English Courses
Please note that the frequency of course offerings below is subject to change without notice, because of changes in faculty availability, sabbaticals and leaves, and other circumstances. Please consult the latest Schedule of Classes (and supplement), myBerea, revisions to online Catalog & Student Handbook, and/or the Program Coordinator to determine if a course will be offered during a certain term or year, especially if Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) is a factor.
Introductory Courses
ENG 110 and 124
English as a Second Language Courses
ENG 103 and 104
Writing Category Courses
ENG 124, 201, 280, 282, 284, 380, 382, and 384
Literature Category Courses
ENG 135, 140, 141, 200, 205, 210, 212, 220, 225, 237, 242, 300, 305, 310, 320, and 325
Language Category Courses
ENG 330 and 387, and LAT 117
English Education Courses
ENG 223 and 312
ENG 103
ESL and American Culture
Offered: Typically every Fall Term
Extensive practice in the four communication skills: reading, writing, listening, and speaking (including pronunciation), with a focus on American culture. Grammatical structures will be reviewed as needed. Introduction to idiomatic expressions and extensive vocabulary. Meets four days a week with an additional tutorial or language lab session. 1 Course Credit
ENG 104
Advanced ESL
Offered: Typically every Spring Term
Reading and discussions in American literature and history, with continued attention to grammar, vocabulary, and academic writing. Meets four days a week with an additional tutorial or language lab session. 1 Course Credit
ENG 110
Intro to Literature in English
An introduction to the study of literature in English. Develops students' skills in critical-reading strategies, analytical writing, disciplinary research methods, and the examination and use of various types of sources. This course also introduces the Portfolio required of all English majors and should be taken by the end of the sophomore year, but the first year is preferred. 1 Course Credit
ENG 120
Film Noir and Neo-noir
Summer Course Only
Course Description: A close examination of one of the most important genres to emerge in the history of American filmmaking, the course will focus on crucial movies from the 1940s and 1950s, with some attention devoted to the films that preceded and influenced film noir and the films (called Neo- noir) that have appeared in later decades.
Virtually every day of this course we will watch a movie'an old movie, usually from the 1940s or 1950s, the heyday of what is called film noir. We will derive our own definitions of film noir (whether we consider it a genre, a style, a movement, or an attitude'I am not inventing these designations; in film noir scholarship what category to put the movies in is a big, continuing controversy) from watching some of the best examples of the art form. If you have prejudices against black and white movies, you must get over them immediately. Now. Some of the best films ever produced were shot in black and white, a mode of photography that has its own beauties and unique capacities. You should start immediately noticing what you see and hear as we view these films, partly because you start your weekly journal on the first day of class, but mostly because all movies are basically arrangements of sights and sounds, relating to but never coinciding with the 'real' world. If you don't really notice what you see and hear in experiencing a film, you won't be able to deal with it in the journal assignment, but you also won't be able to interpret it or experience it fully.
ENG 124
Intro to Creative Writing
An introduction to the forms of creative writing (fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and drama), combining the careful reading of established works and original student writing. Conducted as a workshop, with frequent writing exercises and student and instructor criticism of works. Arts Perspective. 1 Course Credit
ENG 135
Afr-Amer Women Writer(AFR/WGS)
How have African-American women writers coped with invisibility? How have they emerged from silence and created visions of identity and culture? This course will examine the writings of African-American women as a separate and distinct cultural group and the ways in which their writing is an expression of the culture and a historical record of its development. African Americans', Appalachians', and Women's Perspective. 1 Course Credit
ENG 140
Appalachian Literature (APS)
Study of poetry, fiction, and oral literature of the region. African Americans', Appalachians', and Women's Perspective. 1 Course Credit
ENG 141
African-American Lit (AFR)
Representative selections from fiction, poetry, and nonfiction prose of African-American authors from slavery to the present. Focus on historical and social conditions reflected in the works and relationships between African-American literature and other American literary movements. African Americans', Appalachians', and Women's Perspective and Arts Perspective. 1 Course Credit
ENG 186
Special Topics
Offered: Typically as student interest and faculty availability allow
A course designed to meet the particular interests of student and faculty. Topics vary from year to year. See course description in the "Schedule of Classes."
ENG 200
Studies in Time
This course introduces students to the literature of a specific time frame, which may or may not be chronological. The focus is generally on canonical works, as well as an introduction to criticism. May be repeated for credit, provided the topic differs from those previously studied. Arts Perspective. 1 Course Credit
ENG 201
Essay Writing
Offered: Typically annually (next offered 2013-2014)
An intermediate college writing course that includes persuasive, analytical, and argumentative writing styles. Reading of a variety of essays as models for form and style. Intensive use of writing process, including invention, drafting, reviewing, and revising. Practice in recognizing and making appropriate use of discourse conventions. 1 Course Credit
ENG 205
Studies in Cultures
This course will introduce students to a traditionally under-represented literature. It is intended to help students develop an understanding and appreciation of diversity through the study of the literature of women, ethnic/regional groups, or national literature in translation. May be repeated for credit, provided the topic differs from those previously studied. 1 Course Credit
ENG 210
Studies in Authors
This course will introduce students to the study of a single author or group of authors, generally (but not exclusively) canonical writers. Emphasis is on close readings of texts and writing analytical and response papers to primary works by particular authors. May be repeated for credit, provided the topic differs from those previously studied. 1 Course Credit
ENG 212
Lit-Caribbean Women(AFR/WST)
Offered: Typically alternate years (next offered 2013-2014)
This course is an exploration of voices of women in the Caribbean. Students will read works by writers from the Anglo-Caribbean, French Caribbean, and Hispanic Caribbean. These writers represent the islands of Jamaica, Cuba, Guadalupe, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and Barbados. Their works investigate issues of racial configuration, relationships between women, politics, colonialism, and post-colonialism, and the creation of the island space. We will look at the long, turbulent history of the island of Hispaniola from the perspective of both the Haitian and Dominican, the complex history of each of these island nations, and other important topics. African Americans', Appalachians', and Women's Perspective and World Culture (Non-Western) component of the International Perspective.
1 Course Credit
ENG 220
Studies in Film
This course emphasizes the understanding of film vocabulary and critical terminology that may be new to students. Assignments may include short essays (for example, viewer response and film analysis), annotated bibliographies, descriptions and assessments of Internet sites, and oral reports involving acquisition and presentation of information relevant to course subject matter. May be repeated for credit, provided the topic differs from those previously studied. 1 Course Credit
ENG 223
Grammar For Teachers
Offered: Typically alternate years (next offered 2013-2014)
This course is a study of modern English grammar and usage appropriate to teaching English and language arts. The emphasis will be on traditional and structural grammar, with an introduction to transformational grammar. Additional focus will be on levels of usage, standard and nonstandard English, and dialects. 1 Course Credit
ENG 225
Studies in Genre
This course will introduce students to literature based on types of texts within the broad categories of fiction, non-fiction prose, poetry, and drama. Emphasis will be on close readings of texts and writing analytical and response papers on primary works. Introduction to research in literary studies. May be repeated for credit, provided the topic differs from those previously studied. 1 Course Credit
ENG 234
The Art of Observation
Drawing and writing from direct experience offers a connection between an observer and an event; both experiences alter the perception and awareness of a traveler. This course will engage students in a multi-disciplinary experience that will challenge their thoughts on the value of travel and their own artistic interests. We will incorporate and play with the concept of ekphrasis in looking at how different art forms feed one another. What can the painter learn from writing? What can the writer learn from a drawing? What can any artist learn from traveling to an unfamiliar place? How do different forms of recording travel influence the awareness of that experience?
In this class we will explore these complex issues while immersing ourselves in travel writing, observational sketching, and writing about and visually recording the regions (both urban and rural) and places (art museums and writers' homes) we will visit. This course will employ both group and individual work with daily seminar-style discussions. Texts will include DEATH IN VENICE by Thomas Mann, DUBLINERS by James Joyce, LET THE GREAT WORLD SPIN by Colum McCann, poetry by Keats, Lawrence, various short works as well as place specific examples of visual art.
Though not a prerequisite, Art 115 Drawing Fundamentals and ENG 124 Introduction to Creative Writing are recommended prior to taking this course.
ENG 237
Women And Literature (WGS)
Offered: Typically alternate years (next offered Spring 2013)
Selected literature by women, focusing on works written in English. Emphasis on historical background and ethnic and cultural influences. African Americans', Appalachians', and Women's Perspective. 1 Course Credit
ENG 242
Intro to Non-Western Lit
Offered: Typically alternate years (next offered 2013-14)
Selected works of fiction by significant 20th-century authors of Asia, Latin America, and/or Africa. Emphasis on literary elements and relationships between these works, with attention to cultural influences. Meets a 'Cultures' Literature Category requirement. World Culture (Non-Western) component of the International Perspective. 1 Course Credit
ENG 280
Workshop-Professional Writing
Offered: Typically alternate years (offered Fall 2012)
A course that allows students to explore and practice research and writing skills in topics such as journalism, business writing, technical writing, science writing, or legal writing. Taught as a workshop, with student and instructor criticism of work. May be repeated for credit, provided the topic differs from those previously studied. NOTE: Some sections may be approved to meet Practical Reasoning and other General Education requirements. Check Schedule of Classes for specific offerings. ENG 280A and 280L receive Practical Reasoning (PR) credit. 1 Course Credit
ENG 282
Workshop in Creative Writing
Course Description: An imaginative writing course that introduces students to one or two genres of creative writing through analysis of literary models, practice, and both student and instructor critique of work in a workshop format. The focus of the course will vary and may include such topics as travel writing, short fiction and drama, nature writing, memoir, and personal essay. May be repeated for credit, provided the topic differs from those previously studied.
Writers in this class will explore different Appalachian landscapes near Berea, such as a farm, a forest, a river, a town, and a mountain top removal site. Each day we will take a van and visit a landscape (or the same one for several days), where we will analyze readings, do writing exercises, hold workshops, and experience the land (via working it, via being quiet and observing, via learning to ask it questions & how to listen for answers, etc.). We will talk with people who are intimate with the land (who work it, study it, play on it, etc.), all the while asking ourselves about our and people's cultures relationship to the land. In the process, you will keep a journal; marginalize readings; produce one critical essay about a book of your choice; compose letters and bullets of advice; draft at least three poems, one non-fiction essay, and one story; and bring one of those to a final stage of completion. So get ready to be curious, get sweaty, and write!
ENG 282N
Workshop in Creative Writing
An imaginative writing course that introduces students to one or two genres of creative writing through analysis of literary models, practice, and both student and instructor critique of work in a workshop format. The focus of the course will vary and may include such topics as travel writing, short fiction and drama, nature writing, memoir, and personal essay. May be repeated for credit, provided the topic differs from those previously studied. Writers in this class will explore different Appalachian landscapes near Berea, such as a farm, a forest, a river, a town, and a mountain top removal site. Each day we will take a van and visit a landscape (or the same one for several days), where we will analyze readings, do writing exercises, hold workshops, and experience the land (via working it, via being quiet and observing, via learning to ask it questions & how to listen for answers, etc.). We will talk with people who are intimate with the land (who work it, study it, play on it, etc.), all the while asking ourselves about our and people's cultural relationship to the land. In the process, you will keep a journal; marginalize readings; produce one critical essay about a book of your choice; compose letters and bullets of advice; draft at least three poems, one non-fiction essay, and one story; and bring one of those to a final stage of completion. So get ready to be curious, get sweaty, and write!
ENG 284
Wrkshp-Composition/Rhet (COM)
Offered: Typically alternate years (next offered 2013-2014)
A course that allows students to further explore and practice writing skills in topics such as written argumentation, prose style, and research writing. Conducted as a workshop, with student and instructor criticism of work. May be repeated for credit, provided the topic differs from those previously studied. 1 Course Credit
ENG 286
Special Topics
Offered: Typically as student interest and faculty availability allow
A course designed to meet the particular interests of student and faculty. Topics vary from year to year. See course description in the "Schedule of Classes."
ENG 300
Seminar in Times
Offered: Typically alternate years (offered Fall 2012)
This course engages the literature of a specific time frame, which may or may not be chronological, through the study of both primary literary texts and secondary critical material. Student research will involve working with critical theory. May be repeated for credit, provided the topic differs from those previously studied. 1 Course Credit
ENG 302
Intro to Queer Theory (WGS)
Offered: Typically offered alternate years (next offered Spring 2013)
An introduction to the discipline of Queer Theory. This course examines Western constructions of gender and sexuality, focusing on traditional discourses surrounding Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transsexual/Queer (LGBTQ) and Heterosexual identities. The lens of Queer Theory provides a framework for exploring issues related to sexuality, including but not limited to: essentialism, marginalization, heterosexism, and homophobia. The course also takes a brief look at LGBTQ history, focusing primarily on the LGBTQ liberation movement. 1 Course Credit
ENG 305
Seminar in Cultures
Offered: Typically as student interest and faculty availability allow (next offered Spring 2013)
This course is an in-depth study of literature written by women or ethnic/regional groups or national literature in translation. Through the study of primary literary texts and secondary materials, students will explore the impact of culture on subject matter, themes, and style. May be repeated for credit, provided the topic differs from those previously studied. 1 Course Credit
ENG 310
Seminar in Authors
Offered: Typically alternate years (offered Fall 2012)
This course is an in-depth study of a particular author or group of authors, and includes exploration of primary texts and secondary material, especially literary criticism. May be repeated for credit, provided the topic differs from those previously studied. 1 Course Credit
ENG 320
Seminar in Film
Offered: Typically alternate years (offered Fall 2012)
The Seminar in Film course is distinguished from ENG 220 by more demanding levels of reading, thinking, and research. The course includes more focused film analysis, as well as larger and more complex research projects (for example, a full-scale research paper). Students will be expected to become conversant with critical terms and theory, and to put that knowledge into practice in analyses of their own. May be repeated for credit, provided the topic differs from those previously studied. 1 Course Credit
ENG 325
Seminar in Genre
Offered: Typically alternate years (next offered Spring 2013)
This course engages in thematic and topical issues of genre at a considerable level of complexity by introducing contemporary literary modes of thinking and analytic methodologies. The course involves substantial student-directed research, which requires students to read and understand secondary literary scholarship as well as develop their awareness of primary literatures. May be repeated for credit, provided the topic differs from those previously studied. 1 Course Credit
ENG 330
Seminar in Language
Offered: Typically alternate years (first offered Spring 2013)
This course is an in-depth study of the English language. Topics might include (but are not limited to): History of the English Language; Old English; the dialects of Middle English; historical linguistics; sociolinguistics; modern dialect study; Indo-European roots. May be repeated for credit, provided the topic differs from those previously studied. 1 Course Credit
ENG 380
Advanced Professional Writing
Offered: Typically alternate years (next offered Spring 2013)
An in-depth course that provides advanced study and practice of a specific field of professional writing, such as grant writing, advanced journalism, advanced technical writing, or writing in new media. Students will research and develop major projects, and the course may be offered as a Service-Learning course when appropriate. May be repeated for credit, provided the topic differs from those previously studied. 1 Course Credit
ENG 382
Advanced Creative Writing
Offered: Typically annually (offered Fall 2012)
An imaginative writing course that provides an in-depth study and practice of a genre or subgenre of creative writing, including poetry (P), fiction (F), creative non-fiction (N), and playwriting/drama (D). Students will develop a portfolio of writing demonstrating their breadth and depth of writing in the genre. May be repeated for credit, but an individual focus (P,F, N, or D) taken as ENG 382 (formerly ENG 203/303) cannot be repeated for credit. 1 Course Credit
ENG 384
Adv Composition/Rhetoric
Offered: Typically as student interest and faculty interest allow
An in-depth course that provides advanced study and practice in composition and rhetoric topics such as literacy studies, composing process studies, rhetorical theory, and advanced expository writing/advanced composition. Students will research and develop major projects, as appropriate. May be repeated for credit, provided the topic differs from those previously studied. 1 Course Credit
ENG 386
Special Topics
Offered: Typically as student interest and faculty availability allow
A course designed to meet the particular interests of student and faculty. Topics vary from year to year. See course description in the "Schedule of Classes."
ENG 387
The Study of Language
Offered: Typically alternate years (next offered 2013-14)
Theories on the origins and nature of language; language families; development of the English language; phonology and morphology; methods of grammatical analysis; social and regional usage; and recent theoretical developments in language study. NOTE: Noncredit for students who completed ENG 287. 1 Course Credit
ENG 390A
Independent Study
Offered: Typically as student interest and faculty availability allow
A course initiated, directed, and organized by the student and the faculty sponsor. Course proposals must meet the guidelines and approval of the Academic Department or Interdisciplinary Program in which the study will be conducted. A detailed information sheet is available in the Student Self-Service room (101 Lincoln), which includes the form to complete if seeking Active Learning Experience (ALE) credit. A course syllabus must be submitted with the Chairperson or Director’s approval before the course can be registered. Those approved as ALE will be registered as 390/490A; others will be 390/490B.
ENG 390B
Independent Study w/o ALE
Offered: Typically as student interest and faculty availability allow
A course initiated, directed, and organized by the student and the faculty sponsor. Course proposals must meet the guidelines and approval of the Academic Department or Interdisciplinary Program in which the study will be conducted. A detailed information sheet is available in the Student Self-Service room (101 Lincoln), which includes the form to complete if seeking Active Learning Experience (ALE) credit. A course syllabus must be submitted with the Chairperson or Director’s approval before the course can be registered. Those approved as ALE will be registered as 390/490A; others will be 390/490B.
ENG 395
Internship
Offered: Typically every term
An experiential learning experience individually designed for students with a special academic interest requiring integration of classroom learning with practical experience. Includes on-campus seminars with academic sponsors, as well as non-classroom experience. One to 3 course credits in one regular term; 1.5 course credits in Summer One Term; or 1 to 2 course credits in Summer Two Term may be taken in Internships. Requires the approval of two faculty sponsors and the Program assumes the responsibility for determining credit allowance. The Coordinator of Internships gives final approval for Internship proposals. All Internships meet the Active Learning Experience (ALE) requirement.
ENG 397A
Team Initiated Study
Offered: Typically as student interest and faculty availability allow
A course initiated, directed, and organized by the student and the faculty sponsor. Course proposals must meet the guidelines and approval of the Academic Department or Interdisciplinary Program in which the study will be conducted. A detailed information sheet is available in the Student Self-Service room (101 Lincoln), which includes the form to complete if seeking Active Learning Experience (ALE) credit. A course syllabus must be submitted with the Chairperson or Director’s approval before the course can be registered. Those approved as ALE will be registered as 397/497A; others will be 397/497B.
ENG 397B
Team Initiated Study w/o ALE
Offered: Typically as student interest and faculty availability allow
A course initiated, directed, and organized by the student and the faculty sponsor. Course proposals must meet the guidelines and approval of the Academic Department or Interdisciplinary Program in which the study will be conducted. A detailed information sheet is available in the Student Self-Service room (101 Lincoln), which includes the form to complete if seeking Active Learning Experience (ALE) credit. A course syllabus must be submitted with the Chairperson or Director’s approval before the course can be registered. Those approved as ALE will be registered as 397/497A; others will be 397/497B.
ENG 398
Directed Study
Offered: Typically on a limited basis as student interest and faculty availability allow
A course organized and directed by faculty and approved by the Program Director or Department Chairperson to meet the particular interests and/or needs of specific students.
ENG 485
Seminar in English
Offered: Typically annually (offered Fall 2012)
This course involves intensive reading, analysis, and discussion of a concentrated topic in English Studies. Attention is paid to critical theory and its application. Students will produce a major research, writing, or creative project, and a presentation. 1 Course Credit
ENG 486
Special Topics
Offered: Typically as student interest and faculty availability allow
A course designed to meet the particular interests of student and faculty. Topics vary from year to year. See course description in the "Schedule of Classes."
ENG 490A
Independent Study
Offered: Typically as student interest and faculty availability allow
A course initiated, directed, and organized by the student and the faculty sponsor. Course proposals must meet the guidelines and approval of the Academic Department or Interdisciplinary Program in which the study will be conducted. A detailed information sheet is available in the Student Self-Service room (101 Lincoln), which includes the form to complete if seeking Active Learning Experience (ALE) credit. A course syllabus must be submitted with the Chairperson or Director’s approval before the course can be registered. Those approved as ALE will be registered as 390/490A; others will be 390/490B.
ENG 490B
Independent Study w/o ALE
Offered: Typically as student interest and faculty availability allow
A course initiated, directed, and organized by the student and the faculty sponsor. Course proposals must meet the guidelines and approval of the Academic Department or Interdisciplinary Program in which the study will be conducted. A detailed information sheet is available in the Student Self-Service room (101 Lincoln), which includes the form to complete if seeking Active Learning Experience (ALE) credit. A course syllabus must be submitted with the Chairperson or Director’s approval before the course can be registered. Those approved as ALE will be registered as 390/490A; others will be 390/490B.
ENG 495
Internship
Offered: Typically every term
An experiential learning experience individually designed for students with a special academic interest requiring integration of classroom learning with practical experience. Includes on-campus seminars with academic sponsors, as well as non-classroom experience. One to 3 course credits in one regular term; 1.5 course credits in Summer One Term; or 1 to 2 course credits in Summer Two Term may be taken in Internships. Requires the approval of two faculty sponsors and the Program assumes the responsibility for determining credit allowance. The Coordinator of Internships gives final approval for Internship proposals. All Internships meet the Active Learning Experience (ALE) requirement.
ENG 497A
Team Initiated Study
Offered: Typically as student interest and faculty availability allow
A course initiated, directed, and organized by the student and the faculty sponsor. Course proposals must meet the guidelines and approval of the Academic Department or Interdisciplinary Program in which the study will be conducted. A detailed information sheet is available in the Student Self-Service room (101 Lincoln), which includes the form to complete if seeking Active Learning Experience (ALE) credit. A course syllabus must be submitted with the Chairperson or Director’s approval before the course can be registered. Those approved as ALE will be registered as 397/497A; others will be 397/497B.
ENG 497B
Team Initiated Study w/o ALE
Offered: Typically as student interest and faculty availability allow
A course initiated, directed, and organized by the student and the faculty sponsor. Course proposals must meet the guidelines and approval of the Academic Department or Interdisciplinary Program in which the study will be conducted. A detailed information sheet is available in the Student Self-Service room (101 Lincoln), which includes the form to complete if seeking Active Learning Experience (ALE) credit. A course syllabus must be submitted with the Chairperson or Director’s approval before the course can be registered. Those approved as ALE will be registered as 397/497A; others will be 397/497B.
ENG 498
Directed Study
Offered: Typically on a limited basis as student interest and faculty availability allow
A course organized and directed by faculty and approved by the Program Director or Department Chairperson to meet the particular interests and/or needs of specific students.
Notice and Disclaimer
This online publication is the official text of the Berea College Catalog & Student Handbook. Berea College reserves the right to amend, revise, or modify content within this publication at any time.


