DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH AND FOREIGN LANGUAGES

CHAIR: CHARLES W. (BILL) BRIDGES

The Department of English and Foreign Languages comprises two programs: one in English, one in Foreign Languages. Each program offers students the opportunity to study language, literature, composition and cultures.

English Program

PROGRAM COORDINATOR: BILL BRIDGES

NAVIGATION: English Major | English Minor | Secondary Certification | Course Descriptions

FACULTY: Abbott, Adams, Bilsing, Byrd, Child, Courtney, Donahoo, Dowdey, Fleming, Graham, Hall, Halmari, Hill, Johnsen, Krienke, Morphew, Nardone, Parotti, Pease, Phelps, Ruffin, Tayebi, Thomas, Young

English forms the cornerstone of the humanities. In a variety of courses in literature, writing, and the English language, students find a source of personal enrichment, and they develop verbal, analytical, and cultural skills readily adaptable to a variety of careers.

English students learn to write with grace and precision, to read and analyze texts with accuracy, to conduct research and organize a welter of materials, to speak and listen well-in short, to sharpen their critical thinking and critical inquiry skills. These skills are highly valued by prospective employers. Most professions, while expecting new employees to be familiar with their specific fields, stress above all else the ability of their employees to read, write, and speak efficiently. Similarly, professional schools are interested in the student who reads, writes, and speaks well. Brochures from medical and law schools, for example, reflect an increasing awareness of the importance of an English background for future physicians and attorneys. When our graduates leave SHSU with a degree in English, they are prepared for career opportunities or advanced study in technical and professional communication, teaching, journalism, government service, editing, law, and business.

Students in English my elect any of several degree options. A student may choose the Bachelor of Arts leading to majors in English or Creative Writing. A student also may elect to major in English and obtain composite teacher certification in English, Language Arts, and Reading. A minor in English is available for students who major in other fields of study.

Students in English may participate in many activities that will enrich their undergraduate experience and support the courses they take. These include:

Sigma Tau Delta, the English honor society, invites junior and senior English majors and minors to become members of this prestigious national organization, with membership in the society recorded on the student's transcript. Each year Sigma Tau Delta is an active student organization, sponsoring an annual food drive and readings throughout the school year. Applications for Sigma Tau Delta are available in the English office.

The Writer's Forum provides opportunities for all SHSU students to publish their writing.

The Sam Houston State Review is a literary magazine that publishes the writing of SHSU students. The Review staff consists of SHSU students who work closely with a faculty advisor.

The Texas Review is a nationally-recognized literary magazine that, twice a year, publishes fiction, poetry, nonfiction prose, and reviews by writers from around the world. The Texas Review Press sponsors the publication of five to seven books a year, including works of fiction, poetry, and nonfiction prose. Students have the opportunity to serve as interns while working as a member of the Review and the Press staff.

Internships in business and industry also may be available for qualified students enrolled in the Writing Option.

Scholarships: Several scholarships are available for outstanding undergraduate students. Please see the Department Chair and/or the department's website for more information. Information on University scholarships may be obtained from the Office of Academic Scholarships website or telephone (936) 294-1672.

REQUIRED COURSES FOR MAJOR

The English major requires a total of 36 hours of English course work. All general degree requirements including a minor in a non-English area also must be met. The 36 hours of course work for the English major should be distributed as follows (Note: ENG 164 and 165 may not be used to meet this requirement):

English Writing Option: Students who wish to strengthen their writing skills may wish to pursue the technical or creative writing option, taking such courses as

ENG 330 or 381 or 382 ,380, 430 or 480, 475

Students with interest in a particular discipline may elect a specialty track, combining their interests in writing with such disciplines as Animal Science, General Agriculture, Health, Criminal Justice, Journalism, Psychology, Political Science, Radio/Television/Film, Sociology, and Speech Communication.

Students interested in the Multimedia Authoring and Communication major should refer to degree programs in the School of Public Communication.

BACHELOR OF ARTS
with Teaching Certification in
English, Language Arts, and Reading

Bachelor of Arts with Certification: A student pursuing the Bachelor of Arts degree may obtain teaching certification by completing the English certification major below and the required coursework in professional education (SED). A second teaching field is no longer required (although an academic minor is), but a second teaching field would enhance employability in the public schools. See the English certification advisor for advice on recommended course work.

* Students with a "B" average or better in the first nine hours of English may take any 300-level course in lieu of a second 200-level course.

ENGLISH COURSE DESCRIPTIONS

ENG 031D DEVELOPMENTAL ENGLISH. An intense study of grammar and mechanics, effective sentence construction, and basic essay organization and development. Credit in this course will not be allowed to count toward graduation or classification of students by hours completed. Students failing EITHER the English Placement (Pre-TASP) Test or the writing section of the TASP Test must enroll in this course. (Does not fulfill University degree requirements.)

ENG 164 COMPOSITION I. [ENGL 1301] Basic studies in English diction, syntax, and rhetoric with emphasis on the development of a single thesis. Credit 3.

ENG 164A (Honors Class) Students with high marks in English on the SAT/ACT exams may qualify to enroll in ENG 164A, an accelerated class for students with superior skills in English. Students earning an A or B in ENG 164A will receive advanced credit for ENG 165 and automatically become eligible for sophomore English. Credit 3-6.

ENG 165 COMPOSITION II. [ENGL 1302] A continued study of basic writing skills in English, begun in ENG 164, with emphasis on more complex modes or patterns of composition. In addition to writing expository essays, the student will write a research paper. Prerequisite: ENG 164. Credit 3.

ENG 265 READINGS IN LITERATURE OF THE WESTERN WORLD. [ENGL 2331 or ENGL 2332] Readings in the classical, medieval, and modern masterpieces of the western world. Written assignments are based on themes and concepts found in the works studied. Open to all students. Required of English majors and minors. Suggested for all majors in the College of Arts and Sciences. Prerequisite: 6 hours of freshman English. Credit 3.

ENG 266 READINGS IN LITERARY GENRES. [ENG 2342 Intro to Literature I] A study of the various kinds of literature on the basis of their content, form, or technique, with emphasis on the conventions or usages which govern each type. The major genres of poetry, fiction, and drama will be covered, but each instructor will be free to choose his/her own emphasis. Prerequisites: 6 hours of freshman English. Credit 3.

ENG 267 LITERATURE AND IDEAS. [ENG 2343 Intro to Literature II] A study of the ways in which literature concerns itself with challenging and assimilating other ways of knowing that other disciplines pursue, and with the ways that other fields incorporate literary strategies of argument and representation as a form of persuasion. As an interdisciplinary course, it is designed to show how literature and other fields of knowledge interact. Prerequisites: 6 hours of freshman English. Credit 3.

ENG 330 INTRODUCTION TO TECHNICAL WRITING. A course in the special problems of technical literature and technical report writing. Prerequisite: 6 hours of freshman English. Credit 3.

ENG 334 LITERATURE AND FILM. A study of the structure, imagery, characterization, and themes of novels, short stories, essays and poems with those of selected motion picture films. Prerequisite: 9-12 hours of English. Credit 3.

ENG 336 STUDIES IN WOMEN'S LITERATURE. A study of works by women writers encompassing a variety of genres, nationalities, and literary periods. Prerequisite: 9 hours of English. Credit 3.

ENG 337 AFRICAN-AMERICAN LITERATURE. Explores historical, political, and literary problems particular to African-American writers; also explores the development of African-American identity through cultural expression in a variety of media and genres. Prerequisites: 9 hours of English. Credit 3.

ENG 338 STUDIES IN MULTICULTURAL LITERATURE. Study of themes, techniques, and literary movements from different cultures. Focus will typically be on more than one ethnic or national culture. Prerequisite: 9 hours of English. Credit 3.

ENG 360 SURVEY OF AMERICAN LITERATURE, BEGINNING TO 1865. A survey of themes, genres, and authors in American literary history from the period of exploration and settlement through the American Renaissance and the Civil War. Required of all English majors; also required of all English minors not seeking certification. Prerequisites: 9 hours of English. Credit 3.

ENG 361 SURVEY OF AMERICAN LITERATURE, 1865 TO THE PRESENT. A survey of authors, genres, and movements in American literature from 1865 to the present, including representative works of Realism, Naturalism, Modernism, and Post-Modernism. Required of all English majors. Also required of all English minors not seeking certification. Prerequisites: 9 hours of English. Credit 3.

ENG 363 MYTHOLOGY AND FOLKLORE. The study of myths and folk motifs of various cultures throughout the world. Recommended for certification program in Language Arts composite (see Secondary Education Requirements). Prerequisite: 9 hours of English. Credit 3.

ENG 370 MODERN DRAMA. The major figures in modern British, American and Continental drama. Prerequisite: 9 hours of English. Credit 3.

ENG 372 THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE. Study of area of language to which elementary education majors would need to be exposed, such as acquisition of English, language and education, the play and history of the English languages among the languages of the world, the basics of the sound system of English, and dialect variation. Prerequisite: 9 hours of English. Credit 3.

ENG 373 ENGLISH GRAMMAR. Introduction to descriptive linguistics. Survey of such current grammatical descriptions of English as traditional prescriptive grammar, structural grammar, and generative-transformational grammar. Prerequisite: 9 hours of English. Credit 3.

ENG 380 ADVANCED COMPOSITION. A study of rhetorical forms and approaches to problems of composition. Prerequisite: 9 hours of English. Credit 3.

ENG 381 INTRODUCTORY CREATIVE WRITING: FICTION. Directed writing in fiction. Prerequisites: 9 hours of English and permission of the instructor. Credit 3.

ENG 382 INTRODUCTORY CREATIVE WRITING: POETRY. Directed writings in poetry. Prerequisite: 9 hours of English. Credit 3.

ENG 384 EARLY ENGLISH MASTERWORKS. A study of the major figures in English literature from the beginning to 1798. Required for all English majors. Prerequisite: 9 hours of English. Credit 3.

ENG 385 LATER ENGLISH MASTERWORKS. A study of the major figures in English literature from 1798 to the present. Required for all English majors . Prerequisite: 9 hours of English. Credit 3.

ENG 390 THE BIBLE AS LITERATURE. Narrative, structural, and thematic study of selected books of the Old and New Testament. Course of study includes an examination of Hebrew and Christian scriptures in translation and an analysis of various genres. Consideration will also be given to the cultural and mythological context of selected portions and to some of the literary influences exerted by these passages. Prerequisites: 9 hours of English. Credit 3.

ENG 391 SHAKESPEARE: TRAGEDIES & HISTORIES. A study of Shakespeare's tragedies and histories, from the earliest experiments of his career to the great history plays of the 1590's through the major tragedies of the early 1600's. Credit 3.

ENG 392 SHAKESPEARE: COMEDIES & ROMANCE. A study of Shakespeare's comedies and romances from his early years through the great festive comedies of the late 1590's through the "Dark Comedies" of the 1600's to the romances of the last years of his career. Credit 3.

ENG 430 WRITING IN THE PROFESSIONS. Additional training in technical writing, including instruction in the preparation and editing of specialized documents in various subject areas, such as Computer Science, Conservation, Marketing, etc. Prerequisite: ENG 330. Credit 3.

ENG 431 COMPOSITION THEORY AND THE TEACHING OF WRITING. An introduction to pedagogical technique for composition appropriate for elementary and secondary students. Major theories of composition will be studied. Prerequisite: 15 hours of English. Credit 3.

ENG 435 STUDIES IN RHETORIC. Selected topics may include rhetorical theory, style and stylistics, rhetorical criticism, ethical issues in rhetoric, and rhetoric literature. Prerequisite: 15 hours of English. Credit 3.

ENG 460 THE ENGLISH ROMANTIC MOVEMENT. A survey of the Romantic movement in England, with major emphasis upon the works of Wordsworth, Coleridge, Byron, Keats, and Shelley. Prerequisite: 15 hours of English. Credit 3.

ENG 463 STUDIES IN THE ENGLISH RENAISSANCE. A study of non-dramatic literature of England written between 1500 and 1660. Prerequisite: 15 hours of English. Credit 3.

ENG 464 METHODS OF TEACHING ENGLISH IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS. Directed studies and practice in the selection, organization, and presentation of English subject matter and skills to students. Required for English majors and minors who are working for a secondary teaching certificate. Prerequisite: 18 hours of English. Credit 3.

ENG 465 VICTORIAN LITERATURE. A survey of major writers of the Victorian period, supplemented by lectures on the political, social and economic background of the age. Prerequisite: 15 hours of English. Credit 3.

ENG 467 HISTORY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE. A survey of the English language, including its relationship to other Indo-European languages, followed by a study of the changes in English sounds, spelling, and syntax from Anglo-Saxon times to the present. Prerequisite: 15 hours of English. Credit 3.

ENG 469 STUDIES OF SELECTED GENRES IN AMERICAN LITERATURE. Readings in major writers, themes, and/or historical movements within a selected genre in American literature. The approach may vary from semester to semester, and will include such subjects as modern poetry, the short story, the Naturalists, folklore, regional literature, nonfiction prose, or others. Prerequisite: 15 hours of English. Credit 3.

ENG 470 AMERICAN REGIONAL LITERATURE. Selected representative South/Southwestern writers. Readings will emphasize works of artistic merit, but they may include ancillary material such as folklore, "local color," and historical documents for background study. Prerequisite: 15 hours of English. Credit 3.

ENG 472 AMERICAN LITERATURE: 1820'S TO 1860'S. A study of the emergence of a distinctive American literary art, including such writers as Poe, Emerson, Thoreau, Hawthorne, Melville, and Whitman. Prerequisite: 15 hours of English. Credit 3.

ENG 474 STUDIES IN THE ENGLISH NOVEL. The study of a variety of topics and figures in the English novel. Prerequisite: 15 hours of English. Credit 3.

ENG 475 SPECIAL PROBLEMS IN ENGLISH. Directed study on individual topics or problems for advanced students. Admission by permission of the department chair. This course may be taken for Academic Distinction credit. See Academic Distinction Program in this catalogue. Credit 3.

ENG 476 TUDOR AND STUART DRAMA. The development of the drama in England, the predecessors and contemporaries of Shakespeare. Prerequisite: 15 hours of English. Credit 3.

ENG 477 ENGLISH LITERATURE OF THE RESTORATION AND EIGHTEENTH CENTURY: 1660-1800. Varying topics, including Restoration drama, Augustan poetry and prose, and later writings through the age of Goldsmith, Boswell, and Johnson. Prerequisite: 15 hours of English. Credit 3.

ENG 478 STUDIES IN WORLD FICTION. The study of a variety of topics and figures in world fiction. Prerequisite: 15 hours of English. Credit 3.

ENG 480 ADVANCED CREATIVE WRITING. An examination of manuscript preparation and editing, and a study of existing markets for poetry and fiction. Techniques in revision of manuscripts for publication also are stressed. Prerequisite: ENG 381. Credit 3.

ENG 483 THE DEVELOPMENT OF DRAMA IN AMERICA. A study of major movements and significant figures in American dramatic literature from Royall Tyler to the present. Prerequisite: 15 of English including ENG 360 or its equivalent. Credit 3.

ENG 484 STUDIES IN THE AMERICAN NOVEL. The study of a variety of topics and figures in the American novel. Prerequisite: 15 hours of English. Credit 3.

ENG 485 STUDIES IN CHAUCER. A close study of the works of Chaucer, with primary emphasis on The Canterbury Tales as they reflect the man and his times. Prerequisite: 15 hours of English. Credit 3.

ENG 486 LITERATURE OF THE MIDDLE AGES. A study of selected works of Old and Middle English literature with some continental works. The course will include, at various times, works as early as Beowulf (ca. 8th-9th c.) to ones as late as Malory's Morte D'Arthur (late 15th c.). Prerequisite: 15 hours of English. Credit 3.

ENG 487 TWENTIETH-CENTURY LITERATURE OF ENGLAND, IRELAND, AND THE COMMONWEALTH. A study of a variety of 20th-century literature by writers associated with England, Ireland, or English-speaking groups (not American) formerly colonized by the British. Though the course varies from term to term, it generally aims to have students read literary works by major figures, learn of the cultural and historical forces influencing these works and writers, and develop an understanding of the main concepts and movements that distinguish this body of literature. Prerequisite: 15 hours of English. Credit 3.

ENG 490 LITERARY CRITICISM AND THEORY. A survey of the major modes of literary criticism. Study of the basic concepts underlying specific theories of literary criticism and their application and impact within a literary field selected by the instructor. Prerequisite: 15 hours of English. Credit 3.