The offering in English is designed to foster good writing, effective speaking, and heightened understanding of culturally significant texts. We encourage students majoring in English to develop their responsiveness to the literary imagination and their sensitivity to literary form through disciplined attention to language, historical contexts, and critical and scholarly methods.<br><br>Our objectives represent the teaching aims of the English Department. All instructors are free to decide which of these objectives are consistent with their particular courses and teaching methods.<br><br>Students who graduate with a major in English should be able to obtain the following objectives:<br><br>demonstrate critical and analytical reading skills.<br>demonstrate critical and analytical writing skills.<br>display an understanding of literary genre, form, and language.<br>show a familiarity with the issues of literary criticism and theory.<br>show an awareness of literary history.<br>engage deeply with at least one major author.