Language Policy and Politics

Award Award	Duration Duration	Start dates Start dates	Application Application
PhD or Professional doctorate PhD or Professional doctorate	PhD: Full-time: 3–4 years Part-time: 6–8 years Professional doctorate: Part-time: 4–8 years PhD: Full-time: 3–4 years Part-time: 6–8 years Professional doctorate: Part-time: 4–8 years	October October	November to January November to January

Language and policy is a key topic in the Language and Literacies Research Cluster. English has become the lingua franca of academic and commercial life across the entire world. What are the implications of this for individuals and organisations who find themselves increasingly obliged to operate in English? How do notions of ‘standard’ language impact policy and practice in educational contexts? What new theories and methodologies might be needed to explore how language and policy interconnect?

Within the School of Languages and Applied Linguistics, there is also a strong focus on research and knowledge exchange linked to policy development and implementation in the area of the UK’s indigenous languages, specifically BSL and Scots in the context of multi- and plurilingual education. Community languages and their heritage speakers, for example, in forced migration contexts, form another aspect of the School’s research activities. Furthermore, language teaching is never neutral —it shapes identities, power structures, and cultural dynamics in every classroom. Researchers in the School explore how political, social, and ideological forces influence language teaching policies, methods, and practices around the world, examining debates on language rights, linguistic imperialism, or multilingualism, and discussing how language teachers can navigate these complex terrains effectively.

Minimum 2:1 undergraduate degree (or equivalent) and an MA or research methods training at MA level (or equivalent). If you are not a UK citizen, you may need to prove your knowledge of English.

UK fee UK fee	International fee International fee
Full-time: £5,006 per year Full-time: £5,006 per year	Full-time: £12,705 per year Full-time: £12,705 per year
Part-time: £2,503 per year Part-time: £2,503 per year	Part-time: £6,353 per year Part-time: £6,353 per year

UK fee UK fee	International fee International fee
Full-time: £3,811 per year Full-time: £3,811 per year	Full-time: £9,676 per year Full-time: £9,676 per year

Some of our research students are funded via the Faculty or The Grand Union Doctoral Training Partnership; others are self-funded.

For detailed information about fees and funding, visit Fees and studentships.

To see current funded studentship vacancies across all research areas, see Current studentships.

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