Investigate how language and literature shapes and is shaped by the social, political and cultural contexts in which it is used, and explore the exciting interface that exists between language and literature from around the world.
Our English Language and Literatures course offers a unique opportunity to study at the crossroads of English language and world literature.
Over the course of your degree, you will have the opportunity to examine global patterns in human language, the relationship between language and thought, the links between literature and history, and the contributions of literature from around the globe to our understanding of the contemporary world. At the same time, you will gain expertise and experience in project development and data analysis that will help prepare you to work confidently in any career, from labs to offices and from classrooms to boardrooms.
Taught by world-leading experts, you’ll develop the multidisciplinary skill set needed to succeed in a world where understanding different cultures and languages is pivotal. In a city renowned for its cultural heritage, the dynamic and tailored curriculum ensures that by graduation, you will be in the lead for your chosen career path, having the knowledge, skills, confidence and agility to make your career your own.
Study world literature in a city steeped in rich literary tradition, from Dickens to Chaucer to Marlowe.
English at Kent scored 88% overall in The Complete University Guide 2025.
Our teaching of literature is world-renowned. Our graduates include authors and Nobel-Prize winners, Kazuo Ishiguro and Abdulrazak Gurnah.
We do not have exams, and our coursework often goes beyond the standard essay or dissertation. This way we assess your best work.
Your knowledge and understanding of how language works and how we communicate will open doors to lots of exciting careers.
Our typical offer levels are listed below and include indicative contextual offers. If you hold alternative qualifications just get in touch and we'll be glad to discuss these with you.
BBB
The University will consider applicants holding BTEC National Diploma and Extended National Diploma Qualifications (QCF; NQF; OCR) on a case-by-case basis. Please contact us for further advice on your individual circumstances. A typical offer would be to achieve DMM.
120 tariff points - typically H5 H6 H6 or equivalent.
Pass the University of Kent International Foundation Programme.
The University will consider applicants holding T level qualifications in subjects closely aligned to the course.
Obtain Access to Higher Education Diploma with 45 credits at Level 3 with 24 credits at Distinction and 21 credits at Merit.
The following modules are what students typically study, but this may change year to year in response to new developments and innovations.
Gain a solid framework for the areas of study you'll cover as you progress, with this introduction to human language. You'll identify the core properties of language that make it unique among other human abilities and examine how these core properties can be explained by understanding the human mind and the functions of language in the world. You'll be introduced to core concepts and debates in the study of language (including language universals, the nature of language learning, the relationship between language and thought, the relationship between sound and meaning and the differences between language and communication more broadly).
Explore a constellation of literary works, engaging with different genres, periods, styles, cultures and traditions. You’ll study the richness of literature in global contexts and engage with the concept of World Literature. The relationship between national and global literatures will also be explored, alongside important questions about language, translation, adaptation and reception. You’ll learn how cultural contexts can shape literary texts and how themes travel across national boundaries. You’ll also consider the dynamics of power in the formation of literary canons, thinking particularly about centres and peripheries.
This introductory module allows you to read literature in global and national contexts, cultivate different methods of literary analysis and formulate ideas critically and analytically.
Gain a solid foundational knowledge in the core levels of language study: phonetics, phonology, syntax, semantics and pragmatics. You'll be introduced to a range of technical and formal mechanisms for analysing and describing language and the skills you will need to be able to apply your knowledge.
You'll develop analytical tools for understanding and constructing arguments about linguistic structure. Through being provided with a conceptual framework for description and analysis, you will gain a deeper understanding of language. You'll also gain insight into how they can apply the theoretical concepts they are learning to their own communication.
You'll gain awareness of some of the key areas of debate and consensus in linguistics from multiple theoretical traditions. This will prepare you to take subsequent modules that extend your theoretical knowledge and allow you to apply your understanding to areas of language study such as teaching, clinical linguistics and literary analysis.
How has storytelling evolved over the last 4000 years? We'll take you on a literary journey from classical literature to fairy tales and, finally, to the modern short story. Taking the idea of intertextuality as its theoretical starting point, you'll explore ideas about transmission and transformation, thinking particularly about how stories and motifs travel from one culture to another, changing in shape and emphasis as they go. Corresponding questions about originality, adaptation and appropriation will also be considered. The central aim is to explore the deep-rooted connections that exist between literatures from around the world, allowing us to learn important lessons about human cultures, histories and societies.
You'll practise different methods of literary analysis, including close reading and comparative study. Students will engage with a range of relevant theoretical material, employing psychoanalytic, feminist and structuralist approaches to unlock symbolic meanings in the primary material, equipping them with the literary knowledge and analytical tools necessary for further study.
What is the role of language in society? You'll be introduced to the notions of ‘language’ or ‘dialect’ in relation to the creation of social identity, by exploring how an individual’s conscious or unconscious language choices position them in the social groups they interact with. Historical and contemporary examples of language use impacting societal issues will be examined, including the role of language in social and political movements, the functions of linguistic choices in multilingual societies, and the role of language policy in education.
Fiction can create worlds, dissolve and unite images into new forms and capture the excesses and limitations of reality. It has the capacity to push the boundaries of the known and accepted in order to reveal hidden truths about humanity and the wider world. Nowhere is this potential more apparent than in fantasy literature, broadly understood to include fairy tales and fables, magical realism, the Gothic, the Fantastic and Science Fiction. These brands of literature are able to harness the power of the imagination, distorting real life to show something of its true nature.
Engaging with a range of theoretical perspectives and fiction from around the world, the module will be centrally concerned with the various ways that the conventions of non-realist modes of writing can contribute to the production of meaning. You'll explore the symbolic function of the supernatural, the marvellous, and the outright strange, connecting these motifs to the wider cultural and historic periods from which they emerge. You're given the opportunity to reflect on the nature and power of fiction, the relevance of genre as a means of categorisation and the symbolic potential of fantasy literature.
What is Comparative and World Literature and how does it work? You're encouraged to cultivate modes of comparative critical reading, to consider the discipline’s history and definitions, to engage with some of its key theories and methods, and to embrace the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. Among the modes of reading explored are hermeneutics, structuralism, and deconstruction. Areas discussed include the theory and practice of translation, gender studies, literature and the emotions, exile and migration, text and image, ecocriticism, and digital humanities. You'll have the opportunity to study a range of theoretical writings alongside a selection of short primary works (poems, novellas, photographs and illustrations, extracts from novels and films). You reflect on a discipline that keeps reinventing itself by studying some of its most significant theoretical and methodological trends, and to identify and explore the avenues of critical thinking we might want to pursue in the future.
Gain a broad range of skills useful for the collection, analysis and presentation of language data. Topics covered will include: the nature of behavioural and corpus data, principles of data collection, introduction to quantitative and qualitative analysis; ethical considerations in data collection.
An exciting opportunity to develop an individual project in a topic of your choice, under the expert guidance of your supervisor.
Expand your creative, analytical, critical, and organisational skills through the creation and completion of an independent project within a supportive learning environment. By means of a series of enriching and stimulating workshops, lectures, and supervisory meetings, you’ll be equipped with the methods and training required to succeed in creating an independent project. The project will not only expand your intellectual horizons as a student, but also prepare you for future careers through the transferable skills and personal development you’ll gain as a result.
You’ll benefit from structured learning progression that includes: formulating a proposal in consultation with your supervisor, delivering a mini-presentation on your proposed topic in a friendly student environment, and culminating in the final submission of your project, showcasing your journey as an independent and accomplished learner.
Track the linguistic development of neurotypical children from birth to four years of age. Stages of development covered will include: babbling; segmentation, categorisation and mapping; one-word utterances; two-word utterances, grammatical morphemes; negation and question formation. With the child’s linguistic trajectory in place, you'll assess the extent to which different theoretical approaches can account for the acquisition patterns they have observed.
Investigate representations of gender and identity in a selection of texts by women writers from different temporal, cultural, and linguistic backgrounds. In particular you'll explore the way in which representations of “self” and “other”, love and desire, madness and motherhood reflect the respective socio-cultural contexts and the situation of women therein. Corporeal aesthetics, patterns of behaviour labelled as feminine or masculine, representations of transgressive conduct, and relations of power will be investigated, drawing on classic feminist and queer theory and historiography, psychoanalytical thought, narratology , genre-theory, subject-theory, and studies in visual culture. You'll engage with the significance of images and representations of women and men proliferated through literature. These representations provide or question role models and perpetuate or problematize stereotypical versions of female/male goals and aspirations. Furthermore, emphasis will be placed on close readings of the selected literary and cinematic works, on cultural differences and variations, and on how conceptions of sex and gender are changing in the course of time.
Are you considering a career in publishing? Gain an introduction to the nuts-and-bolts of the publishing process in a supportive and intellectually stimulating academic environment. Skills gained range from proofreading, editing, marketing, and other useful techniques taught in conversation with comparative and world literature methods. Workshops featuring guest speakers (professionals, as well as alumni) sharing their knowledge, expertise, and personal journeys in the world of publishing are an important component of the module. The assessment gives you the opportunity to design their own independent project with the guidance of an academic supervisor. Projects may range from creating your own blog, magazine, and book series to writing book reviews and fiction and non-fiction blurbs.
Switch roles from sitting behind the desk to standing in front of a class, as you're introduced to the complexity of language learning and teaching. You'll develop other transferable skills such as public speaking, writing objectives and assessing outcomes, creating pedagogical materials, evaluating and analysing methodology, and synthesising linguistic knowledge into a creative application.
You'll explore different aspects of language pedagogy, language acquisition, general education and classroom practice. You'll apply theoretical aspects of language teaching and planning in the implementation of a lesson, as well as evaluative skills applied in the formal assessment of a speaker’s level. You'll be introduced to proficiency scales including, but not limited to, CEFR and ACTFL, and will discuss and evaluate language proficiency descriptors.
With a focused teaching practice, you'll use the practical and theoretical knowledge gained in class to conduct short mini-lesson practices in groups. This includes writing and crafting learning objectives and structuring an effective a lesson plan. Take the opportunity to experience what it takes to be on the other side of the classroom.
The year in industry takes place between your second and final year. It is a great opportunity to gain workplace experience, increase your professional contacts and acquire new skills, and is a valuable addition to your CV.
You can take the year in industry in the UK or abroad with a wide range of employers in areas including the arts, education and cultural heritage. While you are responsible for finding your placement, we offer support and guidance through the application process.
Tuition fees for the placement year are greatly reduced and employers may offer expenses or a salary.
The year in industry is assessed on a pass/fail basis and does not count towards your final degree classification.
What could you do in a year?
My year in industry couldn’t have gone better. I secured a role at IBM, working in their sports and entertainment department – it was perfect for meTom Tillin Find out more
Going abroad as part of your degree is an amazing experience and a chance to develop personally, academically and professionally. You experience a different culture, gain a new academic perspective, establish international contacts and enhance your employability.
You are expected to adhere to any academic progression requirements in Stages 1 and 2 to proceed to the year abroad. If the requirement is not met, you will be transferred to the equivalent three-year programme. The year abroad is assessed on a pass/fail basis and will not count towards your final degree classification.
For further information, please see Go Abroad.
Where could you go in a year?
My ‘You only live once’ decision to study in Japan is one of the best I’ve ever made. I had a fantastic year.Cheyenne Nolan Find out more
An extended, independent project on a topic determined by you in consultation with the module convenor and project supervisor which builds on all your gained knowledge and skills.
You'll write a proposal for their project and are assigned a supervisor accordingly. You'll be led through the development of your project by a combination of one-to-one supervisions, and a series of lectures and workshops designed to hone the ideas and skills tyou need to fulfil your project. During the development of the project, you'll submit plans and literature reviews, and offer a presentation on your work as it progresses.
The Final Year Project presents a chance to devote a sustained period of time to an area for which students feel enthusiasm, curiosity, and passion. You'll focus on an in-depth scrutiny of a subject through primary and secondary research and writing. You have the opportunity to put the research skills and training developed earlier in their degree into practice and will gain transferable skills such as organisation, independence and project management.
Compare the language skills of neurotypical individuals with individuals who have social, cognitive, linguistic or physical differences that impact upon their language development. Because of a different or delayed developmental path, these individuals may process language in diverse ways or have non-typical linguistic representations. You'll examine behavioural data (comprehension and production) in phonological, morphological, syntactic and pragmatic domains, learning how to relate these data to the profiles of the individuals concerned. Critical cases will include a selection from the following: profoundly Deaf individuals, individuals with official diagnoses (e.g. Down Syndrome; Autism; Developmental Language Disorder), neurotypical children and adults. These cases will provide the backdrop against which students can consider key theories and debates in the psychology of language.
Explore interdisciplinary approaches (relevant disciplines: linguistics, anthropology, sociology, philosophy) to the notion of 'culture' and 'intercultural communication', with a special focus on concepts and methodologies from the areas of Pragmatics, Sociolinguistics, and Discourse Analysis. You'll cover phenomena such as indexicality, (im)politeness, humour, non-literal language, miscommunication, while also discussing a range of discourse contexts (classroom, healthcare, business, media).
You are encouraged to reflect critically upon the definition of culture, linking it to identity, social variables and, of course, language and communication. The module’s scope is not limited to examining instances of communication between members of different linguistic communities (or national cultures), but also expands to any communicative event where participants’ varied backgrounds and cultural identities come into play.
We'll provide you with a methodological toolkit that allows you to analyse and dissect the intricacies of any communicative event. You'll learn the principles of Conversation Analysis, as well as working with a sociolinguistic model of analysis (Hymes’ SPEAKING model).
The two assessments for this module are aimed at enhancing your analytical skills, research skills, reporting and academic writing. The Fieldnotes assignment encourages you to carry out a systematic collection and recording of spontaneous interactions in intercultural environments, while the Case Study assignment builds on you previous data collection and allows you to gain experience in writing in the style and format of an academic paper.
Explore bilingualism and multilingualism from linguistic, social and cognitive perspectives. You'll consider contemporary definitions of bilingualism and multilingualism; the critical roles of age and type of exposure in second or third language acquisition; the social and cognitive consequences of multilingualism; the phenomena of language transfer and code-switching and what each tell us about second language processing and lexical representations; the multilingual brain. Past and current theories of multilingualism will be introduced and critiqued throughout the discussion of these key topics.
Explore a range of issues relating to mental health and neurodiversity as they manifest in literature from around the world. You'll explore the representation of conditions ranging from depression and anxiety to psychopathy, schizophrenia, autism and hysteria. Drawing on relevant theoretical material, including interventions from neuroscience, psychiatry, philosophy and psychoanalysis, you'll consider both symptomology and symbolism. You're encouraged not just to diagnose fictional characters with neurological conditions, but to consider the symbolic potential of neurodiversity and mental health, particularly in relation to issues of power, gender, social cohesion, and the alienation of the self.
Importantly, you'll be asked to consider the ways that attitudes to mental health have changed over time, from the earliest references in the ancient world, to associations with demonology and, later, the development of psychiatry and psychoanalysis. Foucault’s influential ideas about madness as a social construction and mechanism of power will also be evaluated.
Through close engagement with the primary material, you have the opportunity to develop tyour thinking around these complex, topical, and often highly sensitive issues.
What makes certain books more adaptable than others? Explore how books are adapted and interpreted for the screen. You’ll analyse how certain books lend themselves to multiple reshapings, such as F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby. You’ll also analyse lesser-known works that have gone on to become Hollywood blockbusters, like the stories of Jorge Luis Borges, masterfully adapted by Christopher Nolan in Inception. Adaptations directed by internationally recognized filmmakers will be examined with a view to eliciting an understanding of their particular approach to, and filmic vision of, written texts. Through these analyses, we aim to understand the distinct cinematic visions and approaches of filmmakers from around the world toward literary adaptations. Through these discussions, you’ll explore theories of adaptation intermediality and film criticism, as well as questions of class, identity, gender, power, migration and race that underpin both the literary works and their filmic adaptations.
Explore the notions of exile, travel and migration by focusing on an international corpus of texts and films from the nineteenth to the twenty-first century that concern the transnational movement of European and non-European writers across the globe. Travel trajectories will be studied in relation to the specific historical and cultural contexts out of which the texts originated and that concern complex issues of race, identity, gender and imperial history. You'll gain an international and comparative methodology for studying the phenomenon of travel, exile and migration narratives. You'll also be equipped with a critical framework that will allow you to interrogate and problematise Eurocentric and exoticizing perspectives of Asian, African, and Latin American countries, particularly what critics have theorised as the imperial gaze and orientalism respectively.
Build on the idea that writing creatively entails an interest in the ‘expressive mechanics’ of language. A more in-depth understanding of this will benefit your writing in many ways, for example by giving you a precise taxonomy with which to describe fictional, poetic and dramatic techniques and aiding critical reflection on creative practice.
The module is designed to appeal not just to those with an interest in writing, but to anyone who would like to explore further and in a ‘hands on’ fashion the insights into the expressive functions of language and literature offered by stylistics. SYou'll be ‘doing stylistics’ in the broadest sense of that phrase.
You're introduced to various stylistic and narratological topics (e.g. linguistic deviation, deixis, cognitive poetics, focalization, ways of representing thought/speech, and metaphor) produce creative exercises which implement and explore them. Various ‘input’ texts (poetry, fiction and drama) will also be used as examples of the techniques and concepts under discussion, and some as the basis for textual intervention exercises (critical-creative rewriting). Students then produce a portfolio of creative work (which may be one or more complete stories, a selection of poems, a dramatic text, or a mixture), accompanied by a stylistics-informed critical reflection on practice.
You'll engage with learning via lectures, seminars, workshops, and independent study. Lectures enable you to learn from leading researchers in language and literature, while discussion-based seminars and independent reading affords you the freedom to further pursue your own interests. Small group work in seminars develops your ability to work in teams and to communicate ideas effectively.
For a student studying full time, each academic year of the programme will comprise 1200 learning hours which include both direct contact hours and private study hours. The precise breakdown of hours will be subject dependent and will vary according to modules.
Methods of assessment will vary according to subject specialism and individual modules.
Please refer to the individual module details under Course Structure.
For course aims and learning outcomes please see the course specification.
Your knowledge and understanding of how literature and language works and how we communicate will open doors to lots of exciting careers. Whether you have a specific career in mind or haven’t thought beyond university, we can help you plan for success.
As an English Language and Literatures graduate, you will have developed the key skills that employers look for, including the ability to think critically, communicate your ideas and opinions, and work independently and as part of a team. We offer several modules with direct relevance to the world of work, including options that focus on teaching or writing in the media.
There are lots of opportunities for you to gain extra skills such as learning a language or volunteering. Outside of your studies our employability team also offer a comprehensive programme of workshops, CV clinics, mock assessment centres, alumni talks and careers events specifically to help you succeed when you graduate.
The creative problem solving, critical thinking and communication skills you develop at Kent can prepare you for a career in any field. The study of literature and language at Kent equips you with the adaptability to thrive in an exciting career in whatever area you are passionate about. This means you leave Kent ready to step into a career of limitless opportunities, from education to business, charity to government; you’ll have the talent and insight to build the career you want.
*The Government announced on 4 November 2024 that tuition fees in England for Home students will increase to £9,535 from £9,250 for the academic year 2025/26. This increase requires Parliamentary approval, which is expected to be given in early/mid 2025.
Tuition fees may be increased in the second and subsequent years of your course. Detailed information on possible future increases in tuition fees is contained in the Tuition Fees Increase Policy.
The University will assess your fee status as part of the application process. If you are uncertain about your fee status you may wish to seek advice from UKCISA before applying.
For details of when and how to pay fees and charges, please see our Student Finance Guide.
Fees for undergraduate students are £1,900.
Fees for undergraduate students are £1,430.
Students studying abroad for less than one academic year will pay full fees according to their fee status.
You will require regular access to a desktop computer/laptop with an internet connection to use the University of Kent’s online resources and systems. Please see information about the minimum computer requirements for study.
Find out more about accommodation and living costs, plus general additional costs that you may pay when studying at Kent.
Kent offers generous financial support schemes to assist eligible undergraduate students during their studies. See our funding page for more details.
We have a range of subject-specific awards and scholarships for academic, sporting and musical achievement.
Next steps
If you are from the UK or Ireland, you must apply for this course through UCAS. If you are not from the UK or Ireland, you can apply through UCAS or directly on our website if you have never used UCAS and you do not intend to use UCAS in the future.
We welcome applications from students all around the world with a wide range of international qualifications.
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