Anglia Ruskin University

We offer research programmes in a range of topics linked to staff expertise in the fields of English language and intercultural communication. Our staff are recognized as experts in their fields, and have produced a number of influential books, journal articles and edited collections.

Our programme boasts a vibrant and diverse research culture, and the interdisciplinary nature of research fields creates a rich and stimulating environment for staff and students, with links to a number of other centres in the University and the wider community.

We are key contributors to the Faculty's Research Unit for Intercultural and Transcultural studies (RUITS):
Click: www.anglia.ac.uk/ruits

We also host and participate in a variety of research oriented events, including Faculty and Departmental research seminar series and international conferences.

Supervision and support

Our Department hosts a well-attended postgraduate research seminar, which meets regularly to give students an opportunity to present papers in a supportive setting. This group provides an informal context for postgraduate training and support, but there is also a more formal training programme which offers subject-specific support and training for all postgraduates in addition to the generic training offered by our University. Our Department allocates a substantial sum each year towards the support of postgraduates in the form of bursaries and travel or conference expenses.

You will be allocated a first and second supervisor, with additional members added if necessary. Academic supervision is available in most areas of English language and intercultural communication.

Our programme has a particularly strong concentration of expertise in migrant cinema and literature, questions of discourse and identity in Hispanic narrative, second-language acquisition, urban multilingualism, socio-linguistic theory, contemporary European cinema.

Facilities

Our programme has a range of excellent facilities, including a fully equipped language centre. Our research students also have access to outstanding library resources, as well as the Cambridge University Library and the British Film Institute.

Funding

There are a number of ways in which you can obtain external funding for doctoral research, from the full-time awards granted by the AHRC (Arts & Humanities Research Council) to smaller grants available from a range of grant-awarding bodies. We offer advice on external and internal funding if you are considering our PhD degree.

Career development and training

We are committed to offering training and career development opportunities for all research students. In this context, we offer sessions on a range of subjects, including: writing up a paper for publication; placing an academic article; giving a conference paper; style in the doctorate; updates on research methods and literature searches; internet training; editing skills for doctoral research; subsequent monograph publication; and dealing with festivals, agents, and publishers.

We welcome proposals from students wishing to work in the fields of English language and intercultural communication. Below is a list of current staff and their research specialisms:

Prof Guido Rings, PD, PhD: migrant cinema and literature, questions of identity in postcolonial European narrative or film, contemporary Latin American cinema and literature, intercultural communication.

Dr Sebastian Rasinger, PhD: second language acquisition and urban multilingualism, with a particular focus on language use and its impact on linguistic development and the emergence of ethnic and cultural identity.

Dr Anne Ife, PhD: second language learning, the policy and practice of second language use in the modern globalised world, language diversity and language policy in Europe.

Dr AliciaPeña Calvo, PhD: second language acquisition and second/ foreign language teaching and learning.

Dr Tony Morgan, PhD: migration and diaspora studies, national identities.

Dr Bettina Beinhoff, MPhil (Cantab), PhD (Cantab): sociolinguistics, acquisition of speech and discourse patterns in second/foreign languages, social psychology in language (esp. attitudes, stereotypes and identity construction).

Dr Andrzej Cirocki: second language acquisition, foreign language learning and teaching, classroom research and teacher training.

• MPhil: Candidates must hold a BA or equivalent in a related subject area.
• PhD: Candidates should normally hold an MA or equivalent in a related subject area.
• For candidates whose first language is not English, a minimum IELTS score of 7 or equivalent is required with a minimum score of 6.5 achieved in each of the four language skills. We welcome applications from EU and international students.