Department of Theoretical and Applied Linguistics

The MPhil in English and Applied Linguistics (2011/12)

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Course Structure

Four "core" courses are taken by all candidates. These are taught during the first two terms in weekly two-hour sessions. For more information about the courses, follow the links below:

Paper 1: English Language

• English phonology, and orthography - with practical phonetics
• English morphology and syntax

Paper 2: English Language

• Semantics and pragmatics
• Discourse Analysis

Paper 3: Language Acquisition and Development

• Social and functional approaches to language acquisition
• Principles and parameters approach to second language acquisition

Paper 4: Psychology of Language Processing and Language Learning

• Monolingual and bilingual language processing
• Psychological mechanisms of language learning

All students also follow a course in Research Methods during the first two terms.

In addition to the core courses, candidates can select from a range of option courses. The option courses currently offered are:

• Assessment of Language Proficiency
• Computational Corpus Linguistics
• Information-Theoretic Approaches to Linguistic Analysis
• Language Learning and Cognition Reading Group
• The Acquisition of Sound Structure
• Topics in Language Acquisition: Determiners in L2 Acquisition

Please check if you are interested in a specific option course. Some of these are actually PhD courses and seminars that MPhil students may sign-up for, subject to the approval of the instructor.

Assessment

The MPhil in English and Applied Linguistics is assessed by:

1. Two 8,000-word research essays (one of which is submitted at the beginning of Term 2, the other at the beginning of Term 3). These essays may be drawn from either core courses or option courses. Topics for research essays are negotiated between candidates and staff members.
2. A "take-home" examination in weeks 4, 5 and 6 of Term 3 consisting of a total of eight 2,000-word essays, two essays from each of the core papers.

This assessment programme is intended to provide candidates with the opportunity to explore issues in depth in the extended essays, and to form cross-links between core courses in the take-home examinations.

Facilities

For more information about the facilities available to students in DTAL, visit the resources pages.