Core linguistics modules

Our linguistics curriculum builds around five core areas of linguistics:

Phonetics and Phonology: the study of speech sounds and the systems for combining them
Syntax: the study of grammatical structure
Semantics: the study of meaning
Sociolinguistics: the study of how social factors relate to language variation and change
Psycholinguistics: the study of how the human mind learns and processes language

These are the key areas of linguistic research carried out at York, and you will be taught by experts in each field at every stage of your degree. We teach four of these core areas in the first year, then add psycholinguistics at the beginning of the second year.

Core linguistics in the first year

On most of our courses with a main focus on linguistics, you take introductory modules in four core areas in your first year:

Introduction to phonetics and phonology
Introduction to syntax
Introduction to semantics
Introduction to sociolinguistics

For details of module content, see our first year module descriptions.

Courses that don't include all core areas

The first year of the following courses includes Introduction to phonetics and phonology, Introduction to syntax, and up to one additional core linguistics module. Choices for the additional core linguistics module are indicated, where applicable:

Ab initio German/Italian/Spanish and Linguistics (with a year abroad): Introduction to semantics OR Introduction to sociolinguistics

Linguistics with ab initio German/Italian/Spanish: Introduction to semantics OR Introduction to sociolinguistics

Linguistics and Mathematics: Introduction to semantics

Philosophy and Linguistics: Introduction to semantics

English and Linguistics: Introduction to sociolinguistics (OR History of English I)

Other degrees with limited core linguistics modules in the first year:

Two-languages, with both languages on the A-level route: Your first year includes only two core linguistics modules, Introduction to Phonetics and Phonology and Introduction to Syntax.

Two languages, with one language ab initio: Your first year includes only one core linguistics module. You can choose between Introduction to Phonetics and Phonology and Introduction to Syntax. You will take the remaining one in the second year.

French and Philosophy, German and Philosophy, History and French: You can optionally take one core linguistics module (excluding Introduction to Sociolinguistics) in Year 1. Semantics is particularly relevant on French/German and Philosophy.

Core linguistics in the second year

In the second year of almost all our courses, you will take:

Introduction to Language Acquisition

In this module you apply your Year 1 knowledge of phonetics/phonology and syntax to fundamental questions in psycholinguistics: what mechanisms allow children to acquire language so easily, and why does language learning get more difficult when you get older?

In addition, you can choose to continue with all the core areas that you started in Year 1, taking the following modules:

Intermediate phonetics and phonology
Intermediate syntax
Intermediate semantics
Intermediate language variation and change

Or, you can begin to customise your degree at this point, and drop one or more of the areas of core linguistics, taking other options offered on your particular course, instead. On most of our linguistics degree courses, you must include either Intermediate Phonetics and Phonology or Intermediate Syntax in your second-year choices. For details of module content, see our second year module descriptions.

Core linguistics in the final year

In all of our final-year modules, you will apply or build on your core knowledge from the first or second year. We offer advanced-level modules in the core areas, such as Articulatory and Impressionistic Phonetics, Formal Syntactic Theory, and Methods in Language Variation and Change. We also offer modules that use core knowledge to explore different sub-fields of linguistics, such as neurolinguistics, pragmatics, and historical-comparative linguistics. See our current final-year modules for a typical range of modules offered. (Note that module offerings vary from year to year. The range of modules offered in your final-year may differ slightly from the range offered in the current final-year.)