Ah, but why do so many students study French or German or Japanese at anglophone universities across the country? . . . Put simply, we develop a student’s analysis and communication skills through the study of English-language literature. Practically, a high concentration of English courses on your university transcript is a great indicator of translation ability and/or fluency in Canada’s two official languages. More generally, the study of English literature means an education in critical thinking, careful interpretation, persuasive communication, emotional intelligence, and creative problem-solving.

Yes and no. A 2014 study found that Canadian humanities grads have greater job stability in the long run compared with overtly profession-oriented degrees. As with many degrees, a major in English does not necessarily prepare students for any one job. Rather, we train critical thinkers and strong communicators who will be able to pursue careers and further education in fields requiring attentive analysis, pattern recognition, extrapolation, interpretation, and communication. Our majors have become lawyers, librarians, teachers, and communication professionals (journalist, website-designer and website-manager, and more). English students can also improve their critical-reading habits for science, business, government, and other sectors. A liberal-arts education is much more applicable and job-preparing than you may think.

Many of our bilingual graduates are working in IT, or are librarians, or teachers, or professors, or lawyers, or graduates of Masters programs in English or francophone studies.

Well, it’s unlikely! We offer a tasty smorgasbord of courses, ranging from Children’s Literature, Shakespeare, and Contemporary Fiction to Literature and the Environment, Comedy and Cinema, and Creative Writing: The Short Story. Students appreciate our professors’ close attention to their writing skills in our small classes. And the majority of our teaching is done by full-time professors here at Church Point (not by one-course instructors or by video-conference).

The study of English literature is waaaaay more than the study of grammar or a tragic hero’s “fatal flaw”. University-level English courses are substantially more challenging than high-school English courses and involve the social, cultural, and historical contexts for the works that you will read, watch, or even act out. So, ANGL courses will substantially develop your abilities to: express yourself or your arguments clearly, concisely, vividly, and logically; edit your writing; research properly; read more deeply and carefully; and better appreciate a wide range of important texts (texts that may even give you further insight into that book or video game or film or song that you already love!).

Ah, but most complex fields and endeavours involve interpretation. Investors and entrepreneurs interpret market forces. Physicians and mechanics interpret symptoms. Citizens and politicians interpret their shared laws. Scientists interpret data. Family and team members interpret behaviour and communication. There are skills to analyzing and interpreting (and writing) in each of these fields that can be taught and developed—that’s what we do, only for literature and theatre and film and creative writing and . . .

Start by enrolling in one or two of the 2000-level ANGL courses (we offer five to six a year). In almost every one of these courses, you will read works of literature in a range of genres and learn composition, critical argument, and research-paper writing. The 2000-level courses are prerequisites for our upper-year courses, and they are required English credits for most students in other degree-programs. Most students in all programs can take up to six 2000-level ANGL courses. (Beyond the 2000-level, English majors must take a minimum of six 3000-level courses and one 4000-level special seminar before they graduate.)

Courses designated ANLS are for students learning English as an additional language. Courses designated ANGL present literature, plays, films, and other texts in English for analysis and interpretation, or offer creative-writing seminars. ANLS graduates can perfect their English in ANGL courses.

ANLS courses teach the English language. ANGL courses further challenge a student’s use and comprehension of English with the analysis of literature, film, and/or theatre written or performed in English (or translated into English).

The analysis of literature in English requires advanced English fluency. Here at Sainte-Anne, however, we’re finding more and more non-native speakers, from near and far, keen to develop their English. Students who speak English as an additional language have succeeded in our classes. In the first week of each term, students’ language-level will be assessed to ensure that they are in the right course.