We’re a collaborative community where students and faculty challenge each other intellectually and creatively.

English students at Hope dive deep into the literature of every kind and learn how to improve their writing with masters of the craft. Through composition, creative writing and literature classes, our students become more artistic in their scholarship and more knowledgeable in their creativity.

Small classes and one-on-one collaboration foster an environment that is both demanding and encouraging. We offer a wide range of unique courses taught by professors who love what they do and take joy in furthering their students intellectually, spiritually and socially. Being a part of our department is much more than time spent in class and individual coursework.... [-]

A major in French means opening the door to French and Francophone cultures, amazing travel experiences and a language spoken by 338 million people in the world. It creates possibilities for interacting with others at the national and/or international level in industries such as business, politics and education. Program Highlights A variety of Study Abroad programs in France and French-speaking countries, some of which include volunteer learning experiences or business internships in France, Belgium and Senegal. French conversation courses are capped at 15 students while other French courses are capped at 20 students. Faculty mentors who value and support students’ intellectual growth and success at Siena and after graduation. Some courses taught in English, including French Cinema and French Literature in translation, in order to foster diversity and multicultural awareness among students who do not speak French. Travel courses to France allow students to experience what they learn in the classroom firsthand. Undergraduate research opportunities, including independent studies and tutorials, where students work on specific research projects ranging from culinary specialties to literary, socio-political and filmic works. Skills Developed Ability to communicate in French with confidence. General knowledge of key elements of the French language (geography, family life, educational system, etc.) Awareness of key historical events related to the French language. Ability to interpret texts linguistically and stylistically. Ability to analyze authentic cultural materials such as literary pieces, news broadcasts and films. Critical thinking by making intercultural connections, as well as comparing and contrasting cultures. French writing skills for social,... [-]

Why Study Spanish?

Studying Spanish at Aquinas College will not only help you achieve your language learning goals, it will also permit you to access a variety of vibrant and varied cultures, as well as a richness of literature and history. Additionally, Spanish would certainly be a plus in your professional life. After English, Spanish is the most widely spoken language in the United States and, of course, the most widely spoken language on our continent.

In addition to language classes, Spanish at Aquinas College will enrich your knowledge and understanding of Spanish and Latin American cultures through programs such as the Latin American Film Festival. You will be encouraged to reach out to native speakers both here (Grand Rapids boasts a large and varied Hispanic community), and abroad. At Aquinas College we have study abroad programs in both Spain and Costa Rica.... [-]

Bienvenue dans le programme de Français d’Aquinas College !

Studying French at Aquinas College will not only help you achieve your language learning goals, it will also permit you to access a variety of vibrant and varied cultures, as well as a richness of literature and history. Additionally, French would certainly be a plus in your professional life. French is spoken by over 300 million people in over 50 countries on every continent making it with English the world’s only truly global languages. In our country, 1.8 million Americans speak French at home.

In addition to language classes, French at Aquinas College will enrich your knowledge and understanding of French and Francophone cultures. You will be encouraged to reach out to native speakers thanks to our semester-long study abroad program in France (Angers). Our program will also give you the opportunity to get prepared for the professional world through Translation and French for the profession classes. Furthermore, Aquinas College is an official exam center for the Chambre de Commerce et d’Industrie de Paris.... [-]

Why Study English?

The English major at Aquinas prepares you for your career and for life through the study of literature and language. In our English Literature major, you will meet some of the greatest writers in the world and keep pace with current trends in such fields as women’s studies, minority literatures, world literature in English, and film studies. Our English Major with a Writing Emphasis will develop written skills, vital in any field your future may hold. Our writing and journalism minors offer you opportunities to express yourself and bring your writing skills to professional levels, no matter your major.

How We're Different Alumni include published writers Zarah Moeggenberg (poet), Scott Southard (fiction), and Kate Dernecoeur (nonfiction), and academics Jennifer Marquart (teaches English in the People’s Republic of China), James Bromley, Ph.D. (Miami University of Ohio) and Rickie-Ann Legleitner, Ph.D. (Director of the Writing Center at Black Hills University). Courses include Harry Potter, jazz, utopias and dystopias, motherhood, gothic literature, and novels by Jane Austen. Our full-time professors publish in Contemporary Literature, Graffiti Rag, Sulphur River Literary Review, Fourth Genre, River Teeth, Leading Edge, The Chronicle of Higher Education, Inside Higher Education, Language Arts Journal of Michigan, The Explicator, The Journal of General Education, and other journals. Each year, the Contemporary Writers Series brings celebrated writers conduct workshops on campus, including Nobel Laureate Seamus Heaney; author of The English Patient Michael Ondaatje; recipient of the National Book Award Jaimy Gordon; and popular performance poet Sarah Kay. English alumni... [-]

Major Requirements

At least 18 credits of the Language Arts major must be taken at Aquinas College.

Required: EH115, EH/EN382, EH/EN388, EN441, EN455, EN463, EH205, EH/EN400, EN/EN460, CN205, CN206, CN300 (CN101 is a prerequisite).

PLEASE NOTE: Requirements for the Language Arts major and minor are currently under State review.

Courses EH115 Understanding and Appreciating Literature (3) AC EN/EH382 Teaching Children’s Literature (3) EN/EH388 Teaching Young Adult Literature (3) EN441 Advanced Literacy Assessment and Intervention (3) EN455 Adolescent Literacy (3) EN463 Reading Internship (3) EH205 Advanced Composition (3) WI CN205 Public Speaking (3) CN206 Interpersonal Communication (3) CN300 Listening (3) [-]

Why Study German?

Did you know that:

German is spoken by more than 124 million people worldwide? German has traditionally been at the core of liberal arts environments such as Aquinas College because of the interdisciplinary connections between literature, history, the arts, and philosophy, as well as the social and natural sciences? German is the most commonly used language on the Internet after English? German is an official language at many international conferences? Almost two out of every ten books published in the world are published in German? People of German descent constitute one of the largest heritage groups in the U.S. with many intact German-speaking communities? More than 1,100 companies from German-speaking countries have U.S. subsidiaries? More than 700 American companies do business in Germany and have created 800,000 related jobs? Despite its reputation as a difficult language, the proximity of German and English as Germanic languages makes German in many regards easier for English speakers German at Aquinas offers you many opportunities to study the various facets of a German Studies curriculum while enjoying German-related activities on and off-campus: Enjoy a German class at the beginning, intermediate or advanced level in a communicative, learner-centered, highly interactive and fun(!) environment (German Culture & Civilization, Studies of German Culture and Society through Film, Contemporary Short Stories, 19th Century Literature: Fairy Tales, etc.) How We're Different ... [-]

Bachelor in English

The English Department fosters students’ love of literature through rigorous examination of texts, challenging discussion, thoughtful writing and training in different theoretical approaches. Students explore the works of important writers in multiple genres from many countries and time periods, as well as the ideas, cultural values and debates literature presents, supported by a faculty with diverse interdisciplinary interests.

The skills practiced in our curriculum foster a deeper understanding of the English language, independent thought and critical acumen, all of which prepare students for such varied careers as advertising, creative writing, law, journalism, public relations, publishing and teaching.... [-]

The aims of the foreign language courses are to develop foreign language skills, which enable the student to engage in oral and written communication with other peoples of the world and provide an auxiliary skill in professions; to develop in students a linguistic sense sufficient for students to be able to compare a native tongue with other languages; to give the student through readings in foreign language a background of culture of the nations using this language; to enable the student to read scientific, literary, and other texts in a foreign language.

Course Descriptions

101-102 Elementary Spanish I-II: (3 hours each)

A course of study designed for students who have no or very limited prior knowledge of Spanish. Students who have had at least one year of high school Spanish should consider taking SPA 106. Students who have had at least two years of high school Spanish should consider taking SPA 201.... [-]

Bachelor in English

Allegheny’s English Department offers a wide range of courses in literature and in creative and expository writing. The study of literature provides our students with a variety of interpretive methods and perspectives, increases their awareness of the range of creative expression, and introduces them to cultural values that deepen and challenge their own.

Our curriculum seeks to improve students’ ability to express their own best ideas in a variety of forms. By mastering modes of analytical reading, critical explication, coherent argument, and creative thinking, students acquire those skills required to succeed in many professional fields. By studying a variety of literatures in English, they learn to recognize the ideas and perspectives that shape their own and earlier times; and by cultivating a sensitivity to and a healthy skepticism about the subtlety and power of language, they become educated in the fullest sense.... [-]

The aims of the English courses are to help the student learn to write with a high level of accuracy, effectiveness, and fluency; to give emphasis to research techniques, particularly for prospective graduate students in English; and to help the student to develop the ability to read critically and appreciatively the best of English, American, and continental literature.

Core Curriculum Requirements (English)

Core Curriculum: General requirements for all degrees are met by taking ENG 101, 102, and at least three hours (some degrees may require six hours) of a sophomore literature course with an ENG prefix. First-trimester freshmen and first-trimester transfer students must take English composition sequentially.... [-]

Bachelor in Languages (Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Latin, Spanish)

Major and Minor Programs Students develop language skills while broadening their understanding of the cultural, political, and economic life of other countries.

Majors offered in French, German and Spanish. Double majors encouraged (for example French/psychology, German/economics, Spanish/political science). A separate international studies major comprises work in political science, economics, and history, as well as modern languages.

Minors

Departmental minors available in Chinese, French, German, Latin, and Spanish Interdisciplinary minors offered in Chinese Studies, Classical Studies, French Studies, and Latin American & Caribbean Studies Language Placement ... [-]

Bachelor of Spanish

Spanish major offers study in a wide range of topics—from linguistics to culture to literature to politics—that are vitally important in today’s global society. Millions of people around the world speak Spanish, conducting local and international business. A bilingual fluency in Spanish and English is a sought-after skill in today’s job market for jobs in many fields, including business, education, healthcare, nonprofit, and media.

Why North Park?

With faculty who are passionate about international life and culture and a campus located in a global neighborhood of a world-class city, North Park’s Spanish students get hands-on experiences from day one. You’ll put your language skills to use at local grocery stores and restaurants, participate in Latino events around the city, and have the opportunity to study abroad. Expand your worldview and gain valuable skills to succeed in any career.... [-]

In Wells’ popular and respected English program, students investigate texts for their historical and cultural significance, for their expression of a writer’s artistic vision, and for the ways literary works relate to our own lives.You and your fellow students will read and discuss a wide range of works, from classic plays and novels to poetry that has defined generations and eras, to the often unknown but culturally significant works of minority and women writers.

At the same time, you’ll learn to develop your own voice as a writer, blending different styles to develop an understanding of how to write in different disciplines and for different purposes. Students are assisted in the development of their work and encouraged to pursue publishing opportunities through student groups and outside journals. The importance and relevance of good writing are taught across the curriculum at Wells, resulting in an expressive, connected community.... [-]