English 30 credits

(30 credits plus 12-16 credits of experiential learning)

The English major introduces the student to the most significant writers and works of English and American literatures from the Anglo-Saxon period to the contemporary age, and offers exposure as well to the master writers and masterworks of European and world literatures. Survey courses offer broader overviews, while upper-level courses allow for more focused study of different themes, literary periods, genres, and authors, allowing students to pursue questions that interest them in more depth.

The study of literature is valuable not only as a way of learning more about human cultures and societies of the past, but also as a way of better understanding the present world and oneself through engaging with the ideas about the world and self held by some of the most interesting thinkers of human history.

The English major develops this broader literary, cultural, and personal knowledge but also cultivates those capacities and skills so important to any future profession. The close analysis of texts develops the ability to respond critically to the written word and the ideas it conveys; the attention given to writing different kinds and lengths of papers (culminating in a piece of original research in the senior year) develops the ability to communicate clearly and persuasively in written form; the emphasis on discussion and oral presentations helps develop the ability to speak cogently and with ease within and before groups.

The Drama track gives students a firm foundation in literature in general and dramatic literature in particular as well as the practical theatre skills (Linklater Voice Training, Movement, Dance, and Stage Combat) needed to perform on stage or work behind the scenes to bring plays to the stage. This combination of critical study and expertise in production is supported and enriched by the opportunity to work with local theatre companies as well as the Oxford Street Players of Lesley University.

Literature Track

I. REQUIRED CORE (12 Credits):

II. Additional CLITR and CHUMS courses (18 Credits):

At least 12 credits must be at 3000-level or above. Students may take up to 4 credits of studio courses (CCRWT, CDRAM 2042 or CDRAM 2050).

III. Professional/Experiential Component* (12 Credits):

* If the student declares an Education and a Liberal Arts major, the internship requirement must be satisfied with student teaching.

If the student declares any other double major, the internship requirement must be satisfied in the major with the greater number of credits in its experiential component. If they are the same, the student may choose one. Every effort will be made to have one of the internships encompass the objectives of the other major.

Students may choose to do an additional internship in their other major.

** Or any other 1000-level field-based course (e.g. CEDUC 1352, CHMSR 1551, CMGMT 1451, CMGMT 1701).

DUAL ENGLISH/EDUCATION MAJORS SEEKING LICENSURE IN GRADES 5-8 OR 8-12 IN ENGLISH

I. REQUIRED CORE:

II. Additional CLITR or CHUMS courses*** (9 Credits):

*** Courses must be at the 3000-level or above.

Other Requirements: Foreign Language Competency

Competencies in foreign language for the English Major/Literature track are fulfilled by

1. taking two semesters of Chinese, French, German Italian or Spanish at the university level.
2. If students enter Lesley with the proficiency to take Chinese II, French II, German II, Italian II or Spanish II, and they pass that course, this will also satisfy the foreign language competency.
3. Students who have already achieved a proficiency equal to two full semesters of college language instruction before entering Lesley have the following options for satisfying this requirement:
   • Before entering Lesley, students may take an AP language exam or CLEP exam and satisfy the language requirement if they score a grade of four or higher (AP) or 50 or above (CLEP).
   • After entering Lesley, students who wish to demonstrate language competency will be referred to the Foreign Language Coordinator.
   • Students may take a competency exam in any of the languages offered at Lesley under the supervision of the Foreign Language Coordinator. This exam will be equivalent to a final exam given to students in Chinese II, French II, German II, Italian II, or Spanish II. A grade of B or higher in this test will waive the language requirement; a grade ranging from C to B- will place student at the second semester level.
   • Students who wish to demonstrate language competency in any other foreign language must take the CLEP or an equivalent exam as approved by the Foreign Language Coordinator.

Drama Track

I. REQUIRED CORE (15 Credits):

And choose ONE:

II. Support Courses (15-16 Credits):

Choose 15 credits of CLITR or CDRAM courses, 6 of which must be at the 3000-level or above (you may choose from the courses listed above that you have not already taken). If you are not doing the Drama Experiential Component, you must take CDRAM 2050 or CDRAM 2042 in this category.

III. Experiential Component* (14-16 Credits):

(Choose ONE):

*If the student declares an Education and a Liberal Arts major, the internship requirement must be satisfied with student teaching.

If the student declares any other double major, the internship requirement must be satisfied in the major with the greater number of credits in its experiential component. If they're the same, the student may choose one. Every effort will be made to have one of the internships encompass the objectives of the other major.

Students may choose to do an additional internship in their other major.

** Or any other 1000-level field-based course (e.g., CEDUC 1352, CHMSR 1551, CMGMT 1451; CMGMT 1701).

Other Requirements: Foreign Language Competency

Competencies in foreign language for the English Major/Drama track are fulfilled by

1. taking two semesters of Chinese, French, German Italian or Spanish at the university level.
2. If students enter Lesley with the proficiency to take Chinese II, French II, German II, Italian II or Spanish II, and they pass that course, this will also satisfy the foreign language competency.
3. Students who have already achieved a proficiency equal to two full semesters of college language instruction before entering Lesley have the following options for satisfying this requirement:
   • Before entering Lesley, students may take an AP language exam or CLEP exam and satisfy the language requirement if they score a grade of four or higher (AP) or 50 or above (CLEP).
   • After entering Lesley, students who wish to demonstrate language competency will be referred to the Foreign Language Coordinator.
   • Students may take a competency exam in any of the languages offered at Lesley under the supervision of the Foreign Language Coordinator. This exam will be equivalent to a final exam given to students in Chinese II, French II, German II, Italian II, or Spanish II. A grade of B or higher in this test will waive the language requirement; a grade ranging from C to B- will place student at the second semester level.
   • Students who wish to demonstrate language competency in any other foreign language must take the CLEP or an equivalent exam as approved by the Foreign Language Coordinator.

CDRAM 2060

Introduction to Voice and Acting

3 credits

This course is an introduction to the basic principles of acting with an emphasis on voice production and self-scripted autobiographical storytelling. Group and individual exercises are designed to stimulate and develop imagination, physical and sensory awareness, creativity, and the capacity for ensemble work. Techniques for accessing emotional and psychological truth are practiced as the fundamentals of the actor's creative process. Voice work is drawn from Kristin Linklater's Freeing the Natural Voice. Students will perform original material which is based on experiences from their own lives.

CDRAM 2070

Movement and Improvisation for the Actor

3 credits

This course will introduce students to basic movement and improvisational technique essential to the actor's development. Material covered will include [1] the fundamentals of yoga, balance work, and weight exchange with an emphasis on contact improv and authentic movement skills, [2] basic mime technique and the rudiments of stage combat, and [3] basic character development through movement. Beginning actors will acquire tools which they can directly apply to their work in the Play Production class as well as any other acting experiences.

CLITR 2115

English Literature I (700-1800)

3 credits

This course serves as an introduction to the study of English literature from the Middle Ages (including both Anglo-Saxon and Anglo-Norman England) through to the seventeenth century. The emphasis will be on lyric and narrative poetry as well as drama. Prerequisite: CLITR 1100.

CLITR 2116

English Literature II (1800 - Present)

3 credits

This course surveys major British writers of the eighteenth century to the present. It explores certain themes central to English literature and experience: the rapid and disorienting changes in living patterns and in relations between human beings; the new voices coming from a developing working class and working class culture; and questions about how a person defines him- or herself, through social and class ties, or by individual merit. Prerequisite: CLITR 1100.

CLITR 2120

American Literature

3 credits

This course surveys American literature from Colonial times to the present. It explores certain themes central to American literature and the American experience: Americans' ambivalent attitudes toward breaking with authority; the important place of "the wilderness" in the American imagination; the role of the different ethnic and regional voices that are expressing the American experience; and the figure of the self-made, self-invented human being. Prerequisite: CLITR 1100.

CLITR 2230

World Literature from the Ancient World to the 16th Century

3 credits

This course is designed to introduce students to some of the great literary works of the ancient world to the Renaissance. Representative selections from the Middle East, Greece, Rome, Asia Minor, China, Japan, India, Africa, and Western Europe will be read and discussed. Students will survey a number of works, in a variety of literary modes, which both reveal something central about the particular historical period and culture in which they were written, and constitute a significant literary response to some of the eternal questions posed by all ages and societies. Prerequisite: CLITR 1100.

CLITR 2240

World Literature from the 17th Century to the Present

3 credits

This course is designed to introduce students to some of the great literature of the modern world. Representative selections from the Middle East, China, Japan, India, Africa, Europe, and North and South America will be read and discussed. Students will survey a number of works, in a variety of literary modes, which both reveal something central about the particular historical period and culture in which they were written, and constitute a significant literary response to some of the eternal questions posed by all ages and societies. Prerequisite: CLITR 1100.

CLITR 3312

The Plays of Shakespeare

3 credits

In this course students read, perform short scenes and monologues, and write on selected comedies, tragedies, and histories. Students also become familiar with important critical perspectives on the plays, and with historical and cultural influences present in them. Prerequisite: CLITR 1100.

CLITR 3240

World Drama from the Greeks to the 17th Century

3 credits

This course is a survey of theatre and drama from the Greeks to the Renaissance, with the focus on the major periods of western theatre and dramatic literature: Greek, Roman, Medieval, Elizabethan; and Italian, French, and English Neo-classical. We will also survey Eastern classical theatre and drama with a particular emphasis on the Sanskrit theatre, the Chinese theatre, and the classical theatre of Japan, including Kabuki, Noh, and the puppet theatre. Plays are placed in their historical context with particular attention paid to theatrical styles of production. Prerequisite: CLITR 1100.

CLITR 4340

Senior Seminar with Critical Methods

3 credits

This course combines a common reading and discussion agenda with ongoing work on an individual senior project. Students will read critical pieces representing the range of different theoretical approaches to the study of literature and see how these explicate and illuminate the reading done in common. Prerequisite: 6 credits of 3000-level CLITR or CHUMS courses OR permission of the instructor.