2010-2011 Undergraduate & Graduate Catalog
English - Program Description
For additional information about opportunities your college offers, please refer to the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences in this catalog.
Chair: Osborn. Professors: Antczak, Blumreich, Franciosi, Lockerd, Osborn, Persoon, Remlinger, Smith, Soljan, Tyson, Wenner, White, Wu; Associate Professors: Alvarez, Anderson, Bloem, Brice, Bullock, Hewitt, Ihrman, Jellema, Lai, Masko, McLeod, Miller, Pearson, Rozema, Schneider, Tucker, VanAntwerp, Vander Broek, Webster, Westra; Assistant Professors: Ellis, Evans, Johnson, Shannon; Affiliate Faculty: Navarro, Wahi, Warren; Visiting Faculty: Deyo, Landrum.
Website: www.gvsu.edu/english
The primary aim of the English program is to contribute directly to the liberal education of our majors by developing an awareness of the richness of literature, past and present; of the power and complexity of language; and of the value of critical reading, informed interpretation, and effective writing. Thus, English majors learn to read and interpret literature from different historical periods and from different parts of the world, to write clearly, persuasively and analytically, and to study a variety of critical approaches to literature and language. Many of our majors also study English Education, learning how to teach the skills of reading, writing, and interpretation to the next generation of English and language arts students.
The study of English at Grand Valley goes beyond the classroom, however. Among other extra-curricular activities, the Department sponsors visits to campus by writers and critics and organizes faculty-led play-readings. Students who achieve a GPA of 3.0 or better and rank in the top thirty-five percent of their class are invited to join Grand Valley's Chapter of Sigma Tau Delta, the National English Honor Society, which fosters interest in literature and language scholarship as well as in creative writing. The Department also organizes an annual writing contest and holds an awards ceremony at which students obtain prizes for excellent writing and for other academic accomplishments. In addition, the Department grants scholarships to English majors who demonstrate scholastic achievement and excellence in writing.
Literature and Language
Students in the Literature and Language emphasis area study American, British, and international literature originally written in English as well as literature in translation. They also study the development of the English language, as well as critical approaches to literature and language, including modern literary, linguistic, and critical theories. In addition, Literature and Language students learn how to write analytic interpretations of literary texts and of linguistic phenomena.
Elementary Language Arts Education
The Elementary Language Arts Education emphasis area, in conjunction with the College of Education, certifies students to teach English in Michigan elementary and middle level (grades K-8) schools. English majors in the Elementary Language Arts Education emphasis area learn current best practices in the teaching of the language arts. Students learn to integrate the language arts (reading, writing, speaking, listening, and viewing [visual literacy]) within a curriculum designed to teach elementary teacher candidates to engage a diverse student body. Students also examine educational theory as it relates to the language arts and learn to apply literacy theory to their practice.
Secondary English Education
The Secondary English Education emphasis area, in conjunction with the College of Education, certifies students to teach English in Michigan secondary (grades 6-12) schools. Courses in the Secondary English Education emphasis area emphasize the teaching of literature and the teaching of writing and are rooted in the theory, research, and best practices of the English education field. Students learn how to engage adolescents in reading and responding to texts ranging from classics to contemporary and young adult works. Students also assimilate strategies for teaching the writing process to adolescents, learning how to design and assess meaningful writing assignments. Finally, the Secondary English Education program equips students to teach in today's schools by focusing on current issues such as standardized testing, urban education, English as a second language, censorship, technology, and more.
Note: Students seeking certification in Elementary Language Arts Education or in Secondary English Education must have a 3.0 minimum GPA in English in order to be eligible for entrance into the College of Education for teacher assisting and student teaching.
Lake Michigan Writing Project
This National Writing Project site offers practicing teachers the opportunity to study the teaching of writing and hone their own writing skills during a Summer Invitational Institute, held annually. The LMWP Institute is listed as ENG 632, and will substitute for ENG 631 or EDR 631 in MA Degree programs. Interested adults should apply online at www.gvsu.edu/lmwp/. Those accepted will receive fellowships to cover the cost of tuition for ENG 632 and ENG 633.
Student Organizations (www.gvsu.edu/stuey)
Sigma Tau Delta. Grand Valley's Chapter of the National English Honor Society honors excellence in English studies and fosters interest in literature and language scholarship, as well as creative writing. English majors who have achieved a GPA of 3.0 or better in English courses and rank in the top third of their class may apply.
The English Society. Department organization open to all majors and minors for the purpose of activities like charity read-a-thons, movie screenings, book discussions, etc.
Oldenburg Writing Contest. A departmental writing contest, carrying cash prizes for essays and creative writing, is conducted annually.
Other Activities. In addition, a great variety of campus-wide opportunities is available to students interested in language and literature: films, poetry readings, lectures, production of plays; and work on the student newspaper, The Lanthorn, and on the campus radio and television stations.