What exactly is Applied Linguistics? Well, our head of department, Professor Tess Fitzpatrick talks about what we do at Swansea University. For detailed information about our courses, please visit: http://www.swansea.ac.uk/english/…Continue Reading Professor Tess Fitzpatrick on Studying English Language at Swansea University
CLEARING: Mia King on Her Experience
Clearing can be a stressful time for all involved but take a look at our video with one of our successful students, Mia King, who came to us through clearing and is now going into her final year of university….Continue Reading CLEARING: Mia King on Her Experience
Interviews with Third Years: Lauren Jones
After the dust had settled: exams done and graduation celebrated, I had a chance to catch up with finalist and now post-graduate student, Lauren Jones. Lauren recently graduated with a first degree in English Language and is going on to do the MA TESOL here at Swansea. She kindly took time out of her well-earned…Continue Reading Interviews with Third Years: Lauren Jones
Phonology in the Fens by Fiona Hardy
On Saturday 17th June, I attended a conference put on by the Pronunciation Special Interest Group of the International Association of Teachers of English as a Foreign Language. It was hosted by the Bell School of English in Cambridge and the conference focus was on that particularly vexed question of English pronunciation, namely connected speech. …Continue Reading Phonology in the Fens by Fiona Hardy
Out and About: Adventures Off-Campus – The English Association’s ‘English: Shared Futures’ Conference at Newcastle
This month I attended the English Association’s ‘English: Shared Futures’, held in Newcastle 5-7 July 2017. It was the first of its kind: a version of the U.S. ‘super-conference’, with over 500 delegates and 150 panels over the three days (and, sadly, no lunch break). Based at Leicester University, the association was established in 1906 with…Continue Reading Out and About: Adventures Off-Campus – The English Association’s ‘English: Shared Futures’ Conference at Newcastle
Mature Students in Focus – Michaela Hartwell
Michaela Hartwell studies BA (Hons) English Language and TESOL in our English Language and Applied Linguistics department. I got a chance to chat to her about her experience as a mature student, returning to study in the middle of her already successful career and travelling adventures. Here’s what she had to say: What do you…Continue Reading Mature Students in Focus – Michaela Hartwell
Celebrating Our Overseas Students
Kathryn Phipps is a student from the U.S.A., studying with Swansea University for a semester on an exchange programme. Here’s what she had to tell me about her experience: Tell me a little bit about yourself. My name is Kathryn Phipps and I’m from Sacramento, California. I’m currently studying at California State University, Sacramento pursuing my BA…Continue Reading Celebrating Our Overseas Students
Mature Students in Focus – Rhian Lloyd
Rhian Lloyd studies BA (Hons) English Literature but has taken several electives within the English Language and Applied Linguistics department. I got a chance to chat to her about why English Language modules had been of interest to her, as well as her experience as a mature student, returning to study. Here’s what she had…Continue Reading Mature Students in Focus – Rhian Lloyd
Celebrating Our Overseas Students
20 year old Chengzi Huang, from China has been studying with us at Swansea for a semester, on an exchange programme. Here’s what she had to say about her time at Swansea: Tell me a little bit about yourself. My name is Chengzi Huang and I am from Leshan City, China. I am studying for my…Continue Reading Celebrating Our Overseas Students
Language at the Movies: Arrival (Denis Villeneuve, 2016)

This week’s blog post is about language at the movies. What do you mean by ‘language at the movies’, I hear you ask? Well, in teaching undergraduate English language courses, I often use film to demonstrate and tease out particular linguistic concepts. I regularly come across movies that take language, or philosophies of language, as…Continue Reading Language at the Movies: Arrival (Denis Villeneuve, 2016)