English & Modern Languages
Welcome to the Department of English and Modern Languages Web pages. We offer courses in English language and literature, Chinese, French, German, Japanese, and Spanish. Our aim is to prepare students to communicate and create new knowledge in the many different communities – academic and business, personal and international - in which they will live and work. We are committed to providing our students with opportunities for frequent writing and detailed instructor feedback in a discussion-centred classroom environment. Many of our students have gone on to achieve distinction in the creative arts, teaching, journalism, business, and graduate study.
Department members are themselves active scholars as well as teachers, and have won international recognition for their work. Books by department members (and contributions to books) have been published by Cambridge UP, Cambridge University; U of Toronto P, the University of Toronto; U of Alberta P, University of Alberta; Michigan State UP, Michigan State University; Inkshed Publications, University of Manitoba; Medieval and Renaissance Texts and Studies, to name only a few.
Our language courses contribute to the intellectual and personal enrichment that learning new languages allows: language study facilitates understanding and respect for the perspectives, practices, and products of other cultures; it also offers students a competitive advantage, for language proficiency is an essential component of attractive careers in such diverse fields as international business or law, teaching at all levels, immigration, tourism, journalism, translation, international relations, and the civil or foreign service.
Our small class sizes allow personalized instruction; our language lab facilities allow individualized practice. The course offerings embrace all aspects of language, literature, and culture, focusing on reading, conversation, and composition. We also offer the opportunity for independent study, including study abroad.
English Studies
The study of English introduces students to a wide range of human creative activity, from the writing of earlier times to the most recent developments in media communication and creative writing. As well, English forms a natural fit with other areas of study, including history, Canadian Studies, philosophy, fine arts, sociology and psychology.
The English major is traditional preparation for careers in education, journalism, publishing, law, advertising, public relations, librarianship, theatre, government, and creative and technical writing—all areas where good communication skills are important.
Our introductory literature and composition courses emphasize writing, but they also introduce Arts students to the close reading and interpretation of texts, skills necessary for a strong understanding of how language works in all areas of life and study. For our senior-level students, we offer three options within the 4-year English major: a Traditional Survey Option, a Contemporary Literature Option and a Rhetoric and Professional Writing Option. The Traditional Survey Option follows the traditional route leading to comprehensive historical coverage generally demanded of students going on to further study in English literature. The Contemporary Literature Option emphasizes the breadth of recent English literature, offering students a contemporary complement to thought in business, in the sciences and in the social sciences. The Rhetoric and Professional Writing Option is designed to enhance students' ability to read, interpret and produce texts of all kinds within their cultural contexts.