Postgraduate Language and Linguistics 2025-2026

The course is based on supervision of practical experience. Students and supervisors select texts to be translated and discuss approaches and other practical issues. The remainder of the course is dedicated to self-directed study, in which the students compile a portfolio of work. Feedback on the portfolio is discussed in detail with the supervisor. Additional translations are set beyond the portfolio itself, giving students the opportunity to enhance and polish their skills with a wider range of materials. Students will normally be translating one document per week and will receive oral feedback.

The course introduces and critically evaluates some of the major concepts in translation theory, focusing on their application to translation practice. It analyses translation as a social and cultural phenomenon. Students will develop the skills necessary to reflect critically on their own translation practice in order to enhance its breadth and sophistication. 

This course equips students to edit, revise and review translated documents in a professional context. Topics will include study of and practice in stylistic, structural and content editing; quality assurance processes expected in professional-standard translating; a critical understanding of the role of the editor/reviser/proofreader and reviewer in a professional context and of all stages of the editing and reviewing process.

This course introduces the theoretical frameworks used in analysing communication, enabling students to investigate social interaction, power relations, and the ways in which language is used in a variety of contexts. It provides a grounding in the precise analysis of language use, which will enable students to go on to investigate communication in a range of professional contexts during the MLitt programme.

This course will focus on key concepts, hypotheses and models related TESOL-oriented theories of learning, including behaviourist, cognitive and socio-cultural perspectives. The structure of this course will facilitate development of and reflection on teaching beliefs and teaching philosophy. Strengths and weaknesses of common learning theories will be identified and their applicability to the English language teaching context will be examined.

The course aims to help students develop a theoretical and practical understanding of psychological, physiological and environmental factors that influence the well-being of language teachers and learners.   Course is an elective course for the MSc in TESOL.

This course on the processes that are involved in the learning of second language vocabulary, morphosyntax, collocations, formulaic language, language functions and phonology. In addition to critical analysis of theory and research, students will have an opportunity to engage in designing EFL (English as a Foreign/Second Language) classroom activities that address areas of difficulty for English language learners from different linguistic backgrounds.

This course opens up new ways for students to think about language by introducing them to the fundamentals of English linguistics. Students will learn how to identify and analyse the major "building blocks" of language in phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics. Examples for illustration and discussion will be drawn from varieties of English spoken in the British Isles and worldwide, with lectures and tutorials geared to providing students with an active vocabulary with which to discuss language, and essential tools with which to analyse its structure and function.

This course will focus on understanding the role of technology and the application of digital tools in different pedagogical frameworks, in face-to-face, distance and virtual learning environments for second language teaching and learning.

This course is intended to give students taking the Masters of Research in Linguistics advanced knowledge of a specific subfield of linguistic research. Students will attend an Honours level course offered in Language & Linguistics and complete a research paper in the relevant area on a topic to be agreed with the programme coordinator.

This course introduces students to a variety of qualitative approaches used in Linguistics, exploring their advantages and limitations through critical examination of existing work in the field. Methods covered include interviews, surveys, participant observation, case studies, focus groups, and corpus analysis. Particular attention is given to research planning and process, with consideration of how research questions are formulated and projects designed to address them. Throughout the course students will focus on issues of reliability, representativeness, and validity in qualitative linguistic research, while developing and reflecting on their own research interests and practice.

A Pedagogical Chinese Grammar for TCSOL Teachers (I) is designed to equip future teachers of Chinese to speakers of other languages (TCSOL) with a deep understanding of Chinese grammar and its pedagogical applications. This course bridges the gap between linguistic theory and classroom practice, enabling teachers to explain complex grammatical concepts clearly and effectively in diverse learning environments.

Language is central to our humanity. Language and society are inextricably linked. Language unites; language divides. This course will develop your understanding of the social nature of language, providing insight into, among other things, the relationship between gender and language, language death and the issue of language policy and planning.

In this course a range of theories for exploring cultural norms and practices will be explored. Cultural Dimension Theory, Cross Cultural Pragmatics and Language socialization will be considered core areas of study. Other areas of relevance that will be covered and discussed include:  Social Identity Theory and Language, English as a Lingua Franca the effects of Globalisation on language policy and communication, Intercultural Communication in Specific Professional Contexts, Intercultural Communication in Health Care ”The case of migrant patients and native speaker Doctors/health care staff, Intercultural Communication in Business Meetings” overcoming cultural barriers and negotiating meaning.

This course is based on supervision of practical experience. Students and supervisors will select texts to be translated and discuss approaches and other practical issues. The remainder of the course is dedicated to self-directed study, in which students compile a portfolio of work. Feedback on the portfolio is discussed in detail with the supervisor. Additional translations are set beyond the portfolio itself, giving students the opportunity to enhance and polish their skills with a wider range of materials. Students will normally be translating one document per week and will receive oral feedback.

The course combines practical, theoretical and analytical work, to enable students to engage with the concepts involved in literary translation, in terms of both theory and practice. Students will study theory and criticism of literary translations and will explore the dynamics between existing translations and their source texts. Students will also be engaged in translating creative writing and commenting on their own practice and choices.

Through a process of observation, delivery and reflection, learners will develop the ability to plan and teach coherent and structured lessons which meet stated aims and objectives. This will consolidate content covered in the TESOL methodology course.  

This course will identify various audiences, appropriate content and ways of communicating within organisations and institutions, with particular focus on the energy industry, law and law enforcement, emergency services and healthcare.  It will identify various purposes, types and modes of communication within organisations and institutions and consider communication plans as part of organisational and institutional strategic plans.

In order to take this course, a windows-based laptop is required (the translation software programme used on the training sessions works on windows as its operating system). Students will need to install the translation software programme license, provided as part of this course, on their own laptops - help and guidance will be given to students to do this. Students will need to bring their own laptops to the training sessions.

This course equips students with a critical appreciation of the role that technology can play in certain domains of translation, and equips them to use such technologies in a variety of contexts.  Students will use different software/cloud-based technologies to construct termbases, translation memories, deliver translated texts and make use of the various quality-assurance tools and task reports that such technology offers. The course will also explore machine translation technologies, and the import and export of files between different software/cloud packages.

The course introduces and critically discusses the roles and processes involved in professional translation. Topics studied will vary from year to year, but are likely to include at least some of the following: project management, marketing one’s services as a freelance translator; career and entrepreneurial opportunities for language specialists; fee structures and pricing for freelance translators; working for agencies and large organizations; professional ethics; client communication; pitching translation projects to publishers; evaluation of networking, professional organizations and CPD opportunities for translators; translation and the law.

This course is a core course for the Dissertation route and an optional course for the TESOL Focussed Teaching Portfolio route. The course will provide an introduction to the theory and practice of quantitative research in TESOL.

This course introduces students to the different fields of Public Service Interpreting (PSI). It covers the specific ethical requirements, codes of conduct, working conditions and the legislation associated with Public Service Interpreting. This course also touches on trends in PSI and the repercussions that these may have in the PSI context.

This course will run if there is a minimum of 4 students per language combination.

This course will explore ways of collecting qualitative data in the TESOL context, including classroom observations, questionnaires, interviews and focus groups. There will also be some focus on analysing the structure of academic articles.

This course opens up new ways for students to think about language by introducing them to the fundamentals of English linguistics. Students will learn how to identify and analyse the major "building blocks" of language in phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics. Examples for illustration and discussion will be drawn from varieties of English spoken in the British Isles and worldwide, with lectures and tutorials geared to providing students with an active vocabulary with which to discuss language, and essential tools with which to analyse its structure and function.

This course is intended to give students taking the Masters of Research in Linguistics advanced knowledge of a specific subfield of linguistic research. Students will attend an Honours level course offered in Language & Linguistics and complete a research paper in the relevant area on a topic to be agreed with the programme coordinator.

This course introduces students to a variety of quantitative approaches used in Linguistics, exploring their advantages and limitations through critical examination of existing work in the field. Topics covered include experiment design, sampling techniques, graphing results, descriptive statistics, and basic inferential statistics. Particular attention is given to analysing quantitative data, with consideration of how research questions inform experimental design and choice of analysis. Throughout the course students will focus on issues of replicability, reliability, and validity in quantitative linguistic research, while developing and reflecting on their own research interests and practice.

A Pedagogical Chinese Grammar for TCSOL Teachers (II) is a continuation of A Pedagogical Chinese Grammar for TCSOL Teachers (I), further deepening future teachers' understanding of Chinese grammar and its pedagogical applications. Building upon the principles introduced in the first course, this advanced module explores more intricate grammatical structures, common learner challenges, and effective teaching strategies. Emphasising both theoretical knowledge and practical implementation, the course equips TCSOL teachers with the skills to analyse, explain, and address complex linguistic phenomena in diverse classroom settings. Through interactive discussions and hands-on teaching practice, participants will refine their ability to facilitate meaningful and effective grammar instruction for learners of Chinese.

In this course, students critically examine a broad range of commonly held beliefs about language and the relation of language to the brain and cognition, learning, society, change and evolution. Students read a series of short scholarly articles in order to understand language myths, the purpose for their existence, and their validity (or not). We use science and common sense as tools in our process of “myth-busting”, both on a set range of language myths in class and on individually chosen myths in independent projects.

TCSOL Practice and Reflection is a practical course designed for aspiring teachers of Chinese to speakers of other languages (TCSOL). It provides students with hands-on teaching experience, paired with guided opportunities for reflection and professional growth. The course bridges theoretical knowledge and real-world practice, enabling students to refine their teaching skills and develop effective strategies for diverse classroom contexts.

This course leads to the production of a portfolio of reflective and informed pieces analysing both the student's own and others' teaching practice in line with what has been learned throughout the programme.  Students will gain hands-on teaching practice under the supervision of highly qualified personnel; the experience will then be analysed and related to relevant theory and methodology. Students will gain a sense of what planning and executing a programme of TESOL teaching will involve. This portfolio is a unique feature of the Aberdeen MSc in TESOL and gives a strongly practical flavour to the degree as a whole.

In this course, with guidance and supervision, students will present one of the following: an extended critical empirical study of, or sustained argument on an aspect of translation or interpreting studies; a critical evaluation of an existing published translation of appropriate length and complexity; a suitably extensive and challenging original translation with accompanying critical commentary.

If you want to carry out in-depth research on a single topic within the field of TESOL, this is the course for you. You will be given regular support and supervision from experts in their fields on how your research should be carried out.

The course aims to help students develop a theoretical and practical understanding of psychological, physiological and environmental factors that influence the well-being of language teachers and learners.   Course is an elective course for the MSc in TESOL.

Students undertaking the MRes in Linguistics will submit a research dissertation of 18,000–20,000 words, based on an independent project to be agreed with the programme coordinator and supervised by a member of staff in Language & Linguistics.

This course requires students to prepare a 12,000 word dissertation. By the end of the course students will have learned how to understand, synthesize and present data in an intelligent and intelligible fashion. Through guidance and supervision they will develop their academic writing skills in order to write and present an extended dissertation on a topic relevant to the course.

The dissertation serves as the culminating project for the MSc in Teaching Chinese in a Global Context. It provides students with the opportunity to engage in an in-depth, independent research project related to the teaching and learning of Chinese as a global language. This course allows students to apply their knowledge, refine their research skills, and make meaningful contributions to the field of Chinese language education.