society.
We run drop-ins every week to help with
uni work or anything that you might need
help with and we also have regular
socials and meetups, so it's not just
academic work non-stop, you genuinely
will make friendships for life because I
know that I have. That's all from me I
hope you enjoy the rest of your virtual
Open Day and best of luck for the next
three years!
