Department of English
English
As a body of learners in Christ, we strive to integrate biblical faith with our writing and reading of literature to understand and change the world. Our prayer is to encourage development of students and faculty into “good citizens speaking well” (Quintilian); we strive to give students the opportunities and resources to command language for God's kingdom.
Objectives
- Students graduating with majors from the department of English at Bethel College should be well prepared to meet a broad variety of vocational challenges (writing, research technologies, critical thinking, reading, language, teaching) with aptitude, economy and imagination.
- Students graduating with majors from the department of English at Bethel College should have a lasting love for good literature, a broad knowledge of major texts and authors of world literary traditions, and a desire to remain lifelong readers.
- Students graduating with majors from the department of English at Bethel College should have a deep appreciation of written word's power to prompt spiritual formation and character development; and the ability to write with creativity, clarity and coherence; and the desire to remain lifelong writers.
- Students graduating with majors from the department of English at Bethel College should be knowledgeable of the development and structure and gain a lifelong appreciation for the English language.
Department Standards
- Students read a wide range of literature to build an understanding of texts, of themselves, and of the culture; to acquire new information; to respond to the needs and demands of society and the workplace; and for personal fulfillment.
- Students read a wide range of literature from many periods in many genres to build an understanding of the many dimensions (e.g., philosophical, theological, ethical, aesthetic) of human experience. Students apply a wide range of strategies to comprehend, interpret, evaluate and appreciate texts. They draw on their prior experience, their interactions with other readers and writers, their knowledge of other texts, their critical analysis skills and their understanding of textuality (e.g., grammar, style, structure).
- Students employ a wide range of strategies as they write and use different writing process elements appropriately to communicate with different audiences for a variety of purposes.
- Students conduct research on issues and interests by generating ideas and questions, and by posing problems. They gather, evaluate and synthesize data from a variety of sources (e.g., print and nonprint texts, artifacts, people) to create and communicate knowledge.
- Students participate as knowledgeable, reflective, creative and critical members of a variety of literary communities.
