From contemporary fiction to business communication and from teaching English to corpus linguistics, our department specialises in the application of language and literature in external contexts. We have an excellent track record in teaching and an active research culture that emphasises impactful publications and productive collaboration. As a small, diverse and welcoming group of academics and creative minds, we blend research and teaching while exploring a vast range of topics. We also offer a supportive environment for students, taking feedback seriously and nurturing the inquisitive and analytical mindset that many language and literature scholars possess.
Our work is about far more than just words. We’re concerned with texts and reading as cultural phenomena, impacting on society. This equips our graduates with the key skills and independent thinking that makes them highly sought by employers.
And when it comes to research, our specialisms are enormously varied. Our staff and students have interests that span centuries, cross cultures and bridge disciplines. Many of our colleagues are internationally renowned authorities in their fields, and our ethos is that teaching and research should complement one another at all levels of academic enquiry.
We’re a diverse and supportive community characterised by our curiosity, creativity and academic excellence. Together, we explore a rich variety of subject areas, producing output of national and international significance. Our staff offer a distinctive set of identities and specialisms which create a kaleidoscope of opportunity for both teaching and research.
Staff in the department research, publish and teach across a wide range of areas, including literary studies, discourse analysis, corpus linguistics, translation studies and TESOL. Colleagues are all leaders in their respected fields and are published in journals across the world. We’re proud of the impact our research has achieved, garnering praise that has stretched to law, business and education communities. Exploring our subject in this way means that we have a huge breadth and depth of expertise to offer our students, our local community, and beyond.
Our students particularly appreciate the real-world application of our teaching and come away with a strong grounding in the subject which is as theoretical as it is relevant.
They benefit from our wide-ranging expertise and pioneering research, which sits at the heart of our teaching. Most of all, our supportive staff members ensure students have everything they need to graduate with a sense of growth that is both intellectually and beneficial to their lives beyond education.
Our teaching balances being intellectually stimulating with practical, externally-facing applications. Our students go on to secure roles in a wide range of industries, from law and government to education and marketing
Our courses are designed in close partnership with employers to prepare graduates to enter the world of work with highly relevant skills and knowledge. Explore our range of undergraduate, postgraduate, PhD and foundation programmes.
If you are interested in PhD study please contact the Research Director Professor Gertrud Reershemius g.k.reershemius@aston.ac.uk
Diverse Illustrated Children's Shakespeare: a guide
Teaching Literatures in Secondary Schools in Wales (Cymraeg/Welsh language version)
