Sociolinguistics

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The University of Essex is one of the UK's leading academic institutions, ranked ninth nationally for research excellence following the most recent Research Assessment Exercise (RAE).

Our MA Sociolinguistics gives you the theoretical and analytical tools to understand and evaluate current work in sociolinguistics, and prepares you to undertake original research. We familiarise you with the foundations of contemporary sociolinguistics (language variation and change, discourse, multilingualism, ethnography of speaking) and offer modules in some of its most prominent sub-disciplines (variation theory, socio-pragmatics, conversation analysis, language contact, language and gender, and language rights). You gain first-hand experience of data collection and learn both quantitative and qualitative methods of analysis.

A Masters course is an academically rigorous programme during which you explore your subject in depth, reaching a high level of specialist knowledge. You draw on knowledge and skills from your undergraduate study or your professional life to produce work of a high academic standard, informed by current thinking and debate.
A full-time Masters course lasts for twelve months, starting in October, and consists of taught modules during your autumn and spring terms, and normally a research-based dissertation or other project-based work submitted in September. A part-time Masters course lasts for 24 months, normally starting in October, and consists of taught modules spread out over two years, with normally a research-based dissertation or other project-based work submitted in September of the second year. Each of the taught modules you take in the Department of Language and Linguistics counts for 15 credits. The total credit weighting for a Masters course is 180: 120 for taught modules and 60 for the MA dissertation. (If you are from the EU, then our Masters courses are regarded as second-cycle qualifications under the Bologna Declaration and consist of 90 ECTS credits).

Modules
Core modules
* Ma Dissertation

Compulsory modules
* Sociolinguistic Methods 1: Data Collection
* Sociolinguistic Methods Ii: Data Analysis

Compulsory with options modules
* Sociolinguistics I: Variationist Theory
* Sociolinguistics Ii: Sociocultural Theory

Optional modules
* American Languages
* Ca I - Conversation And Social Interaction
* Ca Ii - Media And Institutional Talk
* Description Of Language For Tefl/Elt And Applied Linguistics
* Developmental Language Disorders
* Early Phonological Development And Speech Sound Disorders
* English Phonology
* English Syntax 1
* English Syntax 2
* Experimental Design And Analysis
* Foundations Of Computer Assisted Language Learning
* Foundations Of Intercultural And Professional Communication
* Graduate Research Assignment
* Individual Differences In L2 Learning
* Language And Gender
* Language Learning
* Language Rights
* Literature And Language Teaching
* Materials Design And Evaluation
* Morphology
* Philosophy Of Linguistics
* Phonetics
* Pragmatics: Discourse And Rhetoric
* Relevance Theory
* Research Methods I
* Research Methods Ii
* Second Language Acquisition And Linguistics Theory
* Second Language Vocabulary: Learning, Teaching And Use
* Semantics
* Sentence Processing
* Sociolinguistic Methods 1: Data Collection
* Sociolinguistic Methods Ii: Data Analysis
* Sociolinguistics I: Variationist Theory
* Sociolinguistics Ii: Sociocultural Theory
* Sociophonology
* Sociophonology Research
* Syntactic Theory I
* Syntactic Theory Ii
* Teaching And Learning Grammar
* Teaching Practice I
* Teaching Writing In Efl/Esl
* Teaching, Listening And Speaking
* The Role Of Age In Bilingual Development
* Theoretical And Descriptive Phonology
* Variation In Arabic 1
* Variation In English I
* Variation In English Ii

Core modules must be taken and passed.
Core with options modules selected from limited lists must be taken and passed.
Compulsory modules must be taken.
Compulsory with options modules selected from limited lists must be taken.
Optional modules are selected from course specific lists.

Upper second class honours degree, or equivalent, in relevant subject area.IELTS 6.5. English Language Requirements IELTS band: 6.5 IMPORTANT NOTE: Since April 2014 the ETS tests (including TOEFL and TOEIC) are no longer accepted for Tier 4 visa applications to the United Kingdom. The university might still accept these tests to admit you to the university, but if you require a Tier 4 visa to enter the UK and begin your degree programme, these tests will not be sufficient to obtain your Visa. The IELTS test is most widely accepted by universities and is also accepted for Tier 4 visas to the UK- learn more.

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