English Language and Special Educational Needs BA (Hons) (with Foundation Year)

ENGLISH LANGUAGE

*This course is open for 2026 entry only

Are you interested in exploring language, becoming a writer, linguist or just in saving the world one word at a time?

Liverpool is truly one of the best locations you could think of, if you want to study language and its structures, and it’s not just thanks to its trademark accents and dialects. Whether it’s the bilingual signs of the first Chinatown in Europe or the Viking heritage of the Wirral, the region’s rich and complex history of languages and cultures interacting with each other creates a vibrant multilingual and multicultural landscape.
 
Our graduates have built a range of interesting careers in journalism, the legal profession, police, teaching and education, as well as going on to study at postgraduate level, courses such as teaching English to speakers of other languages or law conversion courses.
 
Our students have conducted their own final-year research in areas as diverse as the influence of autism on language acquisition in children, the language of AI-written prose, computer-mediated analyses of political speeches, the history of words for madness and many others.
 
Our language programme builds on the links with Liverpool’s cultural institutions and benefits from a unique blend of expertise of international scholars from different fields of linguistics. We pride ourselves on our:

- small-group teaching with a close personal connection to our students, helping them develop and pursue their own academic interests;

- focus on the development of critical, analytical and digital skills that are favoured by employers around the world;

- access to Special Collections, home to over 75,000 printed materials and complemented by an environmentally controlled vault that houses rare books and manuscripts from as early as the ninth century;

- commitment to helping students develop employability skills and plan for future careers;

- strong commitment to ethics and sustainability, exploring language as a tool that can change the world for better or for worse.

At Liverpool Hope University, you will become a linguist prepared to unravel the complexities of language, promote cross-cultural awareness, amplify unheard voices, and use language imaginatively to make our shared world more inclusive and environmentally sound.

Hear from one of our English Language students.

SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS

The Special Educational Needs course will help you advocate for disability rights and equality in your career. Over 16 million disabled people live in the UK. Graduates skilled in special educational needs and disability are in demand. They are needed in education, health, social work, and business. This degree values the contributions of disabled people and encourages you to focus on knowledge instead of just needs.

A supportive team of both disabled and non-disabled academics will help you gain skills, knowledge, and confidence to lead in this field. You will learn about the historical, social, and cultural factors that shape our views on special educational needs and disability. Activities will enhance your grasp of academic theories. They will also demonstrate how to use this knowledge in real-world situations. The course benefits from the tutors’ strong professional backgrounds. It also includes insights from guest speakers and partner organisations. These include disabled-led groups, education and care providers, charities, and disability arts organisations.

Liverpool Hope’s Special Educational Needs course is unique. It is led by the Centre for Culture and Disability Studies. This centre is an internationally recognised leader in disability studies research and the only UK research centre focused on disability and culture.

You can also study Special Educational Needs via a single honours degree with the course.