English

Why study English?

The globalization of English has led to great changes in the ways English is used internationally. In professions from publishing to entertainment to marketing, the English language is the vehicle of communication. Today, speakers of various native languages are simply expected to communicate and do business with one another in English. And while it’s true that studying English as a foreign language is part of primary and secondary education programmes around the world, this education is becoming increasingly insufficient, as pressures to use English at yet more professional levels, for a wider range of professional purposes, continue to mount. English Studies at Malmö is thus a response to this need for second language English speakers to compete effectively with native English speakers in the global village.

English at Malmö University

Of particular importance to the identity of English Studies at Malmö is an emphasis on your own written production. Simply put, we want to be known as a place for writers. That's why we've introduced the new specialization in Writing Studies, which you may choose as an option within the programme. If you do, you'll get to take a full 60 credits of writing courses, and this will be documented as part of your diploma package upon graduation. The courses in the specialization in Writing Studies consist of both rigorous academic writing courses and expansive creative writing courses geared to stimulate your imaginative literary skills. The pedagogical method behind this curriculum is designed so that you not only learn to analyze and evaluate texts but also to create a wide range of them yourself. This is because a key strategy of the program is to promote the integration of critical and creative thinking. The practical motivation behind this structure lies in our thinking that the documented proof of such a degree will give you an edge when you enter the workforce, greatly increasing your future professional competence. We are well aware what employers in this age of information and creative production will demand from you: the creation and production of sophisticated texts, along with the critical thinking skills necessary to manipulate and analyze them.

Oral production is also key to the pedagogy of the programme. That's why we offer courses in theatre and why oral presentations are a regular feature of many courses. This emphasis on oral production is yet another way English at Malmö strives to increase your professional competence.

In addition to an emphasis on your own production, English at Malmö continues to be strong in the academic essentials. Our literature courses rely on contemporary critical approaches in the study of film, song, and other media, with an emphasis on the analysis of both contemporary and canonical texts. Our aim is that you come to understand literature not as a museum but as a living, changing body of knowledge, a "conversation" between thinkers. Our linguistics courses engage in both theoretical and practical examinations of the ways in which language is structured, used, and understood. They approach language in a range of contexts relevant to the complexity and diversity of 21st-century culture. This contemporary linguistics orientation can be seen in our emphasis on the use of computerized corpora in the investigation of both established and emergent discourses.

The English Studies programme

English Studies is a 3-year bachelor’s degree that allows for different “paths” through the programme, providing you with the opportunity to shape your own education. You may choose to emphasize linguistics, literary studies, writing studies, or a customized combination of them.  Read more about the programme.

Courses in English

We also offer English as single subject courses for three terms: English I, English II and English III, where the third term also allows you to choose between a focus on literature or linguistics.

Many of the courses within the English Studies programme are also offered as shorter independent courses of 7.5 or 15 hp which can be taken without enrollment in the full programme.

Find the complete list of English courses offered by Malmö University here. (Note that this list includes courses from both the deparment of IMER, where the English Studies programme is offered, and the School of Education.)

What sort of career will I be prepared for?

English Studies at Malmö prepares you for work in numerous fields related to cultural production, the language arts, the manipulation of texts, and the generation of creative content. These fields typically include: arts-related communications work (writing, publishing, museums, etc.); teaching, journalism, advertising, marketing, design, customer service, translation; media and entertainment (radio, television, film, etc.); and any other field that demands a high degree of English language competence. The program also prepares you to undertake work at the postgraduate level in literature, linguistics, or creative writing, depending upon your chosen area of focus within the programme.