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<\/figure>\n\n\n\n Your Induction<\/strong> From Monday 28 September you\u2019ll be able to access our Induction programme on Canvas – our Virtual Learning Environment. All information and activity will be offered online and we\u2019ll send you full instructions on how to access Canvas the week before term starts. Some activities may include on-campus opportunities, but these will be dependent on physical distancing requirements at the time and will follow Covid-19 safety guidelines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You\u2019ll also receive school-specific induction information in the near future, designed to introduce you to the School of English Literature, Language and Linguistics and your degree programme. This will include everything you need to know before starting, including selecting optional modules, accessing your timetable and reading lists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Frequently asked questions and COVID-19 <\/strong> Pre-arrival activities<\/strong> Did you know that Newcastle University is one of only two universities in the UK where undergraduates can take a dedicated course on language evolution (the study of how humans came to have the most complex, expressive communication system in the known universe)? This course won\u2019t be on your radar until a few years into your degree, but the questions surrounding language evolution will come up in your earlier courses, from language structure to multilingualism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If this subject sounds interesting, check out this workshop<\/strong><\/a> on language evolution for budding authors in science fiction \u2013 it\u2019s part of a short story competition and you can sign up for free! This will allow you to learn a bit about language evolution and maybe dabble in some creative writing in the process. The workshop is run by my collaborator Dr S\u00e9an Roberts (Anthropology, Cardiff) and Dr Catriona Silvey, who currently researches language evolution at UCL, and will debut her first novel next year.
Our flexible and enhanced University Induction programme for new students will provide you with a warm welcome and introduction to Newcastle University and Newcastle University Students\u2019 Union (NUSU). <\/p>\n\n\n\n
We\u2019re regularly updating both our COVID-19 FAQs<\/strong><\/a> and our Student Experience 2020 guide<\/strong><\/a> with all the latest information you need about starting your course as the Covid-19 situation continues. <\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/blogs.ncl.ac.uk\/selll\/files\/2020\/10\/windows-eGNLSgazDVU-unsplash-1024x683.jpg\")
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Lecturers and Professors here in English Language and Linguistics are hard at work updating our teaching programme for the autumn. We have a few things for you to check out in the meantime to get you excited about starting your studies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Newcastle also specializes in experimental approaches to studying language \u2013 we have researchers who use carefully designed tasks to try and figure out more about how language works in the brain, and how both children and adults learn and use language. Right now, one of our postgraduate students is working on a project that looks at how people remember words. It takes about 20 minutes to complete \u2013 you can try it out here<\/strong><\/a> if you\u2019re curious. If you\u2019re intrigued, you can read some more<\/strong><\/a> about our research questions and the larger project the experiment is a part of.<\/p>\n\n\n\n