English Language in a Global Context

College Magazine ranks Purdue’s English Department #1 in the United States, and it’s easy to see why. Our degree programs offer individualized attention and access to excellent teachers and experts who shape how people think about literature, linguistics, and writing.

While pursuing a BA in English, students may select from three distinct concentrations: English Literature and English Language in a Global Context. In all three, students have access to unique learning communities, internships, scholarships, study abroad opportunities and more, providing them with the foundations for collegiate success, and beyond.

The English Language student is an internationalist. English has become a global language. In this concentration, students learn about the varieties of English around the world, and the teaching of English as a second language.

Students interested in Global English might also explore English Literature, Creative Writing, or Professional Writing.

Preparation

All Purdue University College of Liberal Arts majors prepare students with skills contributing to professional and managerial success: communicating and listening well, understanding and appreciating of diverse points of view, creative thinking and problem solving, collaborating with others, synthesizing complex ideas and expressing them clearly, and a Boilermaker work ethic.

Within the field of English, students develop skills that are applicable to many different careers. These may include, but are not limited to:

• Exceptional writing for multiple audiences, and in multiple styles (stories, poems, reviews, reports, memos, essays, and critical analyses)
• Deep reading (how to read patiently, with empathy and insight; how to recognize patterns in texts; and how to express your observations about them effectively)
• Creative and literary thinking (metaphorical and other non-literal reasoning; historical and global awareness; connecting the dots and telling stories with data)
• Analytical and research skills (how to take texts and ideas apart for a greater understanding of the whole; how to find, compile, and synthesize important information)
• Cutting-edge presentation skills (how to produce, read, and understand images and digital texts; how to present your ideas in the most effective manner)