BSc International Relations and English Language

Key facts

3 years full time or 4 years with integrated placement year/year abroad

UCAS Code: LQ23

Typical Offers
A-levels: ABB from 3 A-levels. General Studies accepted. Aston DOES NOT accept the double AS qualification in lieu of 2 AS-levels.

IB: 32-34 points in the IB diploma including TOK/Bonus points. Standard level Maths and English 5 required.

Access: Pass Access to HE Diploma with Merit in each module. Humanities or Social Sciences Access course preferred, but other courses considered on an individual basis.

BTEC: National Extended Diploma DDD – DDM. Mix of Diploma/ Subsidiary Diploma/A-levels acceptable.

We accept a wide range of UK, EU and International qualifications: please contact us for further advice.

Specific subject requirements:
GCSE English Language and Maths Grade C.

Applicants receiving offers are invited to an open day.

Tuition fees: £9,000 (£1,000 during placement year) for UK/EU students. (2013). More on fees

Scholarships available for 2013

Key benefits

100% of students agreed that the English Language staff are enthusiastic about what they teach (National Student Survey, 2012)
90% of Politics students at Aston are satisfied with the quality of their course (Guardian University Guide 2012).

Staff are internationally renowned, working with law enforcement as expert witnesses in cases where speech and/or text constitutes part of the evidence

Subject guide and modules

The International Relations strand of the course covers politics in the international realm. You will develop a knowledge and understanding of the nature of relations between states and also of the roles played by international institutions, other intergovernmental organisations, multinational corporations and NGOs.

The English Language strand of the course aims to provide you with the theoretical knowledge and understanding of English language, how it works in society and its role in the world today. We emphasise the practical application of English Language studies to the real world through professionally relevant modules such as Teaching and Learning English and Language in a Legal Context.

Josh Benjamin, winner of the LSS Student Video Competition, puts students on the spot and asks them to describe the School of Languages & Social Sciences in one word - 'I feel this shows viewers how the students themselves view the department they study in'.

Sample module options

The following module descriptions are indications only - the modules on offer and the content of the modules is subject to change.

Year 1

This module offers an introduction into world politics and international relations. We inhabit a world of rapid change and solid knowledge of the underlying structures, dynamics and processes of international relations will be essential for your future professional (and private) life. During Teaching Period 1, we will focus on the pillars of the state system, introduce some key concepts, the theoretical traditions of realism and liberalism and examine the causes of cooperation and conflict. During Teaching Period 2, our emphasis will be on international law and international organisations such as the UN and the EU. We will also look at the structure of the global political economy, analysing the global financial system, international trade and development. We will also investigate topics such as environmental issues, terrorism and religion in international relations.

Assessment method: Two-Hour exam at the end of each Teaching Period (50% each)

This module provides you with a good knowledge of formulating and analyzing research questions and presenting sources in an academically relevant way. Students will be able to learn to research, plan and structure an essay; acquire language specific features of essay writing; identify the research tools in the library; work into a virtual learning environment; and use electronic resources to polish their work.

Assessment method: A Take Away Paper at the end of the Teaching Period.

This module provides an analytical and substantive overview of European history from 1789 to the present, with a focus on the post-1945 period. The module is structured thematically. Students will analyse and interrogate certain critical junctures in European history that have determined the shape of both the European continent and the contemporary world. The primary aim of the course is to provide an empirical background for students in the international history of Europe from the 19^th to 21^st centuries that will allow students to apply, contextualise and better understand the political science and international relations theories that form the focus of the other core modules.

Assessment method: two examinations, 1x 2 hour (January), 1x 3 hour (May).

In this module, students look at how words are used in written and spoken texts to create meanings, and use dictionaries, corpus analysis and other practical techniques to understand the processes involved, and to analyse words in different ways.

Assessment: Two pieces of coursework (class tests & essay), 20% and 80%.

This module introduces you to the basics of one model of grammar: Systemic Functional Grammar, including key concepts and terms. It also involves practical workshop activities where you apply in practice what you have learnt in theory.

Assessment: Two pieces of coursework (class tests & essay), 30%/70%

This module looks at language as it is employed for a variety of purposes in both private and public contexts. It also extends methods of communication to cover non-verbal means whereby messages are conveyed, as substitutes for and supplements to the use of words. Topic areas to be covered will include paralinguistics in interaction and in texts (links between image, gesture and word), language and technology, media language and the language of interpersonal communication.

Assessment: One piece of coursework (project) – 100%

The module provides a brief introduction to the historical development of English, as a basis for the investigation of the concepts of language varieties and boundaries. This leads to an exploration of the issues and controversies surrounding the present-day role of English as a world language. An emphasis on language description reinforces the terminology and concepts taught in the companion modules of Level 1, while the teaching also focuses on the socio-historical forces which have shaped the development of English, reflecting the perspective of the programme overall.

Assessment: One piece of coursework (essay) – 100%

This module considers language as an aspect of social practice, and looks at the links between linguistic and social issues. Using a ‘problem-solving’ perspective, we look at domains in which language is itself a matter of controversy and explore the concepts needed for informed analysis of the issues.

Assessment: One piece of coursework (essay) 100%

This module introduces the concepts of register and genre: the ways in which spoken and written texts are shaped by their purpose, the relationship between reader and writer or speaker and hearer, and formal aspects of the communication (pictures, writing, speech, song etc).

Assessment: Coursework 20%; Examination 80%

This module introduces language description at the levels of phonetics and phonology. It provides the descriptive and analytical tools needed to discuss phonological processes and aspects of speech production, involved in variation across accents of English.

Assessment: Essay 30%; Transcription 20%; Assignment 50%.

Year 2

This module seeks to provide you with a strong understanding of the institutional configuration of the EU and how these institutions have been shaped by the relations between member states of the European Union. The module introduces you to the theories of European integration, and challenges you to assess competing views on the dynamics of the integration process over time. In the second part of the module, we explore a core set of policies areas of the EU, and students are asked to relate the politics and institutional make-up of the EU to developments in those policy fields.

Assessment method: A 2-hour exam at the beginning of Teaching Period 2.

This module introduces students to key debates in security studies. The course is a mix of theoretical inquiry and empirical application. First, the module introduces students to the development of key theoretical perspectives in security studies., such as the traditional schools of realism and liberalism, through to critical security studies, constructivism and human security amongst others. After this, the module moves on to a range of traditional and non-traditional security challenges, and using the theoretical frameworks introduced, discusses issues including warfare, nuclear proliferation, terrorism, organized crime, human trafficking and the defence trade.

Assessment method: exam (50%) and 2,000 – 3,000 word group report (50%)

This module seeks to provide you with a broad understanding of the design and conduct of research into political and social topics. Students learn about the basic concepts related to the design and conduct of research, such as ontology and epistemology. They also learn about the main schools of political and social enquiry and the tools that are utilised in social science research. There is analysis of the main traps and pitfalls in the way that data is collected, manipulated and presented, so that students avoid these traps and are alert to abuses by others.

Assessment method: An assignment or assignments to the equivalent of 1,800 words in TP2.

Analysing dynamics and events in world politics does not happen in a conceptual and theoretical vacuum. Theoretical approaches provide us with the tools to make sense of the complex and colourful reality that is contemporary international relations. In this 20-cr module we will look at the various competing theoretical frameworks of international relations. We will learn how international relations has developed as an academic discipline through the analysis of four theoretical debates that constitute international relations. We will also discuss how political philosophy has influenced the way we view contemporary world politics.

Assessment method: Essay in Teaching Period 1 (50%), Exam in Teaching Period 2 (50%)

This module explores the main organisational features of written discourse and a range of analytical approaches, including revisiting concepts from Grammar and Meaning to show how we build unified texts from individual clauses and sentences.

This module introduces you to different variations of English, including: social and regional variation; Englishes around the world and differences between spoken and written modes.

The context for the module will be set by considering how language and work are inter-related on a macro scale. It will look at the impact of global trends on both work and language practices, as increasing numbers of business enterprises trade across national borders, necessitating international – and ‘intercultural’ – communication. The remainder of the module will take a more micro perspective, reviewing the ways in which speakers, writers and readers make use of particular kinds of discourse in work-related communication.

This module aims to introduce you to the ways in which media texts both reflect and construct our social practice and values. It addresses a range of issues, such as what makes something newsworthy, whether there is objectivity in news reporting, whether different social groups are equally represented in mass media texts, and what part visual images and layout play in our media messages; and it introduces you to a variety of methods for describing and critically evaluating media texts in relation to these issues.

This is an introductory course to TESOL. By the end of the module, the students will have become aware of the basic requirements of a teacher of English to speakers of other languages. They will have had the chance to develop some of the skills necessary for the TESOL teacher. The emphasis will be on developing the skills, organisational and pedagogical, which will allow them to teach or tutor their specialism. The areas covered will be course and syllabus design, materials evaluation and preparation, strategies for teaching lexis and grammar, lesson planning, delivery and evaluation.

Year 3 - Placement Year

Final Year

This module considers key questions in post-Cold War international security. It starts by considering the scope and evolution of Security Studies, and introducing students to key approaches to security, including realism, liberalism and constructivism. Subsequently, students will have the opportunity to examine key concerns of global security by considering issues such as the pattern of global conflict, nuclear proliferation, terrorism, energy security, piracy and the defence trade. We will also consider the changing role of key security actors, such as the UN and NATO.

Assessment method: 5,000 word essay (100%)

The module offers an introduction to central and east European politics. It begins with an overview of the events that led up to the collapse of communism, before considering the key themes that have dominated politics in this region since 1989. These include economic reform, democratic transition, institutional design, nationalism, security questions, accession to Nato and the EU and so on.

Assessment method: 1x 3000-word essay to be submitted at the end of the module.

This module considers the countries of the Western Balkans (Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Albania, Montenegro, Macedonia and Kosovo) on their path to European integration and efforts in dealing with legacies of conflict and transition. The module begins by looking at the recent past of the area – the 1991 collapse of Yugoslavia, 1992-1999 conflicts – and how these events have influence the subsequent political development of the successor states. The module then considers the region’s various challenges including post-conflict governance, statehood, intervention, ethnic tensions, war crimes, Kosovo independence and EU integration.

Assessment method: 3,000 word policy brief (100%)

Assessment method: 5,000 word essay (100%)

This course aims to enable students to research in significant depth a topic in Politics, and address and elaborate key concepts used in the analysis of historical, political, social and cultural institutions and processes. This knowledge, and drawing upon previous modules studied in levels 1 and 2 form the conceptual, methodological and analytical bases for research into their topic. Students will produce an independently researched piece of work, supervised by a lecturer from Politics and International Relations.

Assessment method: 4,000-6,000 word dissertation (100%)

Extended Politics Dissertation (LP3006): 10,000 word dissertation (80%) and oral exam (20%)

Ethics and international politics asks students to engage both theoretically and practically with contentious issues of contemporary world politics. The first half of the course is dedicated to ethical theories of international politics which are then used in the second half of the course to engage with themes which involve, but are not limited to, violent conflict, humanitarian intervention, torture, human rights and the just war tradition. Throughout the term students are ask to produce a weekly reflective diary to be submitted for both formative and summative evaluations prior to producing a final research paper reflecting on the wider themes of ethics and morality within the structures of international politics.

In this module, students learn the key concepts and terminology of corpus linguistics

and how to use corpus tools to conduct research into language in use, and look at some areas of applied linguistics in which corpora are used, such as lexicography, pedagogy, and translation.

This module considers frameworks, methods of analysis and applications associated with critical discourse analysis. It also considers the relationship between critical discourse analysis and other forms of discourse analysis, thereby developing a critical awareness of discourse analysis in general.

This module aims to introduce you to the ways in which the social construction of gender both reflects and inflects our discursive practices. It addresses a range of issues, beginning with an overview of feminist language study and alternative views of the relationship between gender, language and society. The second part of the module then moves on to consider questions of how gender issues are reflected in a range of social and institutional contexts, including for example, education, the media and the workplace. You will be introduced, throughout the module, to a variety of methods for describing and critically evaluating gendered linguistic practices in relation to these issues and contexts.

This module will provide an introduction to key approaches to the analysis of authentic spoken language in interaction.It will give you an overview of how conversations are ‘constructed’ and the relationship between what is said and what is meant, as well as some of the ways in which these two crucial aspects vary according to context and culture. It will therefore equip you to describe and evaluate a range of types of spoken text in English, and will enable you to anticipate and resolve issues of data collection and transcription, including ethical considerations.

This module will focus on one specialist area of Applied Linguistics, the application of the tools and techniques of language description to spoken and written texts which have a significance in court cases. The module will look at topics such as: techniques for authorship attribution; questions of copyright and the detection of plagiarism; disputed police records of interview and confession; suspect suicide notes; and anonymous letters.

This course aims to enable students to research in significant depth a topic in English Language, and address, elaborate and apply key concepts used in the linguistic analysis of discourse, in professional, social, educational and/or cultural institutions and contexts. The dissertation allows students to undertake supervised research on a topic that is new to them. It is the longest and most sustained piece of research undertaken in the English Language part of their degree programme.

Placement Year

The Placement Year is optional for students studying International Relations and English Language. If you choose to take a placement year, this will take place during your third year at Aston and is worth 10% of the final degree result. Unlike some other universities, the placement year at Aston is not a ''bolt-on'' year, it is an integral part of your degree for which you are prepared in your second year.

A distinctive feature of our placement year is the flexibility that we offer. You will be able to choose between undertaking a paid work-experience placement with a company or working as a teaching assistant in a school (either in the UK or abroad) - you might even choose to combine two of these options.

We are extremely proud of the high level of preparation, orientation and support that we provide before and during your year abroad. We have a full-time Placements Team who will give you plenty of individual help and advice, and even come and visit you during your time away.

Find out more about the Placement Year.

Learning, teaching and assessment

You will be involved in lectures and seminars, small group work projects and independent study. Many of your modules will be in workshop format, alternating theoretical input with practical analysis, and allowing you to test out your understanding in discussion with other students and your tutor. There are also opportunities fro group and collaborative work. Students undertake a major piece of independent research in Final Year. You will be allocated an academic supervisor for this work and a Personal Tutor who can provide you with help and advice throughout your studies.

Assessment is through a combination of exams, project-based course work, essays, presentations and an extended dissertation during your Final Year.

Career prospects

Aston is ranked 5th in the UK and 1st outside London for graduate employability - beating Oxbridge (2012 Sunday Times University Guide).

Our graduates are in demand from a wide range of employers who value their understanding of different cultures and societies, their communication skills and motivation for team work. Recent destinations for our Languages and Social Sciences graduates include:

Graduate Trainee Managers for British Airways, Aldi Stores, John Lewis Partnership and Selfridges
Journalist for Tatler Magazine
European Union/European Parliament Officers/Assistants
Marketing Assistant at Beiersdorf (makers of NIVEA amongst other products)
Trainee Accountant at PricewaterhouseCoopers
Case Worker - Crown Prosecution Service
PhD Forensic Linguistics - Aston University
MSc Human Resource Management, King's College London
Tenancy Support Worker, Midland Heart

Facilities & equipment

The School of Languages and Social Sciences has a dedicated Learning Support Team and excellent facilities including:

70 computers in 4 rooms
Free DVD library (French, Spanish, German, English)
Audio and video-editing tools
corpus linguistics tools (Wordsmith and Antconc)
research software (NVIVO and PASW/SPSS)

Teaching staff

Read what the International Relations and English staff have to say about their courses:

Dr Nathaniel Copsey, Head of Politics and International Relations, Co-Director of the Aston Centre for Europe (ACE)

"Politics and international relations at Aston offers a fascinating insight into the challenges facing our societies in the 21st century. It is also home to the Aston Centre for Europe, a world-class research facility for the study of Europe which provides access the most up-to-date new thinking on all matters relating to Europe. We aim to prepare our students thoroughly for demanding, often international, careers and the placement year gives our students a distinct advantage on the graduate labour market.''

Dr Krzysztof Kredens - Director of Undergraduate Programmes in English

''Our lecturers are renowned internationally for their work in Forensic Linguistics, Language and Gender, Language and Diversity and TESOL Studies. Staff at the Centre for Forensic Linguistics work routinely with law enforcement as expert witnesses in cases where speech and/or text constitutes part of the evidence. Most of our lecturers are research active. We are passionate about the teaching we provide and use our own research findings to inform it.''

Contact us

School of Languages and Social Sciences Undergraduate Admissions
Tel: 0121 204 3700
Email: lss_ugadmissions@aston.ac.uk

Student Profile

Roberta Smith

BSc English Language

I love my course because it opens up so many doors for my future; it isn't the same old stuff from A-level but an exciting development into linguistics and language. My favourite module is one I am studying at the moment called “language of evidence” which is an introduction to Forensic Linguistics.

Related courses

BSc English Language

BSc Politics with International Relations

BSc Politics and English Language

Fees & funding

Find out about tuition fees & student loans, and the bursaries and scholariships available.

Accommodation

All our accommodation is based on campus and over 80% of our rooms are ensuite. We offer a guarenteed place scheme for first years.

Student life

Our city centre location gives you the best of both worlds: a welcoming, lively campus community, in the heart of a vibrant city.

Student support - we're with you all the way

We offer a range of support services to ensure your time here is a success in academic, social and personal terms.

Outstanding graduate career prospects

Aston is ranked 5th in the UK, and the best outside London, for the percentage of graduates entering employment who achieve graduate level jobs (Sunday Times University Guide 2012)

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Birmingham - home to 65,000 students!

With fantastic nightlife, great restaurants, beautiful parks, superb shopping and much more, Birmingham is a true student city.

International students

Aston offers a world-class education and is home to students from over 120 countries.

Learn a language alongside your course

Whatever course you are studying, you can choose to study a language whilst you are at Aston. Improving your cultural awareness and career prospects.

BSc International Relations and English Language

Key facts

Key benefits

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Sample module options

Dr Nathaniel Copsey, Head of Politics and International Relations, Co-Director of the Aston Centre for Europe (ACE)

Dr Krzysztof Kredens - Director of Undergraduate Programmes in English

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