Dr Geri Popova is an academic in our English and Comparative Literature department and teaches on our BA English language and Literature course. This degree will answer some of the most exciting questions in linguistics, for example how language relates to class, ethnicity or age, how we use language to reflect our identity and build relationships, how we acquire the languages we speak and how best to teach languages, and how we connect and communicate using different technologies and media.

Hi there! Could you tell us a little bit about yourself and your background?

I am one of the linguists at our department. My first degrees combined literature and language, then I did a PhD in linguistics in the University of Essex. I now live and work in English, which is my third language, but because of how life turned out, it is my children’s first language!

Please can you give us a quick overview of the degree course? 

The BA in English Language and Literature is for students who love literature, but are also fascinated by how language works and how it functions in society. Like students in our other degrees you will have access to a wide range of modules in literature (we teach the classics, but also have modules in cinema, fairy tales, and the writing of migrants and refugees). In addition, however, you will explore language structure and language use. Some of our modules look at the relationship between language use and ethnicity, class, gender, or how multilingual societies differ from monolingual ones. We have modules that look at how language functions in professional communication, in digital media, in politics more generally. Other modules explore language learning and language teaching. The degree structure allows quite a bit of flexibility: we aim to ensure all students cover the basics, but also have freedom to pursue their passions and interests. If you are interested in literature and language and would like to study both, then check out the BA in English Language and Literature at Goldsmiths!

What makes the Goldsmiths course distinctive?

One thing that sets us apart is the range of modules on offer. Our students asked for a curriculum that reflects not just the mainstream, but the whole range of voices and experiences that make up our modern world, and we have done our best to respond. In our linguistic modules we place the emphasis on language as a social activity and explore language use in a range of contexts and amongst people of different backgrounds. We have also focused in recent years on providing more targeted support for students, so we integrated academic and research skills in our general modules and we aim to give written formative feedback on a large portion of our assessments, so we can give you personalised guidance on how to revise and improve your work.

What are you looking for in an applicant? Do you have any tips for a great personal statement?

First and foremost we look for interest in both literature and linguistics and evidence of commitment to both subjects. Of course, we also look for evidence of the skills you will need for successful study, e.g. good academic writing skills, analytical and research skills and critical thinking. But we know that you will continue to develop academically during your studies and we will support you with that. There will be challenges along the way, of course. Good understanding of what to expect from the degree you are applying for and passion for the subjects will help you persevere and excel.

How does this degree support students practically for life after university?

The study of both literature and linguistics develops your ability to read critically and synthesise complex sources, as well as relate the detailed exploration of texts to wider political and historical issues. Your studies enhance your skills on your way to becoming an academic writer, who can develop original arguments and put them across in a well-argued, succinct and coherent way. Our linguistics modules often explore theoretical issues that can be applied to real-world problems, i.e. communication in the workplace, in multilingual families and societies, in multilingual schools. Many of our modules teach discourse analysis, which has wide applications in the social sciences. Our Work Placement module provides the students who successfully apply to it an opportunity to explore relevant academic issues in real workplaces.

And finally…tell us a joke!

A long time ago one of my translation tutors used this joke to illustrate how complex the art of translation is. It goes like this: scientists developed computer software that could translate from English to Japanese and vice versa. At the official demo a journalist asked the software to translate the phrase ‘out of sight, out of mind’ into Japanese. The software obliged. All very well, said the journalist, but I don’t understand Japanese. Could you ask the machine to translate back into English, please? A click of the button and ‘blind idiot’ appears on the screen. This old joke still illustrates how complex language processing is… but these days it probably also shows how far computer scientists and linguists have come in improving automatic translation!