14 Facts About English studies

English studies is an academic discipline taught in primary, secondary, and post-secondary education in English-speaking countries; it is not to be confused with English taught as a foreign language, which is a distinct discipline.

English studies include: the study of literature, the majority of which comes from Britain, the United States, and Ireland ; English composition, including writing essays, short stories, and poetry; English language arts, including the study of grammar, usage, and style; and English sociolinguistics, including discourse analysis of written and spoken texts in the English language, the history of the English language, English language learning and teaching, and the study of World Englishes.

At universities in non-English-speaking countries, the same department often covers all aspects of English studies, including linguistics: this is reflected, for example, in the structure and activities of the European Society for the Study of English.

In most English studies-speaking countries, the study at all educational levels of texts produced in non-English studies languages takes place in other departments, such as departments of foreign language or of comparative literature.

Students who major in English studies reflect upon, analyse, and interpret literature and film.

Related searches

English studies literature became an object of study in French universities as part of foreign literature in the nineteenth century.

English studies was first taught independently from other languages and literature in the University of Lille and in the University of Lyons and only afterwards in the Sorbonne.

English studies major rose to prominence in American colleges during the first half of the 1970s.

Outside the United States the English studies major became popular in the latter half of the 19th century during a time when religious beliefs were shaken in the face of scientific discoveries.

Now an English studies Major encompasses a much broader range of topics which stretch over multiple disciplines.

Courses in Multicultural Literature: The value of bringing a range of cultural and multidisciplinary perspectives to the study of English studies literature is being increasingly recognized in a number of universities.

Major in English studies opens a variety of career opportunities for college graduates entering the job market.

Since students who graduate with an English studies degree are trained to ask probing questions about large bodies of texts and then to formulate, analyze, and answer those questions in coherent, persuasive prose—skills vital to any number of careers—English studies majors have much to choose from after graduation.

The most obvious career choices for English studies majors are writing, publishing, journalism, human resources specialist, and teaching.