MA Language and Intercultural Communication (Part time)

In the MA in Language in Intercultural Communication we are particularly interested in providing a broad-based approach to the study of language both as a cultural resource and a cultural practice. From the former perspective both the range of linguistic forms available within a language as well as the patterns of linguistic usage by its speakers gives expression to that culture’s worldview, socio-cultural norms and values. From the latter, the very act of linguistic communication is used to both create and sustain our sense of personal, cultural and national identity. To further the study of these cultural patterns, the programme makes use of a variety of different analytic approaches ranging from Discourse Analysis and ethnolinguistics to semiotics and cross-cultural pragmatics. The course will be of interest to students of English and other languages who are seeking to deepen their knowledge of language as a cultural object, as well as a range of professionals, including language teachers, concerned with issues of interpersonal and intercultural communication.
Image credit: Save the Children

Why Study Language and Intercultural Communication at UEA?

Several factors combine to make the choice of the UEA MA in Language and Intercultural Communication programme an appropriate and exciting one:

The School of Language and Communication Studies is a vibrant environment with a focus on issues relating to contemporary language and translation. The work we undertake in the School has successfully positioned us at the cutting edge of research, ensuring our graduates are well-informed and highly employable.

Research in the School focuses on cross-cultural communication, with all staff sharing an interest in the study of language use (pragmatics), translation, interpreting and media in an intercultural and multilingual framework. The different standpoints from which they approach the interaction between language and forms of communication constitute complementary and mutually enriching perspectives, in line with UEA’s tradition of interdisciplinary research and Critical Linguistics research.

The School provides a friendly and stimulating environment in which to study. The size of the School allows for more personal staff-student contact and individual academic support than in many larger institutions.

The James Platt Centre for Language Learning which is housed within the School provides an extensive range of language resources including live satellite broadcasts, CDs and DVDs in various foreign languages, as well as a wide variety of foreign language printed matter. These materials complement the excellent holdings of the UEA library. IT facilities are excellent throughout the University.

The wide range of linguistically diverse students enrolled on both this and other MA programmes in the School provides a rich environment in which to study intercultural communication.

Course Content and Structure

The MA in Language in Intercultural Communication is a one-year, full-time taught course but it can also be taken part-time over two years.

The structure of the programme allows individuals to develop their own interests within a structured framework of theoretical training. Some flexibility is built into the course by allowing one module to be chosen from any relevant MA module offered within the Faculty of Arts and Humanities. Teaching is mainly through the media of seminars and individual dissertation supervision.

The programme consists of three compulsory taught modules: Linguistic Communication amongst Cultures, Textual Interaction and Ideology: The Power of Discourse, and Cultural Representations and Language. The fourth taught module is selected either from Language Issues in a Global Multilingual Context or any other approved MA module from within the School or the Faculty of Arts and Humanities. There is also a compulsory Research Methods module which is taken by all LCS MA students.

Final Dissertation:

The final compulsory element of the programme is a 15,000 word dissertation on a subject chosen by the student in consultation with members of academic staff. Work on the dissertation starts at Easter and proceeds full-time until its completion at the beginning of September.

Course Assessment:

Assessment is on the basis of coursework and the dissertation (although modules taken from outside the School may contain an examined element).

Transferable Skills:

Students who successfully complete the MA will have developed to a high level their awareness and understanding of issues of culture and communication through language. They will have become familiar with different approaches to these issues, and gained the ability to assess these approaches critically and to evaluate their usefulness to their own needs and circumstances.

They will also have honed their academic skills including, the ability to read and utilise research literature, independent research, with a focus on appropriate methodology, data collection, analysis, synthesis and evaluation , presentation skills (oral and written), and the IT skills required to achieve these goals.

The programme will provide a suitable foundation for further postgraduate studies at MPhil and PhD level.

Student Experience

See what our postgraduates say for examples.

MA Degree Programmes Postgraduate Diplomas
(MA in Communication and Language
Studies only) Four taught modules assessed by coursework
(six for Communication and Language Studies) Six taught modules assessed by coursework Obligatory core elements and options Obligatory core elements and options Year Long Research Method module Two-semester 100% taught courses (no dissertation) 15,000 word supervised dissertation
(8,000 for MA in Communication and Language Studies)
Easter to early September
Multi-disciplinary environment, wide range of options from across the Faculty
Full time and Part time programmes

• Undergraduate
• Postgraduate
  • Postgraduate Taught Degrees
  • Postgraduate Research Degrees
  • Science Research Projects
  • Apply
  • Fees & Funding
  • Request a prospectus
  • Open Days
• International Students
• International Preparatory Courses
• Study Abroad
• Information for New Students
• myUEA

Entry Requirements Degree Subject: Humanities or Social Sciences Degree Classification: UK BA (Hons) 2.1 or equivalent Students for whom English is a Foreign language

We welcome applications from students whose first language is not English. To ensure such students benefit from postgraduate study, we require evidence of proficiency in English. Our usual entry requirements are as follows:

• IELTS: 6.5 (minimum 6.0 in all components)
• TOEFL: Internet-based score of 88 (minimum 18 listening, 21 speaking, 19 writing and 20 in reading)
• PTE (Pearson): 62 (minimum 55 in all components)

Test dates should be within two years of the course start date.

Other tests such as TOEIC and the Cambridge Certificate of Advanced English are also accepted by the university. Please check with the Admissions Office for further details including the scores or grades required.

INTO UEA and INTO UEA London run pre-sessional courses which can be taken prior to the start of your course. For further information and to see if you qualify please contact intopre-sessional@uea.ac.uk (INTO UEA Norwich) or pseuealondon@into.uk.com (INTO UEA London).

Intakes

The School's annual intake is in September of each year.

Alternative Qualifications

If you have alternative qualifications that have not been mentioned above then please contact the university directly for further information.

Assessment

All applications for postgraduate study are processed through the Admissions Office and then forwarded to the relevant School of Study for consideration. If you are currently completing your first degree or have not yet taken a required English language test, any offer of a place will be conditional upon you achieving this before you arrive.

International exchange and attendant issues in our fast-changing world are key concerns in the School of Language and Communication Studies. They are addressed from the complementary perspectives of Translation, Cross Cultural Communication and Linguistics, each represented by its own MA.

The University of East Anglia is a thriving academic environment, with many distinctive features:

• Thriving interdisciplinary and multicultural environment
• Expertise in a wide range of languages
• Birthplace of Critical Linguistics
• MA programmes designed specifically for international students
• Translation Workshops led by distinguished practising translators
• Opportunity for students to benefit from the activities of the prestigious UEA-based British Centre for Literary Translation, which attracts visiting translators from all over the world.
• Opportunity for postgraduate students to edit issues of the UEA-based journal Norwich Papers
• Translation Workshops series.

The School also benefits from an outstanding research environment. UEA is home to the British Centre for Literary Translation (BCLT), translators and students edit the UEA journal Norwich Papers which devotes issues to the publication of students' scholarly work on translators and translation.

Peter Trudgill, now retired from the University of Fribourg in Switzerland, has come back to Norwich, his home town, to join the School of Language and Communication Studies team as Honorary Professor in Sociolinguistics to research changes in the local vernaculars which he started studying 35 years ago.

Fees and Funding Tuition fees

Tuition fees for Postgraduate students for the academic year 2013/14 are £5,000 for Home/EU students and £12,500 for International Students.

If you choose to study part-time, the fee per annum will be half the annual fee for that year, or a pro-rata fee for the module credit you are taking (only available for Home/EU students).

Please note that all the above fees are expected to rise for the year 2014/15. We estimate living expenses at £600/650 per month.

International scholarships

All international students (outside the European Union) are considered for a scholarship of between £1000 and £2000 towards tuition fees. In order to be considered for an International Scholarship you do not need to make a separate application. Please indicate on your application for admission that you wish to be considered for a scholarship. It is important to make the application as early as possible because they are considered as they are received. So apply early to make sure of the best chance of success.

Scholarships are awarded to students on the basis of academic merit and are for the duration of the period of study (which will be one year). Students of outstanding academic ability will also be considered for Faculty Scholarship Awards, usually in March and May each year, which can be worth up to 100% of the tuition fee. These are highly competitive and prestigious awards. Those students being offered a scholarship will be notified directly by the School of Study.

Scholarships and Awards:

The Faculty of Arts and Humanities has a number of Scholarships and Awards on offer for 2013 entry. For further information relevant to the School of Language and Communication Studies, please click here.