MA Language and Language Sciences
Duration: 2 semesters for graduates with a BA in English Studies / 4 semesters for holders of a BA degree in other fields
Attendance mode: full time
Programme directors: Dr. Alexandra Bagasheva, professor of linguistics: a.bagasheva@uni-sofia.bg; Dr. Bozhil Hristov, associate professor of linguistics: bphristov@uni-sofia.bg
Application: from 1 to 14 September 2024, online.
Interviews: 16-18 September 2024
Selection is based on the following criteria: level of English proficiency, appropriate communicative performance, general awareness of the selected study field, compliance of the selected field of study with the candidate’s professional or research needs. Non-philology graduates are also required to submit a Letter of Intent (max. 2 pages, written in English).
Programme Description:
The MA programme Language and Language Sciences (English) offers specialized professional training in a wide range of disciplines related to the study of language (with a focus on English), as well as the different worlds (spheres of communication and domains) with which language is connected (be they physical, imaginary, fictional, possible, etc.). The program is interdisciplinary and its main goal is to equip students with analytical skills, a philosophical outlook and knowledge about all incarnations and beings of language.
The programme targets BA holders in philology, as well as in other fields of knowledge, who have a high competence in English (level B2-C1 of the European Language Framework) and who wish to pursue a career in any social domain where linguistic expertise is required, such as academia, TEFL, language consultancy, applied linguistics, journalism, advertising, international relations, publishing, project development and coordination, etc.
Non-philology graduates are offered an induction semester, which will enable them to acquire some basic competences that they will need for the more advanced core modules. The MA degree is obtained after the successful defence of an MA thesis written in English.
All instruction in the programme is in English. This makes it suitable for international students, too. Student exchange with other European universities via the ERASMUS+ programme is also available. All applicants will be invited for an interview conducted in English.
Courses in the Language and language sciences (English) Programme:
| Compulsory courses for English Studies graduates | |
| Discourse analysis | |
| Contrastive linguistics | |
| Methodology of writing an MA thesis | |
| Corpus linguistics | |
| Language and society | |
| Language and globalization | |
| Compulsory courses for graduates of BA programmes other than English studies |
| Sounds in language |
| English for academic purposes I |
| Corpus linguistics |
| Meaning in language |
| Principles of linguistic analysis |
| English for academic purposes II |
| Discourse analysis |
| Contrastive linguistics |
| Methodology of writing an MA thesis |
| Language and society |
| Language and globalization |
| Sounds in language |
| Elective courses (open to all students) |
| Language relativity |
| Linguistic anthropology |
| Language in the humanities: the Anglo-American heritage |
| Literary journalism |
| Psycholinguistics |
| Linguistic and cultural aspects of translation |
| Theories and sciences of language |
| The language of politeness |
| Word formation in contemporary English |
| Models of natural language processing |
| Grammatical analysis |
| Metaphor in language and thought |
| Computational linguistics |
| Media, society and translation |
| Language contact |
| Language and identity |
| Pragmatics |
| Language universals and typology |
| Varieties of spoken English |
| Speech analysis |
| Language gaffes |
| Political discourse |
| Linguistic and cultural diversity on stage and screen |
| Inclusive language |
| Narratology: cognitive and semiotic models, operational linguistics |
| Mediating meaning – disembodying language |
| Worlds in text and discourse |