Department of Language and Literature
Mission
Since scholars in the ancient world studied the Iliad, when Talmudic scholars studied the Torah, or as we translate the stories of indigenous peoples, the studies of language, literature, and cultures have been connected nearly seamlessly. Texts are alive in many media: the ways we build our homes, the ways we speak with each other, the ways we rear our children, the ways we approach the divine. In this department we seek to maintain these connections and encourage the studies of the way we talk, write, think, create, and live to enrich and inform one another in a challenging, nurturing, and vibrant environment. If a student likes to read, write, listen, create as a community of poets, scholars, travelers, and adventurers, this can be their academic home.
Faculty
David Adkins, Catherine Becker, Darrin Grinder, Julie Straight (Department Chair).
Student Learning Outcomes
- Students will think critically, express themselves clearly, research successfully, and demonstrate an appreciation for the medium of language (Transformation).
- Students will read and engage with Western and world literature, including canons and alternative canons (Truth).
- Students will demonstrate a concrete knowledge of authors and their literary works, articulating the author and work's place in the culture from which they arose and in the literary world as a whole (Truth).
Degrees and Certificates
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English, Bachelor of Arts -
English Education, Bachelor of Arts -
World Languages Education, Bachelor of Arts -
Creative Writing, Co-Major -
Creative Writing, Minor -
Literature, Minor -
Professional Writing, Minor -
Spanish, Minor
Courses
ELWR1061: Academic Language Acquisition
Credits 3ELWR1062: Academic Language Acquisition II
Credits 3ELWR1063: Course-specific Language Support
Credits 3ENGL0900: Improvement of Language Usage
Credits 3ENGL1040: Introduction to Academic Writing
Credits 3Recommendation: Students should take this course in their first year.
A course that introduces students to the rigors of academic writing. Key elements include practicing the critical reading and summary of texts; finding and using evidence correctly; developing lines of inquiry; analyzing complex claims; and applying the rhetorical strategies that lead to successful academic writing. Students will also develop a metacognitive understanding of their reading, writing, and thinking processes.
ENGL2050: Beginning Creative Writing
Credits 3ENGL2120: English Grammar and Usage
Credits 2ENGL2122: English Grammar and Usage/Linguistics and History
Credits 3ENGL2210: American Literature: Colonial Period to the Civil War
Credits 3ENGL2220: American Literature: Civil War to the Present
Credits 3ENGL2310: British Literature: Beowulf through the Age of Reason
Credits 3ENGL2320: British Literature: The Romantic Age to the Present
Credits 3ENGL2410: Major Literature of the Western World
Credits 3ENGL2420: World Literature: The Ancient World to the Renaissance
Credits 3ENGL2430: World Literature: The Enlightenment to the Modern Era
Credits 3ENGL2610W: Introduction to Journalism
Credits 3This course will teach students basic reporting and news writing skills, focusing on Associated Press writing style. Additionally, students will be introduced to the best journalism practices dealing with news value and judgment.
ENGL2980: Introduction to the Study of Literature
Credits 1ENGL3000W: Studies in Composition and Rhetoric
Credits 3Building on the analytical, research, and writing skills gained in ENGL1040, students will strengthen their ability to write critically, engagingly, and knowledgeably to a specific audience.
ENGL3010: Teaching English in the Secondary School
Credits 3ENGL3020W: Principles of Writing
Credits 3An advanced writing course emphasizing the thinking and writing skills necessary to develop an effective prose style. A general course appropriate for advanced students in any area, it is especially recommended for potential graduate students. This course fulfills the general-education "W" requirement.
ENGL3040W: Creative Writing - Prose
Credits 3Principles, techniques, and practice in writing both fiction and non-fiction, including small-group work, critique, and revision. This course fulfills the general-education "W" requirement.
ENGL3050: Creative Writing - Poetry
Credits 3Principles, techniques, and practice in writing poems. Emphasis on individual writing and small-group activities. ENGL2050 recommended prior to taking this course.
ENGL3060W: Creative Writing - Nonfiction
Credits 3Principles, techniques, and practice in writing nonfiction, through small-group critique and revision.
ENGL3070W: Professional and Technical Writing
Credits 3Students will analyze audience, persuasion strategies, and communication ethics in this course. Emphasis is on document design, effective use of graphics, working collaboratively, and oral presentation. Students will produce formal business documents such as memos, reports, and proposals.
ENGL3090: Pedagogy of Writing in 6-12 Schools
Credits 3ENGL3094: Special Topics in English
Credits 1 3ENGL3120: Linguistics: Structure and History of English
Credits 3ENGL3210: Major Authors in American Literature
Credits 3ENGL3250: The American Novel
Credits 3ENGL3310: Major Authors in British Literature
Credits 3ENGL3320W: Shakespeare
Credits 3A study of representative plays through reading, viewing, and discussing comedies, tragedies, and histories. This course fulfills the general-education "W" requirement.
ENGL3350: The British Novel
Credits 3ENGL3410: Greek and Roman Classics
Credits 3ENGL3420: Literature in Translation
Credits 3ENGL3510: Contemporary Poetry
Credits 3ENGL3750: Children's and Young Adult Literature
Credits 3A study of literature written for children and young adults, from preschool age onward. The course samples a variety of types of literature and will prove valuable for general students, prospective teachers, or parents who wish to enrich their own background in children's and young adult literature and to develop qualitative judgment skills.
ENGL3910: Literary Theory and Criticism
Credits 3ENGL3960: Internship in Professional Writing
Credits 3ENGL4270W: Minority Voices in American Literature
Credits 3A course studying the literature of American cultural minorities. Course content may be either multi-cultural or monocultural. May be repeated for credit. This course fulfills the general-education "W" requirement and fulfills a General Education Cultural Competency (CC) requirement.
ENGL4340: Major Romantics and Victorians
Credits 3ENGL4350: Major British Authors to the Restoration
Credits 3ENGL4980: Senior Seminar
Credits 1MDLG1094: Topics in Modern Language
Credits 1 3MDLG2094: Topics in Modern Language
Credits 1 3SPAN1010: Elementary Spanish I
Credits 4For students who wish to begin the study of Spanish. The acquisition of basic vocabulary, sounds and structures with emphasis on conversation. An introduction to Spanish and Hispanoamerican cultures. Fulfills a General Education Cultural Competency (CC) requirement.
SPAN1020: Elementary Spanish II
Credits 4A continuation of SPAN1010. For students who wish to begin the study of Spanish. The acquisition of basic vocabulary, sounds and structures with emphasis on conversation. An introduction to Spanish and Hispanoamerican cultures. Fulfills a General Education Cultural Competency (CC) requirement.
SPAN2010: Intermediate Spanish I
Credits 4For students who have had at least two years of high school Spanish or one year of college Spanish. A refinement of basic skills and structure with continued emphasis on conversation and increasing emphasis on composition and reading. Fulfills a General Education Cultural Competency (CC) requirement.
SPAN2020: Intermediate Spanish II
Credits 4A continuation of SPAN2010. For students who have had at least two years of high school Spanish or one year of college Spanish. A refinement of basic skills and structure with continued emphasis on conversation and increasing emphasis on composition and reading. Fulfills a General Education Cultural Competency (CC) requirement.
SPAN3010: Advanced Conversation and Composition
Credits 3Extensive conversation with lesser emphasis on composition. Spanish-language media such as television and internet provide or supplement topics for discussion and writing. Counts for cultural or linguistic credit. May be repeated for credit once. Fulfills a General Education Cultural Competency (CC) requirement.