Joanna

"I completed my BA in Sociology and Movement Studies twenty years ago and I've been a PE/Sociology teacher since that time. Three years ago I completed a TEFL course which peaked my interest in linguistics. The Goldsmiths MA in Sociocultural Linguistics was the perfect mixture of my interests and has allowed me to explore themes related to both sport and education.

As a mature student I was keen to fully throw myself into being a full time student and as well as completing modules on spoken discourse and identity and written discourse and ideology I was also allowed to audit the other modules. The emphasis is very much placed on you to complete compulsory and additional reading, as well as gathering your own data to analyse. There were also opportunities to hear guest speakers who are at the forefront of their field. The two core modules gave me a thorough overview of general linguistics and the specialist modules allowed me to focus on my areas of interest in terms of methodology and topic. The classes were enjoyable and engaging and allowed plenty of opportunities for me to clarify and develop my ideas in discussion with other students and the tutors. All the course tutors are highly knowledgeable and extremely supportive and the one to one sessions and feedback I received when preparing my dissertation were invaluable.

The other students in my cohort came from a wide range of areas and this added to the enjoyment and interest I got from the course. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this course to anyone interested in the social aspects of language and linguistics. I still use the skills that I developed completing the MA, particularly critical thinking skills, analysis of everyday discourses and evaluation of texts. I wish I could start it all over again!"