MA English Language/Scottish Literature

About this course

English language study and Scottish literature are disciplines that illuminate each other in compelling ways. English linguistics examines the structure, history, and social life of the language itself, asking how grammar works, how meaning is made, how varieties of English differ across regions and communities, and how the language has changed over time. Scottish literature brings a distinct national tradition into focus, one that spans Gaelic poetry, Scots verse, and prose writing in English, raising questions about the relationship between language, identity, and place that linguistics can help to answer with precision. At the University of Glasgow, this part-time programme combines the study of English language and linguistics with engagement with Scottish literary texts across multiple periods and traditions. On the linguistics side you will explore the structure and meaning of English, its historical development, and what patterns of language use reveal about culture and society. On the literary side you will read widely across Scottish writing, developing the skills of close reading and critical interpretation that literary study requires. A year abroad is part of the programme, giving you the experience of studying in a different cultural and academic environment, which can itself become a productive lens on questions of language, identity, and national culture. Graduates from programmes combining English language and literature go on to careers in teaching, editing, publishing, journalism, communications, and the civil service. Those with a particular interest in linguistics pursue postgraduate study in linguistics, language education, applied linguistics, or speech and language therapy. The Scottish literature strand also opens pathways into arts journalism, heritage work, and community education roles. The combination of analytical linguistic training and literary breadth is valued wherever clear thinking and precise written communication are required.

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