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School of Linguistics & English Language

Research in the School of Linguistics

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The School of Linguistics & English Language has two research priorities, in which it has world-class expertise: 

These research priorities inform the School’s teaching provision at all levels, and provide Linguistics & English Language with a distinctive focus in both a UK and an international context.

Bilingualism is the study of the way speakers of two (or more) languages acquire and use their languages and how these languages are represented in the mind.  Bangor University is situated in the UK’s only truly bilingual region (Welsh-English).  Members of staff in the School conduct research on all aspects of bi/multilingualism, and adopt a multidisciplinary, empirically-informed perspective. The School also spearheaded the successful bid for a £5m Bilingualism Research Centre (2007-12), funded by the UK’s Economic and Social Science Research Council (ESRC).  The Bilingualism Research Centre features state of the art research facilities and a speech processing lab (http://www.bilingualism.bangor.ac.uk/).  The School is the only academic unit in the UK to offer an MA, and a PhD in Bilingualism.  Moreover, the study of Bilingualism is central to the School’s Linguistics, and English Language undergraduate curriculum.  The School also offers Welsh medium provision throughout its undergraduate and MA programmes.

Cognitive Linguistics is the study of language that is informed by the psychological sciences.  It provides an interdisciplinary approach which situates language within the study of the mind, culture and communication.  Cognitive linguists assume that language reflects general cognitive abilities, and can be deployed to investigate certain aspects of the way the mind is organised.  Members of staff in the School conduct research on various aspects of language, mind, text and culture from the perspective of cognitive linguistics.  Students can also specialise in cognitive linguistics at the PhD level.  Cognitive linguistics provision is central to the School’s undergraduate curriculum.