English Studies

Head of Discipline
Prof Gerald Gaylard

Lecturers
Dr. M Adler
Prof G Gaylard
Prof V Houliston
Mr. T Jones
Ms. S Kostelac
Ms. K Mania
Dr. J Masterson
Dr. R Muponde
Ms. D R Newfield
Dr. A Oseman
Dr. J Stacey
Dr. C Thurman
Prof M A Williams


Post Doctoral Fellow:
Dr. K Geldenhuys

Administrator:    Ms. Moipone Ndala
Tel no:    (011) 717-4110
Fax no:    (011) 717-4139

Course Information
Undergraduate courses
Postgraduate courses

About the Discipline:
The skills of communication, comprehension and analysis that one gains through studying English are useful in almost any field. Students from our discipline have entered the arts, journalism, law and advertising, where many have gained notable success. The corporate world is always looking for well-informed, articulate people with a creative approach to problems, and graduates from English fit the bill. Some of our alumni are working in publishing and the diplomatic world, others are successful writers, many are teachers and academics. The diversity of careers that the study of English allows access to reflects the versatility and all-round practicality of the discipline.

English concentrates on the study of literature. Since English is a global language, the range of literatures in English is immense. Whilst complete coverage of this diversity is not possible, we try to be as eclectic as we can within the limits of our staffing and resources. In the undergraduate programme, our coverage of the canon of English literature ranges selectively from the early modern period, through the Renaissance, to the eighteenth century, Romanticism, the nineteenth century, followed by Modernism and Postmodernism. We also study selectively American literature, South African and anglophone African literature, the literature of the Caribbean and of South Asia. In our research and postgraduate teaching and supervision we have particular strengths in Renaissance literature, American literature, Literary Theory, South African literature, Postcolonial Studies, and English Education.

Background:
With a commitment to literary studies as a core discipline within the Humanities, the English Department has a rich history which reaches back to the founding of the university. Its undergraduate programme has been, and is still recognized as the most comprehensive and possibly the most rigorous of English majors in South Africa. English has also maintained a strong relationship with English Education. In the last decade, an emphasis on the traditional English canon has been extended into new areas in the discipline: Literary Theory, Media Studies, Cultural Studies, Postcolonial and Gender Studies, and South African Literature. Its current research strengths lie in Renaissance literature, American literature, Literary Theory, the Romantics, Postcolonial Studies, and South African Literature.

Our focus on the study of literature means that students examine and discuss novels, short stories, dramas, poems, films and television programmes. They consider how these texts are put together, and ask searching questions about the ways in which they relate to the time and place in which they are received. In the process, students develop writing and reasoning skills, gaining not just an understanding of literatures in English, but developing an ability to use the language effectively. We have a strong seminar component to all our courses, so there are opportunities for debate and conversation in small, personalised groups. At our 200-level (second year) and higher, students choose from a wide range of tutorial electives. This means that as their studies advance, students have more choice in shaping the curriculum and more opportunities to read what they enjoy most.