2023-2024 Undergraduate Catalog

English

Cal Lutheran’s English Department faculty maintain a high level of instructional integrity, involve themselves with their students in first year writing through upper division courses, and encourage students to present their research and creative work at local, regional, and national undergraduate conferences.

The English curriculum sharpens critical thinking, reading, and communication skills and promotes an appreciation for literature, making English an ideal major for students interested in careers that require these skills. Our majors enter a broad range of fields, including teaching, law, business leadership, nonprofit development, political advocacy, publishing and content development, public relations, marketing and advertising, film, new media, the ministry, and library and information science.  

Students can compete for paid positions that offer opportunities to build teaching and leadership skills and gain insight into the learning process. These include departmental assistantships, internships, Writing Center tutors, and Editor-in-Chief and Assistant Editor of the award-winning Morning Glory literary magazine. Students may also compete for annual writing prizes in creative and critical writing: the Mark Van Doren Prize for poetry, the Jack Ledbetter Prize for fiction, non-fiction, and drama, the Sig Schwarz Prize in literary criticism, the Koa prize for best English 111 essay, and the Plumeria Prize for best Morning Glory submission.

Bachelor of Arts in English

Students should consult with their advisors to identify the courses appropriate for their goals.

Option 1 The Traditional English Major

40 credits beyond ENGL 111, at least 24 credits of which must be upper division.
Required Courses:

ENGL 201Introduction to Literary Study4
ENGL 301Academic Research and Writing4
ENGL 314English Language and Linguistics4
Any three of the following four sequenced courses:12
English Literature I
English Literature II
American Literature I
American Literature II
ENGL 452Shakespeare4
ENGL 480English Major Capstone Colloquium 12
Ten units of English electives to meet the 40 unit minimum10
1

To fulfill the integrated studies requirement of Core- 21, all senior English majors are required to take the Capstone Course ENGL 480 in the form of a two-unit seminar, which culminates in the completion of a senior project. ENGL 301 is a prerequisite for ENGL 480.

Option 2 The Contract Major in English

Contract Major - 40 credits beyond ENGL 111 as a minimum, at least 24 credits of which must be upper division.
Required Courses:

ENGL 301Academic Research and Writing4
ENGL 480English Major Capstone Colloquium2
Specific Program of courses 134
Total Hours40
1

A specific program of courses are developed and justified with the advice and consent of an advisor in the department, and must be approved by the department chair.

Option 3 The English Major with a Concentration in Writing

Required Courses (22 units):
ENGL 201Introduction to Literary Study4
ENGL 202Introduction to Creative Writing4
ENGL 301Academic Research and Writing4
ENGL 314English Language and Linguistics4
ENGL 452Shakespeare4
ENGL 480English Major Capstone Colloquium2
Any three of the following four courses (12 units):
ENGL 323English Literature I4
ENGL 324English Literature II4
ENGL 325American Literature I4
ENGL 326American Literature II4
A total of 15-16 units from any of the following courses: 115-16
ENGL 302Creative Writing: Fiction4
ENGL 303Creative Writing: Poetry,4,
ENGL 304Creative Writing: Creative Nonfiction4
ENGL 305Playwriting,4,
ENGL 307
ENGL 319Multimedia Presentations3
COMM 231Media Writing4
COMM 431News Reporting Experience-Echo2
FILM 306Screenwriting3
1

Majors may take writing courses from this series as part of the fulfillment of both their major requirements and their writing concentration.

Option 4 The English Major for Future Single Subject Teachers


Students who plan to become English teachers in grades 7-12 in California are encouraged to take and pass the required California Basic Educational Skills Test (CBEST) by their senior year. They are also encouraged to choose the Option 4 English major, which best prepares them to pass the California Subject Examination for Teachers (CSET) in English.

65 credits beyond ENGL 111, including a comprehensive program of courses in four different domains: literature and textual analysis; composition and rhetoric; langauge, linguistics and literacy; and communications, speech and media. Three graduate Education courses are also included and may be taken in the senior year. Students should confer with their advisors and with the English Department Chair about the Option 4 Single Subject matter curriculum.

English Subject Matter Credential

Students interested in the teaching of English should confer with the chair of the English Department for information about the English subject matter program. (See Education)

Minor in English

20 credits beyond ENGL 111 , 12 credits of which must be upper division. Students are encouraged to design their own minor to suit their intellectual and/or professional interests (with advisor consent and department chair approval).

Students who intend to teach at a secondary level and who want an English minor are advised to take the following courses:

ENGL 312The Teaching of Writing3
ENGL 314English Language and Linguistics4
ENGL 323English Literature I4
or ENGL 324 English Literature II
ENGL 325American Literature I4
or ENGL 326 American Literature II
Elective Courses5
Total Hours20

Minor in Creative Writing

19 credits beyond ENGL 111, 15 of which must be upper division. 

ENGL 202Introduction to Creative Writing4
Take 15 credits from the following:
ENGL 302Creative Writing: Fiction4
ENGL 303Creative Writing: Poetry4
ENGL 304Creative Writing: Creative Nonfiction4
ENGL 305Playwriting4
FILM 306Screenwriting3
 
 

Minor in TESOL

(Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages)

20 credits beyond ENGL 111.

ENGL 315Teaching English Speakers Other Lang3
or
ENGL 318Writing Center Theory and Practice3
Required
ENGL 314English Language and Linguistics4
ENGL 316First and Second Language Acquisition4
ENGL 492Internship1-4
IES 402Theories of Teaching & Learning4
EDLT 502Teaching English Learners3

Courses

Lower Division

ENGL 110. Critical Reading and Writing I. (3).

English 110 introduces students to the reading, writing, and critical thinking practices required to succeed at the college level and beyond. Instruction emphasizes writing as a process of drafting, peer review, and revision. Writing assignments emphasize the synthesis and analysis sources, and the development of original arguments. This course is required as a prerequisite for Engl 111.

ENGL 110I. Critical Reading/Writing Int'l Students. (3).

An introduction to college level writing in the American system for international students only. This course emphasizes the skills needed to draft academic papers, including analyzing source materials, understanding rhetorical strategies, developing arguments, and mastering writing conventions.

ENGL 111. Critical Reading and Writing II. (3).

English 111 offers continued practice with college-level reading, writing, and critical thinking practices and beyond, with individual sections organized around themes or topics. Instruction emphasizes writing as a process of drafting, peer review, and revision. Writing assignments emphasize the synthesis and analysis sources, and the development of original arguments. Recent English 111 course topics include the Vietnam War in Literature, Deviance in Literature, and Writing in (Urban) Space. English 111 is a prerequisite for all other English courses and a requirement for graduation, therefore it should be taken during the first year of enrollment. Prerequisite: ENGL 110.

ENGL 201. Introduction to Literary Study. (4).

This course introduces students to the formal literary terms, critical reading skills, analytical tools, and interpretive strategies specific to the discipline of literary study. Students read, write about, research, and present on important texts by writers working in several different genres, including fiction, poetry, and drama. Recommended for English majors by the sophomore year.

ENGL 202. Introduction to Creative Writing. (4).

English 202 explores the creative literary genres through reading, responding to, and writing poetry, fiction, nonfiction and drama. Students will develop their creative writing skills by practicing imagery, metaphor, voice, character, setting, and narrative, and cultivate a greater awareness of language and literary traditions, conventions, and innovations.

ENGL 211. Classical Literature. (4).

This course may include works from ancient Greek and Roman literatures and other literatures that draw heavily from classical traditions. Prerequisite: ENGL 111.

ENGL 213. Literature of the Americas. (4).

The course focuses on works from one or more of the many literatures of the Americas: Canadian, Caribbean, Native American, Central American, or any of the many minority and/or immigrant literatures of the United States. Prerequisite: ENGL 111.

ENGL 214. Contemporary American Authors. (4).

An introduction to selected writers from the Americas whose works help us understand ourselves culturally, socially, and intellectually in relation to our contemporary world. Prerequisite: ENGL 111.

ENGL 215. Literature of the California & the West. (4).

This course introduces students to California and the American West's multi-ethnic past, present, and future through an examination of a variety of literary genres and traditions. Our readings will explore how the human experience in California and the West, as reflected in literature, has been shaped by factors such as indigenous knowledge and traditions, colonialism, migration and immigration, labor, land-use history, environment and geography, the border, displacement, dispossession, and genocide. The course satisfies the Core-21 Literature and U.S. Diversity requirements.

ENGL 216. Environmental Literature. (4).

This course explores environmental writing across a range of genres: the essay, memoir, fiction, drama, and poetry. The course may focus on literature in relation to one or more environmental movements or issues such as deep ecology, wildlife management, or environmental justice. Prerequisite: ENGL 111.

ENGL 217. Science and Literature. (4).

This course takes a multi-disciplinary approach to the study of literature to explore the relationship of literature to science. While the course broadly emphasizes ways in which knowledge and language in the sciences and the humanities intersect, specific courses topics will vary. Topics might include: Literature of Scientific Revolutions; The Science of Science Fiction, Evolution and Narrative, Cognitive Science and the Poetry of Mind. Prerequisite: ENGL 111.

ENGL 260. Topics in World Literature. (4).

An introduction to the literary traditions of one or more world cultures. Examples of course topics include Contemporary Chinese Literature, India in Fiction and Film, and the Literatures of the Pacific Rim. Prerequisite: ENGL 111 (cross-listed with Phil 260).

ENGL 282C. ST: Select Topic core. (1-4).

Select Topic approved for core requirement.

ENGL 2ST. Selected Topics. (4).

ENGL 3ST. Selected Topics. (4).

ENGL 4ST. Sel Topic. (1-4).

Upper Division

ENGL 301. Academic Research and Writing. (4).

This academic research and writing workshop in literary studies is a prerequisite for ENGL 480, the Major Capstone Colloquium. ENGL 301 focuses on research techniques, textual analysis, the synthesizing of literary scholarship, and effective argumentative writing in the discipline.

ENGL 302. Creative Writing: Fiction. (4).

Fiction writing workshop with an emphasis on skills: crafting plot, developing character, and evoking setting. Students will complete one or more short stories. Prerequisite: ENGL 111. Recommended: ENGL 202.

ENGL 303. Creative Writing: Poetry. (4).

This poetry workshop will instruct students on different approaches to reading poems, and teach the forms and elements of poetry through observation and practice. Students will read and write poems in a variety of forms such as the elegy, ghazal, haiku, sonnet and ode, as well as poems that explore repetition, persona, and voice. Prerequisite: ENGL 111. Recommended: ENGL 202.

ENGL 304. Creative Writing: Creative Nonfiction. (4).

This workshop will explore the evolving genre of creative nonfiction. This course will provide instruction and practice in reading creative nonfiction in some of its many forms. Writing assignments will include a range of essays such as the personal essay, lyric essay, and literary journalism. Prerequisite: ENGL 111. Recommended: ENGL 202.

ENGL 305. Playwriting. (4).

This workshop course focuses on developing playwriting skills, with an emphasis on mastering plot, character, and dialogue development. Students will write and revise an original play (cross-listed with TA 305). Prerequisite: ENGL 111. Recommended: ENGL 202.

ENGL 312. The Teaching of Writing. (3).

This course explores the cultural context of the teaching of writing in grades K-12. By working on collaborative class projects, students investigate major theories in composition and creatively apply them to different classroom scenarios. This course is required for all Liberal Studies in Education majors and recommended for those who plan to teach at any level. Prerequisite: junior or senior standing.

ENGL 314. English Language and Linguistics. (4).

This course is an introduction to the linguistic theories of the English language, including studies in phonology, morphology, and syntax, with particular emphasis on syntactic analyses. Prerequisite: ENGL 111 and junior or senior standing.

ENGL 315. Teaching English Speakers Other Lang. (3).

This course, Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages, offers a foundation in the approaches, methods, and materials for the teaching of English as a second language from the perspectives of Applied Linguistics research. This course begins by discussing diversity in America and the legal rights of English Language Learners (ELLs) in the United States, then reviewing the history and basic concepts pertaining to the field of TESOL, and ends with the writing of a teaching philosophy and a critical review of currently available teaching materials in light of current TESOL curriculum research and theory. This course will provide a foundation for the TESOL minor in English as well as a solid introduction to the field for prospective teachers of English language learners in U.S. school systems or abroad.

ENGL 316. First and Second Language Acquisition. (4).

An introduction to the processes by which children acquire language and adults learn second languages. Special attention is given to the practical application of linguistic theories of language acquisition to teaching and tutoring. This class is recommended for students who plan to be teachers or to tutor in the CLU Writing Center. Prerequisite: ENGL 111 and junior or senior standing.

ENGL 318. Writing Center Theory and Practice. (3).

Based on Writing Center scholarship, the The course draws from various fields - composition studies, intercultural rhetoric, second language writing, sociolinguistics, sociolinguistics and writing center studies - that provide theoretical and pedagogical frameworks for teaching and tutoring in a increasingly global English-using academic sphere. Students will gain an understanding of various teaching and tutoring methods, approaches, and philosophies, as well as a critical understanding of their own writing processes. The course focuses on the practical components of writing center work and how these methods can be applied to college settings, as well as middle school, high school, and community settings. In particular, this course will train students to tutor writing in the University Writing Center, as well as other tutoring spaces across campus and the community where they work with diverse writers. Required for all Writing Center Tutors.

ENGL 319. Multimedia Presentations. (3).

This course teaches research and presentation methods as well as basic Web design principles and online posting. Students integrate research, Web design and presentation skills to create several small projects and one major project, all of which are presented and critiqued by the class and the instructor.

ENGL 323. English Literature I. (4).

This course explores the major themes and social contexts of English literature from its emergence through the eigteenth century. Prerequisite: ENGL 111.

ENGL 324. English Literature II. (4).

This course explores the major themes and social contexts of English literature from the Romantic through the Victorian era to the present day. Prerequisite: ENGL 111.

ENGL 325. American Literature I. (4).

This course traces the intellectual and social influences upon the literature of what will become the United States of America, from the arrival of a colonial new world, through its growth into an independent country, up to the eve of the Civil War. Prerequisite: ENGL 111.

ENGL 326. American Literature II. (4).

This course focuses on the intellectual and social influences on the literature of the United States from the Civil War through the 20th century, with an emphasis on the impact of realism and modernism on the literary imagination. Prerequisite: ENGL 111.

ENGL 330. Film Studies. (4).

This course provides a solid grounding in the major elements of film, including genre, narrative, acting, design, cinematography, sound, and editing. Students will become critically informed viewers able to understand and analyze film or to pursue additional studies in film history or film theory. This course does not meet the literature requirement. (cross-listed with Comm 330). Prerequisite: ENGL 111.

ENGL 335. Children's Literature. (3).

A cultural approach to children's literature through its history, major writers, genres, and themes. This course does not satisfy the Core requirement in literature, but it is required for the Liberal Studies in Education majors and recommended for students who have a strong interest in working with children. Prerequisite: junior or senior standing.

ENGL 341. Studies in the Novel. (4).

This course may take various approaches to the genre: a thematic approach (Politics and the Novel, Desire and Sexuality in the Novel); a subgenre approach (The Epistolary Novel, The Detective Novel); or an historical approach that includes relevant theoretical aspects of its development (History of the Novel, The Post-modern Novel).

ENGL 342. History of Theatre and Drama I. (4).

This course is the first half of a two semester historical survey sequence that provides students with a solid grounding in the development of theatre and drama from the ancient Greeks to the present. Prerequisite: ENGL 111 (cross-listed with TA 342).

ENGL 343. History of Theatre and Drama II. (4).

This course is the second half of a two semester historical survey sequence that provides students with a solid grounding in the development of theatre and drama from the ancient Greeks to the present. Prerequisite: ENGL 111 (cross-listed with TA 343).

ENGL 346. Studies in Poetry. (4).

This course explores a theme, genre, or movement in poetry such as the sonnet, political poetry, or post World War II poetry.

ENGL 350. Studies in African-American Literature. (4).

With an emphasis on literary works by African-American writers, this course explores race in the American context. Each semester offers a different focus based on culture, genre, or theme. For example: Race and Ethnicity in the 19th Century, Modernism and the Harlem Renaissance, or Representations of Race in African-American Literature. Prerequisite: ENGL 111.

ENGL 352. Gender and Literature: Global. (4).

This course explores gender in literature. Each semester offers a different focus based on culture, genre, or theme. For example: Gender across Global Cultures; Gender and American Culture; Sex, Gender, and Sexual Orientation; or Gender and War. Prerequisite: ENGL 111.

ENGL 353. Gender and Literature: U.S. Diversity. (4).

This course will focus on the literary methods of gender analysis, historical analysis, and reader response as three lenses among many through which to deepen your understanding of literature; and will apply these tools to several texts, both historical and contemporary, in which the social categories of gender, sexuality, race and class are of principal concern. Through reading, discussing, and writing about these texts, you will gain a greater awareness of particular issues that have been, and remain, important, if often controversial, in our understanding of identity categories in our culture, and a greater appreciation of the role of literature in shaping them.

ENGL 355. Post-Colonial Studies in Literature. (4).

This course examines literature in the context of colonialism and imperialism. "Postcolonial" refers both to the former colonies of European and American imperial powers, such as Africa, the Caribbean, India, Ireland and the Philippines, as well as to a mode of reading literature that studies the consequences of colonization and decolonization. Course texts, which may include fiction, nonfiction, poetry and/or drama by writers from current and former colonized countries, will be studies with attention to hybrid identity, race, gender, and language.

ENGL 360. The Holocaust in Literature and Film. (4).

A study of the legislated and systematic extermination of Europe's Jews and other targeted groups by the Nazis. Through representative literature, the course addresses some of the complex religious, philosophical, and psychological issues this event raises. The course uses film and guest speakers to further reveal the genesis and consequences of human intolerance in its extremes. Prerequisite: ENGL 111 and sophomore standing.

ENGL 361. Contemporary Chicano Literature. (4).

Intended as a basic exploration of the literature of the Chicano people. This representative synthesis covers the principal genres of poetry, theatre, the novel, the short story, and the essay. An historical framework establishes the different periods of Chicano creativity from its origins in the pre-1960s prior to the Chicano movement, through the Civil Rights movement of the early 1960s and to contemporary times. Note: This class is offered in English and is not for Spanish credit (cross-listed with Span 361).

ENGL 362. Literature of Climate Change. (4).

This course explores the role of climate change in shaping literary expression and considers the role of literature in shaping the meaning of a climate-changed reality. The course will center the climate experiences of communities facing climate crisis "first and worst," such as youth and BIPOC communities, with special attention to diverse U.S. perspectives in comparative national and global contexts.

ENGL 451. Studies in Chaucer. (4).

A study of Chaucer's major works, with attention to the cultural and literary background and language of the period. (Maximum class size 20).

ENGL 452. Shakespeare. (4).

A study of selected works of Shakespeare, with attention to theatrical, cultural and literary background. Prerequisite: ENGL 111. Recommended ENGL 201. (cross-listed with TA 452).

ENGL 455. Major American Authors. (4).

A study of works of one or more major American writers, with attention to the intellectual and cultural background and the literary contributions of each writer. Examples of recent course topics include "Julia Alvarez and Toni Morrison," "Ernest Hemingway and Edith Wharton," and "David Mamet and August Wilson." Prerequisite: ENGL 111.

ENGL 457. Major European Authors. (4).

This course focuses on the works of one or more European authors with attention to the cultural environment in which they wrote and the influence of their writing on later artists. Examples of authors who may be chosen for this class include Dante, Flaubert, Lorca, Tolstoy, and Strindberg. (Maximum class size 20). Prerequisite: ENGL 111.

ENGL 470. Literary Criticism and Theory. (4).

Exploring the development of theories in Western literary criticism from Plato to the present, this course examines the major influences that have contributed to our collective understanding of what it means to read and write literature.

ENGL 472. Interdisciplinary Studies in Literature. (4).

This course approaches literature in relation to another field such as history, fine art or religion and may be cross-listed in that department. Examples include Modernist Salon Culture, American Print Culture, and The Bible as Literature.

ENGL 480. English Major Capstone Colloquium. (2).

This course is required for majors and should be taken in the fall of senior year. Students will research and write an original work of literary scholarship or complete a polished creative writing project. Students who wish to pursue a creative project should have taken a creative writing course in the genre they wish to write before enrolling in the Capstone. The Capstone represents the culmination of the major, and as such the Capstone projects are presented to the public every spring. Prerequisites: ENGL 111 and Engl 301.

ENGL 482. Selected Topics. (1-4).

(May be taken more than once).

ENGL 482C. ST: Select Topic. (1-4).

Select Topic approved for core requirement.

ENGL 485. Travel Seminar: Magical Britain. (1-4).

Magical Britain is an interdisciplinary course that introduces students to the history, culture and literature of the island of Great Britain through the oldest continually developing literary tradition in the English language: the Arthurian legends. In studying this corpus, students will come to understand Britain as a palimpsest: an island landscape of successive cultures in which the legends of Arthur have been avidly reimagined and shared up to the present day. Prerequisite: ENGL 111.

ENGL 490. Independent Study. (1-4).

ENGL 492. Internship. (1-4).

(graded P/NC only).

ENGL 496. Directed Research. (1-3).

Faculty

Professors

Griffin

Mogk

Associate professors

Bond

Chiu

Lyons

Mecenas

Rasmussen

Stevenson

Wee