36 courses with the subject ENG, each shown exactly as we captured it from the college's catalog, with every element we hold. Where the wording looks broken, that is our reading of the catalog, not the college's text.
ENG 096Writing Readiness3
This course is designed to develop the student's skills in writing, focusing upon vocabulary development, standard English grammar, spelling, and usage. Student strengths and weaknesses in these areas are determined through initial testing. Upon completion of this course, the student will possess spelling and vocabulary development skills, use grammatically correct sentence structures, punctuate sentences correctly, use appropriate word choice, and develop a basic comprehensive essay. Institutional credit only. Courses that earn institutional credit do not apply towards graduation. A GRADE OF “C” OR HIGHER IS REQUIRED FOR ADVANCEMENT TO NEXT COURSE. Prerequisite: None.
The purpose of this co-requisite course is to build confidence through intensive writing practice. Students will learn to recognize certain standard elements of effective writing: the existence of a strong central idea supported by organized, selected content, as well as proper usage of grammar and mechanics. In-class writing workshops, group work and discussion, supplemental tasks and one-on- one instruction will support students as they work to improve as writers.
Fundamentals of Writing is designed to help the writer recognize certain standard elements of effective writing: mainly the existence of a strong central idea supported by organized, selected content, as well as proper usage of grammar and mechanics. Students will be introduced to the writing process and will produce at least five (5) essays of at least 2-4 pages each by the end of the semester. Other forms of writing, such as journals, free-writes, and active learning exercises emphasizing student success skills, may also be included. At the end of the course, students must write a successful final essay to move forward to ENG 101. Institutional credit only. Courses that earn institutional credit do not apply towards graduation. A GRADE OF “C” OR HIGHER IS REQUIRED FOR ADVANCEMENT TO NEXT COURSE.
Students will develop college-level writing skills with an emphasis on writing as a process. Reading selections will foster improved writing skills and critical and analytical thinking. By semester's end, students will have produced at least four essays totaling 12-15 pages of original, polished prose. Students will also demonstrate their knowledge of research-based writing conventions, including information evaluation, documentation, and quotation integration through at least one paper that incorporates outside source material using MLA format and utilizing the library’s scholarly databases. Working with an instructional librarian on the research project is highly encouraged.
Writing about literary works will improve student writing, revision, critical thinking, and reading skills. The readings will be selected from a range of texts including fiction, non-fiction, poetry and drama. Evaluation and analysis will be accomplished through a variety of writing assignments, for example, discussion board posts, in-class writing, journals, free-writing, essay exams, and rough drafts of formal essays. By semester's end, students will have produced several pieces of writing totaling 12-15 pages of original, polished prose. At least one of the essays will incorporate library research that is cited and documented appropriately.
This course focuses on the study of basic writing patterns likely to be of use to the report/technical writer: summary, definition, explanation of a process, description and analysis, classifying data, designing effective formats and supplements, researching information, writing and documenting the research report, proposal writing, and the use of visual aids. The development of an effective reportorial style is emphasized. Overall, the course is designed to improve the students' powers of creative observation and develop accurate and concise writing skills.
This course explores the story of coming to America, becoming American, and changing the fabric of America. By studying fiction, non-fiction, poetry and films about the migrant’s experience of America, we will understand what it means to migrate to America, how migrating complicates the migrant’s relationship with their country of origin (or homeland) and its people, how the memories of the homeland work in the migrant’s life, and the process by which the migrant makes America their home. We will discuss themes like assimilation, generational conflict, gender differences, transnationalism, nativism, and racialization and their connection to migration.
This course is designed to explore American views of war, race, alienation, assimilation, family, and social change in the 20th century. A variety of critical approaches will be applied to novels, short stories, poetry, plays, and essays. Some of the authors studied may include Hemingway, Faulkner, O'Connor, Vonnegut, Morrison, and Erdrich. Prerequisite: ENG 102 or permission of division dean.
This course surveys several of Shakespeare’s dramas, including his tragedies and comedies, with a focus on thematic issues in historical, global, and multicultural contemporary contexts. The course not only emphasizes close textual analysis and critical interpretation but also studies and celebrates performance art. Both traditional and modern adaptions in theatre and film will be examined and discussed. When possible, students will be encouraged to attend local performances.
In this class, we’ll learn about the rich history of French-American cultural and literary parallels and exchanges, and how the two country's traditions have recursively influenced each other over the past 250 years. How has French literature and literary culture overlapped, catalyzed, followed or even deviated from the developments of American culture? What can the joys and struggles in French society and culture teach us about a deeper analysis of “American” identity in the global era? Literary works and topics to be discussed may include : A Tale of Two Cities, 1800s French poets like Arthur Rimbaud and Baudelaire, the role of France in Colonization and the slave trade, Black Americans living abroad in Paris (James Baldwin, TaNehisi Coates, Josephine Baker), French Student Movements in the 60s/70s, Camus and Existentialism, Hemingway in Paris, Frantz Fanon, Jean-Luc Godard and French Cinema) Liberté, égalité, fraternité: what do they mean to us?.
This course will survey the tradition of horror literature from its origins to the present focusing on the development of the Gothic in response to the European Enlightenment through its current status as a global genre. Representative works from the European Gothic, Dark Romanticism, literature of the supernatural, and contemporary horror fiction will highlight the versatility of the genre, as well as its influence in areas that may appear distant from the genre’s concerns such as memoir, political rhetoric, and fashion. Precursors of the genre and examples of the horror footprint in other media, such as film, television, and video games may also be considered. Fall.
This course will introduce students to the popular medium of comics, including its flexibility of form and diversity of perspective. Special attention will be given to the way in which the medium’s formal qualities shape the creation of meaning in texts ranging from superhero narratives to memoir and non-fiction. The course will examine the richness and complexity of graphic texts and will include a consideration of the history, development, and culture of comic books. It will also look at the intersection of identity and expression giving space to creators of color as well as the representation of Queer experience. Additionally, the medium’s engagements with and influences on other genres and forms such as film, television, and fan cultures may also be explored.
This course surveys significant American writings from 1620 through the 19th century covering the following eras: Puritans, Colonial/ Revolution, Enlightenment/Romantic and Transcendentalist/Abolitionist. The course emphasizes textual analysis and the examination of the relationship of representative works to historical, social, and intellectual developments and will explore issues of diversity and the connection between literature and cultural contexts. Included are works by such authors as Bradford, Rowlandson, Jefferson, Franklin, Emerson, Thoreau, Whitman, Fuller, Hawthorne, Melville, Douglass, Dickinson. Written work totaling at least 12-15 pages will be assigned including essays with library research, reading responses, in-class essays, and rough drafts of formal essays. Fall.
This course surveys significant American writing from 1890 to the present covering the following: Realism, Modernism/Harlem Renaissance, Mid-20th Century, Post-Modernism/Multiculturalism/Contemporary. The course emphasizes textual analysis and the examination of the relationship of representative works to historical, social, and intellectual developments and will explore issues of diversity and the connection between literature and cultural contexts. Included are works by such authors as Twain, Chopin, Frost, Stevens, Moore, Hughes, O’Neill, Miller, Wilson, Ginsberg, Rich, LeGuin, Anzaldua. Written work totaling at least 12-15 pages will be assigned including essays with library research, reading responses, in-class essays, and rough drafts of formal essays. Spring.
This course will explore expressions of resistance from a variety of cultures and historical periods. Students will read works that take a stand against or show characters taking a stand against political, social, or economic realities. Assigned readings may include works by Sophocles, Thomas Paine, Thomas Jefferson, Henry David Thoreau, Frederick Douglass, Toni Morrison, Marjane Satrapi, Julia Alvarez, and Tony Kushner, as well as Biblical texts and music. Alternate Years. 261
Students in the course will examine literary texts written by women from diverse cultures and time periods. Through close reading and analysis of a variety of genres, students will explore the cultural, historical, and social contexts in which the author lived and wrote, including the intersections of gender, race, class, sexual identities, and more.
Contemporary global literature includes twentieth- and twenty-first-century literatures, other than British and American, either written in English or read in translation. Readings represent a variety of cultures and belief systems and include world regional and diasporic literatures such as African, Asian, Latin American, Middle Eastern, etc. Emphasis is placed on interpreting literary texts in relation to their cultural, political, and historical contexts, as well as the conventions of literary movements and genres such as postcolonialism, magical realism, science fiction, etc. Through readings, discussions, and several written assignments, students will expand their awareness, understanding, sensitivity, and empathy in regard to differences between other cultures’ perspectives and their own. Close reading exercises and other scaffolded writing assignments will strengthen skills in close reading and literary analysis, culminating in a thesis-driven essay interpreting one or more works of literature. Additional assignments may include a group research presentation, an author interview writing project, and a final essay exam. By the end of the semester, students will have produced 12-15 pages of polished writing.
This course studies the history and nature of the mystery story from the works of Poe to such present day masters as Agatha Christie and Tony Hillerman. Students will examine both the relationship of mystery fiction to the culture of its time and the changing role of the detective hero. Students will study the techniques of the mystery writer and the relationship between mystery fiction and "serious" literature. Works by such authors as Poe, Arthur Conan Doyle, Hammett, Chandler, Christie, and Hillerman are included. Fall.
This course surveys British Literature from Old and Middle English literature to the end of the eighteenth-century. Special attention will be paid to important literature of the Middle Ages, the English Renaissance, the Restoration, and the Eighteenth-Century. It examines the formation of the British nation and identity as well as tracing the evolution of the tradition(s) of a British national literature. Fall.
This course surveys British Literature from the Romantic era to contemporary writers. Special attention will be paid to important literature of the neoclassical period, Romanticism, Victorianism, and Literary Modernism. It examines the continuing evolution of the British nation and the (sometimes uneasy) re-shaping of national and artistic identity in the face of imperial expansion and the post- colonial era. Spring.
ENG 229The Empire Writes Back: Studies in Post-Colonialism3
In this course, we will read contemporary (20th century to the present day) fiction and non-fiction that address the last five hundred years of British colonial and postcolonial history to understand how multiple histories and different aspects of colonialism inform the content and form of this literature. We will study the key concepts and concerns of postcolonialism, including questions of race, slavery, diasporic cultures, migration, language, gender, habitation, resistance, hybridization, power and the transformations associated with identity through globalization.
ENG 230From P-Town to Great Barrington: A Virtual Journey with Massachusetts Poets3
This course introduces students to the diverse voices of Massachusetts poets through virtual, instructor-guided tours; vlogging lectures; and interactive visits to key places associated with the history and background of the poets studied in the course. Through this method, the course emphasizes not only discussion of the conventions, styles, and art of each poet’s writing but also how the social issues of the poets’ time periods and personal lives informed their work. Poets may include Sylvia Plath, E.E. Cummings, Jack Kerouac, W.E.B. DuBois, Mary Oliver, Emily Dickinson, and Henry David Thoreau. Through this unique experience, students will immerse themselves into the learning process, virtually visiting locations in Massachusetts, such as Cape Cod, Boston, Concord, Lowell, Amherst, Northampton, and Great Barrington, to enhance their learning experiences.
As a literary genre, science fiction – like science – is continually changing and redefining itself, creating modern myths that show us our greatest hopes and our deepest fears about humanity, science, technology, and the future, as well as examining contemporary issues around race, class, gender, and sexuality. This course introduces students to a variety of science fiction texts – both classic and contemporary – and may include works by Mary Shelley, H.G. Wells, George Orwell, Ray Bradbury, Issac Asimov, Ursula Le Guin, Philip K. Dick, Octavia Butler, and Margaret Atwood. Prerequisite: ENG 102 or permission of division dean.
This course is an introduction to Norse mythology and to the Viking world that was shaped by the stories of Thor, Loki, Odin, and others. Students will read a wide range of Old Norse mythological and saga literature in translation, as well as modern retellings of the myths. We will attempt to understand the values, beliefs, and world view of the Scandinavian cultures that practiced Norse paganism, as well as examine its problematic legacy: 20th century German nationalism and 21st century white supremacist movements. In addition, we will explore the influence of Norse myths and Viking culture on video games, comics, film, and television.
Students in this course consider a variety of children's literature not only as literary and artistic expressions but also as historical and social artifacts. The course emphasizes illustrated books (picture storybooks) but also includes selections of chapter and young adult works. Students analyze and assess the literary merit and visual artistry of books from various genres, from diverse authors and illustrators. Those genres include fantasy, traditional literature (fairy tales), poetry, realistic and historical fiction, biography, and other non-fiction works. Students also explore issues related to education, censorship, multiculturalism, diversity, and the changing views of childhood. Course concepts are acquired primarily through reading and writing, with some discussion and lecture. Throughout the semester, students will present a variety of polished prose and written assessment of selected works in a variety of forms, including a scholarly research paper using library sources. Written work totaling at least 12-15 pages will be assigned. Additionally, other written analysis, reading responses, in-class essays, and rough drafts of formal essays may be required.
This course is a survey of international dramatic literature from 1879 to the present, encompassing such theatrical and literary movements as Realism, Expressionism, and Absurdism. Although the course includes some attention to production values (staging, performance, etc.), the emphasis is primarily on dramatic works as literary texts. Both primary and secondary texts will be assigned so that students become familiar with important works of criticism as well as the plays themselves. Readings include works by Ibsen, Chekhov, O'Neill, Williams, Beckett, Fugard, Hansberry, and Miller. Fall.
This course is an introduction to LGBTQ+ literature, with particular emphasis on the representation of queer identities from the nineteenth century to the present. Students will read queer texts (fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and drama) within their changing social, political, and cultural contexts, while critically investigating socially-constructed ideas about gender and sexuality. Offered occasionally.
This course is an introduction to writing fiction, poetry, and drama. Students will experiment with a variety of literary styles and genres, learn to give and receive feedback in a workshop setting, and have the opportunity to read published authors. Lectures and workshops will introduce students to literary devices and techniques, such as dialogue, plot, setting, characterization, point of view, alliteration, assonance, tone, diction, and metaphor. Fall.
ENG 098, RDG 098, or placement; or permission of division dean.
ENG 240Creative Writing II3
This course is an advanced writing workshop designed to give experienced writers the opportunity to hone their craft, while continuing to explore new styles and techniques. Workshops will present students with the opportunity to revise and refine their writing in preparation for publication in professional literary journals and magazines.
This course helps students to become more concise writers by addressing the basic skills of journalism: observing, researching, reporting, interviewing, thinking, and writing with precision, clarity, and ethics. Assignments include basic reporting, local beat coverage, blogging, and multi-source stories. Students will be exposed to print and web writing, as well as some technology (including digital cameras and video). Student news stories will be submitted for the print and web editions of the MWCC student newspaper, The Mount Observer. 263
Continuation of ENG 241 Journalism I: News Reporting and Writing. This course is designed to further students' mastery of such journalistic techniques as idea development, news gathering, newsroom operation, editing, and layout. Emphasis will also be placed on writing for print and web editions of the student newspaper, mentoring students in the Journalism I course, editing articles, checking sources and facts, and putting together the monthly editions of both print and web. Students will be exposed to some technology (digital cameras, video).
This course covers all forms of writing for public relations, including press releases, public service announcements, features, newsletters, and presentations. This course emphasizes the strategy of crafting and delivering a PR message with final culmination in designing a public relations strategy for an existing organization in the community. Corequisite: ENG 101. Fall.
ENG 252Shakespeare and Star Wars: A Study of Tragedy through Drama and Film3
In this course, students will draw comparisons between the worlds of Shakespeare and Star Wars through an in-depth, critical analysis of Shakespeare’s tragic heroes and the journey of Anakin Skywalker as tragic hero. Students will read Julius Caesar, Othello, and Macbeth and also be required to read supplemental material including, but not limited to, script excerpts, biblical readings, and Elizabethan historical information. Finally, students will watch the second installment of the Star Wars trilogy, with a focus on The Revenge of the Sith. Questions of government and leadership, power and lust, jealousy and fatal attraction, friendship, religion, forbidden love, good vs. evil, stoicism, and temptation will be some of the topics discussed and expanded upon through various writing assignments, projects, and research.
This course traces the development of the short story as a distinct literary genre from its origins in the early 19th century to the present. Emphasis is on close reading and analysis of texts by international writers. The course covers the major literary movements of the 19th and 20th centuries: Romanticism, Realism, Naturalism, Modernism, and Postmodernism. Readings include stories by Poe, de Maupassant, Chopin, Hemingway, Kafka, Joyce, O'Connor, and Carver. Spring.
This course is designed to provide students with opportunities for the enhancement of their course work in Journalism through external internships/shadowing at local media and more in-depth leadership as the Editor-in-Chief of the student newspaper.
In this course students demonstrate their ability to write and conduct library research by refining skills introduced in earlier composition courses and practiced elsewhere in their degree program. Students will engage with scholarly materials from a variety of disciplines, draft and revise essays in a number of academic genres (including summary and response, close analysis, and argument), and conduct intensive library research - accompanied by an instructional librarian - for a 10-12-page research paper. least one 200-level ENG course. ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE (ESL)
