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University of Bristol: Linguistics

Institution University of Bristol View institution profile
Department School of Modern Languages
Web https://www.bristol.ac.uk/study/postgraduate
Email artf-pgadmissions@bristol.ac.uk
Telephone +44 (0) 117 428 2297
Study type Research

Summary

Linguistics is the study of human language, how it functions in the brain and how it is used in society. Studying linguistics allows you to develop your understanding of language, and therefore learn more about people, both as individuals and societies. This level of in-depth knowledge about the human condition is increasingly vital in a world facing a broad array of societal and environmental challenges.

At the University of Bristol, we have a strong research focus on sociolinguistics, which is the study of language in society. We are deeply interested in how the study of language sheds light on social issues, both present and past, and we use a broad range of methods and approaches, including qualitative and quantitative analyses of recordings, surveys, corpora, and historical documents. We examine language variation and change, using both present-day and historical data. We also adopt critical approaches that study the attitudes, belief systems and policies that influence the way people use language on a daily basis. As a PhD student, you will be able to apply all these approaches to your own data and develop your knowledge collaboratively with us as a team.

In our team, we have published extensively on many different language situations around the world, and our skills and expertise cover several languages: Catalan, English, Esperanto, French, German, Irish, Occitan, Portuguese, Scots, Spanish and Welsh. We also welcome working with students on other languages.

Based in the School of Modern Languages, the staff in the Linguistics team collaborate nationally and internationally. We are connected with many professional bodies and networks, including the Association for French Language Studies, the International Association for the Study of Spanish in Society, the Forum for Germanic Language Studies, and the Historical Sociolinguistics Network. We work with colleagues from across the university (for example, in Anthropology and in English) and we contribute to the research centres in the Faculty of Arts, Law and Social Sciences. These connections, our research events, and the support of our team offer an excellent research environment.

Doctor of Philosophy - PhD

University of Bristol

Discover the University of Bristol

Founded in 1876, the University of Bristol is one of the UK’s top 10 universities (QS World University Rankings 2026), with a global reputation for world-leading research and academic excellence. As a member of the prestigious Russell Group of research-intensive universities, Bristol also ranks top five in the UK for research (THE analysis of REF 2021).

With its independent and pioneering spirit, the University has a reputation for doing things differently. Bristol was the UK’s first institute of higher education to admit women on an equal basis with men. In 2019, …

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