English Literature BA (Hons)

This module offers an interdisciplinary exploration of English language, literature, and creative writing, focusing on the rich historical and cultural tapestry of the city of Chester. You will explore the structure and grammar of the English language, including the accent and dialect of Chester; engage with literary texts inspired by or set in Chester; and craft your own creative writing pieces rooted in and inspired by the city’s heritage.

Through a blend of analytical and practical activities, you will consider how place shapes language, literature and storytelling. Chester, a city which has evolved from its Roman foundations to its vibrant modern identity, is the perfect setting for such study.

Field trips, writing workshops, and input from experts in the field will enrich your learning experience, providing opportunities to connect academic skills with real-world applications. By the end of the module, you will have honed your knowledge of the structure of English, developed your writing expertise, deepened your appreciation of literature and place, and developed transferable skills in research, storytelling, and communication, preparing you for study at Level 5 and for potential careers in writing, teaching, heritage, and beyond.

Coursework may include detailed language analysis, critical readings of literary works, and creative projects/podcasts that integrate Chester’s landmarks, archives, and history.

Writing – both other people’s writing and the writing you do yourself – will be central to your university degree and your future life, whether that is in your career, in further study, or in the lifelong love of learning we hope to inspire. ‘Writing for Your Life’ will help you develop key skills in effective reading, note-taking and time-management; cognitive skills such as critical and analytical thinking, problem solving and creativity; and enhanced communication skills such as the ability to listen carefully, write clearly and persuasively, and discuss confidently and with authority.

You will also explore different types and modes of writing, the intersections of language, literature and technology, and various platforms for disseminating your writing. The module will allow you to build relationships with others who share your love of English language, literature, and creative writing including your fellow students and tutors, allowing you to work successfully as part of a team as well as independently.

You now have the opportunity to pick an optional module to learn a new language or build on your existing language skills as part of your degree. You can choose:

• Subsidiary Language for Beginners (choice of German, Italian or Spanish)
• French: Intermediate Language Development
• Spanish: Intermediate Language Development
• Chinese: Intermediate Language Development
• German: Communication in Practice
• French: Communication in Practice
• Spanish: Communication in Practice

This module takes you on a journey through the history and development of the English language, exploring its evolution alongside the literary and creative works that have shaped and reflected its development. Blending English language, literature, and creative writing, the module examines key milestones in the history of English, from Old English poetry to contemporary writing, highlighting how language, culture, and society influence one another, and how the language and texts of the present day have emerged.

You will analyse the grammar, vocabulary, and stylistic changes in English over time, applying knowledge and skills developed on the "Studying English" module at level 4 to investigate texts ranging from medieval manuscripts and Shakespearean drama to Victorian novels and modern digital storytelling. Sessions will encourage students to experiment with historical and present-day linguistic features and literary styles, analysing and/or crafting pieces that echo or challenge traditions from different eras.

The module fosters a nuanced understanding of how English has adapted to historical, social, and cultural contexts. It also develops skills in linguistic analysis, close reading, and creative expression. By engaging with English across centuries, you will gain a deeper appreciation of the language’s richness and versatility while cultivating critical and creative abilities relevant to academic and professional pathways. This will prepare you for the level 6 module "Beyond the Page", in which you will investigate how this kind of knowledge is relevant to life beyond university.

A number of methodological approaches to the study of English will also be introduced in this module, helping to develop your knowledge of a range of ways in which language and texts can be analysed and understood. By working with data, possibly including that which is relevant to the "Voicing the Past" and "Cestrian English" projects, students will explore how data from different periods can be analysed through established approaches, as well as approaches which are new and emerging, possibly including the application of AI tools. Through applying and reflecting on the application of these methods, you will be provided with a valuable skillset that is likely to appeal to a range of future employers. 

The module provides students with an opportunity to undertake a 140-hour work placement*. This placement is complemented by a number of school-delivered sessions designed to develop their employability, professional practice, and students' understanding of their career options. Students learn to reflect on the nature of creativity within their studies, and gain awareness of how this is valued and relevant in modern workplaces. 

*in some cases, evidence of considerable relevant graduate-level work experience may be accepted as an alternative to completion of the stipulated placement.

This module enables you to understand the significance of historical context and place in literature from the Renaissance through to the contemporary period. You will examine how different places (ranging from rooms to whole worlds) are represented across a range of genres, including poetry, novels, plays and creative non-fiction. You will identify and evaluate the spatial and historical contexts of a variety of works. The module focuses on a range of approaches, such as Romantic conceptualizations of landscape, evolving representations of the country and the city, perspectives on climate and ecology, colonialism and postcolonialism, and psychogeography. You will explore key historical shifts in the experience and understanding of time and place and how these factors have contributed more broadly to various cultures and communities.

Embedding the Chester ‘Citizen Student’ principle at the heart of teaching, this module examines representations of community, activism, and protest in English literature.

Set texts are likely to include not only fiction, drama, and poetry, but also songs, films, political tracts, biographies, and material culture, enabling students to discuss literature in relation to other forms of storytelling in communicating traditions of citizenship, activism, human rights, and protest.

This module is informed by principles of ‘inclusive curriculum’, and materials centring marginalised experiences / voices. Experiences discussed in these texts may include disability, gender, sexuality, race and ethnicity, class, and the ways in which marginalised people have found community and made their voices heard.

Assessments offer opportunities to enhance critical reflection and research skills with creativity across different media.

This module provides a structured, university-level work placement for 4, 5 or 7 weeks as one continuous block / period with a placement provider (i.e. industry apprioprate sector). It is designed to enhance your professional skills in a real-world job setting.

The placement can either be organised by you or with support from university staff.

All work placements within this module must be university-level; this means:

• Undertaking high-skilled work commensurate with level 5 study (e.g. report writing, attending meetings, delivering presentations, producing spreadsheets, writing content on webpages, social media, marketing services/products etc)
• Physically placed (albeit part of it can be hybrid) within an employer setting in one continuous block / period for 4, 5 or 7 weeks for a minimum of 140-147 hours over the course of the entire work placement

Where applicable, your existing part-time employer can be approached/used as the placement provider, if the high-skilled work.

• criterion above is fulfilled for the full duration of the placement.
• All quality assurances/agreements provided by the University are adhered to, by you and the employer.

The work placement context may not necessarily, reflect your degree discipline per se, but rather, it will give you an enriched experience to enhance your professional skills in a real-world job setting.

The Level 5, 40-credit modules require a basic foundation of knowledge of your chosen language e.g. GCSE or equivalent,  a Level 4 module in the same language or equivalent previous learning. This module includes an optional placement abroad, such as an intensive course at a partner university. You can choose:

• Advanced Language Development and Global Sustainability (choice of German, French or Spanish)
• Upper Intermediate Language Development and Global Employability (choice of Chinese, French or Spanish)
• Post Beginner Language Development and Global Cultures (choice of German, Italian or Spanish)

This module will provide you with the practical and theoretical underpinning of professional practice in your specific subject, enabling you to identify and develop key employability attributes and skills in preparation for your future career.  

You will spend several weeks working collaboratively with other students across the School for the Creative Industries on one major project or several smaller projects in a professional ‘simulated real world’ working environment.  Projects will be contemporary, topical, externally focussed and often involve partnership with outside agencies. The module will provide you with opportunities for immersive learning and the chance to apply your knowledge in real-world contexts.

This is an experiential learning opportunity that incorporates, 20 teaching contact hours/lectures to prepare for the150 contract hours where L5 students can use all their skills learned to date on an actual real-world (external business) client driven project, working in teams and produce an artefact. 

Students are also expected to undertake around 30 hours of self study.

This module not only gives them enhanced skills but the opportunity to work for a real client thus giving them a valuable CV and LInkedIn entry as work experience that can contribute to their employability portfolio. 

Students will collaborate in teams and produce full client documentation alongside a reflection of their expereince and this all give some much needed contemplation of their skills to date and how to use them. 

This final-year module integrates English language, literature, and creative writing to prepare you for life beyond university, blending academic study with practical skill development and career-focused applications. You will refine your expertise in linguistic analysis, critical interpretation, and creative expression, while exploring how these core skills translate into diverse professional environments.

Through engaging with a wide range of texts—from classic literature to contemporary media—you will deepen your understanding of storytelling, language use, and audience engagement. Creative writing workshops will encourage the development of original, polished works, while employability-focused sessions will highlight transferable skills such as communication, research, editing, and project management.

The module includes practical tasks like producing professional portfolios, writing for public audiences, and exploring roles in industries such as publishing, education, media, and heritage. Insight from industry professionals will provide information about career opportunities, and you will be encouraged to reflect on your academic experiences to articulate your strengths in professional contexts. Knowledge from Level 5 core and specialist modules will be consolidated, extended and contextualised in terms of the relationship between your academic studies and the developments of transferable skills valued in a range of modern workplaces.

By combining advanced study with hands-on practice, this module equips you with the tools and confidence to excel in the workplace, demonstrating the value and versatility of an English degree.

This module focuses on varied and exciting examples of ‘genre fiction’. Module content may include a number of the following: detective fiction, science fiction, the gothic, fantasy, historical fiction, horror, the thriller and young adult fiction. The module will typically explore such questions as: the definition and complexity of ‘genre’, notions of canonicity and distinctions between the ‘popular’ and ‘literary’. It will also consider how genre fiction reflects, interrogates and interacts with broader social and cultural movements and events.

This module is an exciting exploration of a range of contemporary texts, which can include flash fictions (short-short stories) and poems in magazines and collections, ‘literary’ novels and ‘popular’ novels, award-winning plays and best-selling plays, and less traditional ‘publications’ on websites and social media. A wide range of issues may be discussed, including literary judgements (for example, why a work was deemed worthy of a national prize) and how ‘success’ might be defined. Further to enhancing your analytical reading skills, you will develop a more nuanced understanding of the difference between critical opinion and personal opinion.

This self-directed module allows students to initiate and develop their own major project ideas appropriate to their discipline of study. Students at this point in their studies are often very focussed on their ultimate work aspirations, and this module helps them to gain 'graduate trajectory' to enable them to better move into their chosen profession as seamlessly as possible when they have finished their studies.