English

Professional Writing builds on the fundamentals taught in ENGL120W. It differs in that Professional Writing has students produce documents used every day: practical, professional, employment correspondences such as emails, office memos, business letters, informal and/or formal reports, instructional brochures, proposals, resumes, and grants. It includes common professional activities (such as oral presentations) and covers many technical aspects of professional communication, including email etiquette, interviewing protocol, and visual design. Professional Writing fosters organizational skills, research methods, ethical practice, editing skills, collaboration and teamwork, critical and creative thinking, and cultural considerations in any act of communication, both written and oral.

Children's Language and Literature presents children's language and literature from a developmental perspective. Students examine various genres in order to choose appropriate literature for the developmental stages of children from birth through pre-adolescence. Students participate in a variety of language and literature activities, including research, critical observation, original projects, and story-hour presentations.

Shakespeare introduces students to one of the greatest dramatists of all time. Students read, watch, and critically study Shakespeare’s works, with emphasis on his plays. The course exposes students to the major genres (tragedy, comedy, history, and romance), giving them ways to analyze and interpret drama and its elements (e.g., character, plot, setting, tone, theme, design, symbol, style, stagecraft, dialog, and props). Students acquire a critical vocabulary, learning to discuss and appreciate the plays from both literary and performance perspectives.

Advanced Research Writing builds upon the fundamental research skills acquired in ENGL120W. Students learn advanced research-writing strategies and effective rhetorical techniques used across the curriculum and within disciplines. Reading peer-reviewed, scholarly articles, primary and secondary sources, in-depth reports, and comprehensive studies, students acquire advanced research skills. Through analysis, evaluation, and synthesis, they develop competence in the art of rhetoric, persuasion, and argumentation. Unlike ENGL120W, which teaches MLA, this course teaches APA, a documentation style required for many degree programs. This course is highly recommended for students interested in pursuing a bachelor's degree.

Graphic novels, also known as comic books or sequential art, have come a long way since the first issue of Superman. This relatively new form of literature has exploded in popularity and increases daily in its variety and substance. The Graphic Novel explores different kinds of graphic novels (memoir, fantasy, adaptations, social critiques, and more) to illustrate how writers and illustrators weave words and images together to create meaning that transcends traditional genres and harnesses new modes of expression. Students broaden their knowledge and appreciation of the graphic novel and put their mind to creating one of their own.

Survey of British Literature I introduces students to the first ten centuries of British literature (Old, Middle, and Early Modern English) from the eighth century to 1800. It takes into account elements of fiction (e.g., theme, plot, character, symbol, style) and offers a critical vocabulary to discuss literature. Students read, analyze, and interpret the works of major British authors within this timeframe. They read closely and critically from a literary perspective, as well as for the range of social, historical, political, and cultural perspectives they represent.

Poetry: A Study of a Literary Form examines a wide range of poetry, acquainting students with major poets and potentially minor ones. It provides a strong basis for reading, understanding, and writing about poetry and poetic form. Students become acquainted with various types of poems, such as the lyric, the sonnet, the elegy, the ballad, and many more. The course gives students a language and vocabulary, as well as critical, theoretical, social, and historical contexts, to read, analyze, and interpret poetry.