English Teaching BA
Program Purpose
The English teaching major combines the liberal arts emphasis of the English major (with its aims to develop competence in critical thinking and written expression and an understanding of and appreciation for the English language and literary tradition) with an emphasis on developing the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary for a productive career as a teacher of English in the public secondary schools.
Curricular Structure
Note: This major requires an application after completion of at least 9 hours of English core courses with at least a 3.0 gpa
Seventy-one hours of courses, including:
1. Fundamentals of language and literature (6 hours)
- ENGL 251, Fundamentals of Literary Interpretation and Criticism, or ENGL 252, Introduction to Literary Theory and Criticism
(Intended to develop a basic vocabulary of literary-critical terms, skills in close reading and interpretive writing, and an introduction to critical approaches to literature)
2. British and American literary history (9 hours)
- ENGL 291, British Literary History 1
- ENGL 292, British Literary History 2
- ENGL 293, American Literary History
(Intended to provide an overview of major developments in the English language literary tradition, introduce the knowledge and skills required for understanding and appreciating literature from different historical periods, and give practice in critical and interpretive writing)
3. Shakespeare (3 hours)
- ENGL 382, Shakespeare
(Intended to provide an understanding and appreciation of the most prominent figure in the English literary tradition)
4. American literature (6 hours): Two courses selected from the following:
- ENGL 361, American Literature to the Mid-Nineteenth Century
- ENGL 362, American Literature from the Late Nineteenth to the Early Twentieth Century
- ENGL 363, American Literature from the Early to Mid-Twentieth Century
- ENGL 365, American Literature from the Mid-Twentieth Century to the Present
(Intended to provide an understanding in depth of American authors and movements that are emphasized in the secondary school curriculum)
5. Diverse forms and traditions (3 hours): One course selected from the following (English 356 is recommended):
- ENGL 345, Literature and Film
- ENGL 356, Myth, Legend, and Folktales
- ENGL 358R, Ethnic, Regional, and Other Literatures in English
- ENGL 359, The Short Story
- ENGL 366, Studies in Poetry
(Intended to provide a background in a literary form or tradition that is pertinent to the work of a secondary school English teacher.)
6. Teaching English language arts, literature, and writing (13 hours):
- ENGL 329, Teaching Grammar and Usage in Secondary Schools
- ENGL 377, Teaching English in Secondary Schools
- ENGL 378, Teaching Reading in Secondary Schools
- ENGL 379, Practicum
- ENGL 420, Literature for Adolescents
- ENGL 423, Teaching Composition in Secondary Schools
- ENGL 479, Secondary Student Teaching Seminar
(Intended to provide practical knowledge, skills, and experience for the classroom teacher)
7. Professional education (12-13 hours)
- ENGL 276R, Exploration of Teaching
- SCED 350, Adolescent Development in an Education Context
- SCED 352, Exceptional Education
- SCED 353, Multicultural Education
- SCED 378, Practicum in Secondary Education
- SCED 379, Classroom Management
- IP&T 286, Instructional Technology in Teaching
(Intended to qualify students for professional licensure)
8. Senior Course (3 hours)
- ENGL 495, The Senior Course
(Intended to provide a capstone experience through a focused, in-depth study of a limited topic, including the preparation of a substantial seminar paper)
Required: Completion of the General Education Foreign Language option
A first-year writing course (WRTG 150, WRTG 150H) even if the General Education requirement has been satisfied by Advanced Placement credit.
Recommended: English 195, Introduction to the English Major (1 hour)
Co-curricular activities designed to support program goals:
- English Society
- Sigma Tau Delta Honor Society
- Visiting Writers Program
- Inscape, student literary magazine
- NCTE Student Affiliate
Learning Outcomes
Competency in English Language and Literature
English teaching majors are required to meet all program and course outcomes for the English BA, and they demonstrate their disciplinary competency by taking one of the national standardized Praxis exams: "English Language Arts: Content and Analysis" or "English Language Arts: Content Knowledge."
English Teaching graduates will be able to design and implement several weeks of instruction, write complete lesson plans for delivering that instruction, and reflect in writing on the effectiveness of their plans and delivered instruction. These plans will reflect sound pedagogical understanding (including strong objectives, appropriate measures of learning, and learning activities that are meaningful and adapted to the needs of diverse students).
The work will be one of the capstone requirements in ENGL 379 and during the student teaching experience.
Evidence of Learning
1. PRAXIS exam
2. Teacher Work Sample
3. Direct observation
4. Video-tapes of instruction
5. Observation and participation in program expectations
Direct Measures
1. No Child Left Behind requires teachers to be "highly qualified" in their content areas. The Praxis exam is administered nationally and used for certification in 40 states as evidence of such qualification. Passing requires a score of 80% or better.
2. The Teacher Work Sample is a document students produce during their student teaching that provides evidence of many of the expected learning objectives. It consists of seven parts: Part one shows evidence of pre-service teachers' ability to use contextual factors in planning for student learning. Part two requires pre-service teachers to align learning objectives accurately with state and national standards. Part three provides evidence of pre-service teachers' ability to plan for and practice effective assessment of learning. Part four involves planning for a multi-week learning experience that gives evidence of pre-service teachers' understanding of best practice as appropriate to a specific grade level. Part five shows pre-service teachers' ability to use reflection on the spot and adjust teaching to improve learning. Part six analyzes assessment tools for a variety of learners, showing the pre-service teachers' ability to assess learning effectively for a diverse groups. Part seven is reflective, showing each pre-service teacher's ability to reflect thoughtfully about his or her teaching experience during student teaching. Overall, this document addresses the major objectives of the teaching program and is assessed by multiple readers using a rubric common to all secondary content areas.
3. Teaching skills and methods are observed by a faculty advisor and a cooperating teacher during the student teaching or internship experience. Obvservations occur several times during student teaching, and students meet frequently with university faculty for feedback and suggestions on observed practice. Student teachers have a final interview and evaluation with their advisors at the conclusion of the student teaching semester; that final evaluation involves both a narrative description of the strengths and weaknesses of each student teacher and a scored portion based on national standards, scored as Performance Assessment and Evaluation System (PAES) forms. Additional scores are also given for the Educational Disposition Assessment (EDA). The evaluations are sent to the placement office to be forwarded to school districts where the student applies for a teaching position.
Indirect Measures
1. Beyond planning, English teaching majors are required to provide evidence of their ability to deliver instruction effectively. This is evidenced through their video-tapes of two different teaching experiences in the practicum and two more during their student teaching. These video-tapes are evaluated by the supervising faculty member at BYU, and feedback is provided to the student teacher.
2. English teachers are expected to behave professionally. This behavior is evaluated in pre-service teachers indirectly through participation in the student teaching seminar (ENGL 479) and by the supervisor during student teaching or internship (ENGL 476 or ENGL 496).
Learning and Teaching Assessment and Improvement
1. The English Education Committee discusses and assesses the curriculum on an ongoing basis and recommends changes to the department Curriculum Committee. Proposals for curriculum change are discussed at department faculty meetings and decided by a faculty vote. Periodically (typically every three to five years) the department has undertaken an extensive curriculum review involving the work of task committees and lengthy discussions at department faculty retreats.
2. Student evaluations and questionnaire results are analyzed and evaluated as they come in. The state of the department and its programs is usually the chief topic of discussion at the annual pre-school meeting. Faculty meetings throughout the year may be devoted to program issues.
3. Plans for improvement are typically formulated by appointed task committees and tracked to completion by the department executive committee.
4. Proposals for curriculum change are submitted to the college curriculum committee.