About Us
The Department is made up of the department of English, French and German Languages organizing teaching at under graduate and post graduate levels. We function as one unit sharing many interests and working together in degree programme and various activTities. The academic environment of the department as a whole is very exciting. It is a popular centre for literary and language studies. The research and teaching interest of our staff has a wide range from the Renaissance to the contemporary writings.
The department was established in 1943 with the introduction of B.A. in English. M.A. in English started in 1963. M.Phil. English (ELT), still a rare course, was introduced in as early as 1987. The doctoral work with main thrust in language, stylistics and Common Wealth Literature, is of high quality. A need based self financing certificate course, "English for Conversation" is also being run part time for all the desirous students of the University.
Language Laboratory
The advent of modern world heralded the unprecedented intrusion of technology in all walks of human existence where teaching and learning is no exception. The process of learning and the activities of teaching are deeply influenced by technology. Language Laboratory is designed to help learners in learning a second language. Some well programmed linguistic modules have been installed on thirty computers. Those modules help learners in developing their Listening, Speaking, Writing, and Reading skill with a lot of exercises. They are designed in such a way that they develop the grammatical and communicative competence.
The major objectives of language lab are to enable students to:
1. Learn the sound systems of English language.
2. Understand the Word Stress of English language.
3. Acquire proper pronunciation of RP Sounds, Words.
4. Improve their presentation and participation skills thereby increasing their employability..
The UG programme spanning over 6 semesters consists of course with lectures, seminars, assignment, and lab work (in language lab and net lab). The students can enjoy visual clips, animations, extracts from classical e-texts. The syllabi is a cultural mix embracing linguistic plurality and contemporary relevance. The focus of the programme is the intensive study of selected literary texts from various literary traditions with emphasis on various ways of reading, studying and appreciating literature as on aesthetic, emotional and cultural experience. Content varies with each semester. The master courses are upgraded periodically to incorporate new reading materials, new methods to improve learning process. For master degree there is an independent supervised project on a topic agreed with the teacher along with the taught courses. M.Phil. (ELT) introduces current academic debates and research methods by joining linguistic and literary approaches to the subject.
The department aims at inter-disciplinary approach. Apart from English Language and Literature, Indian Literature, American Literature, Sanskrit Aesthetic theories, Linguistics, Phonetics and Stylistics from part of the curriculum.
Seminars, assignments, group discussions, class tests etc. are regular features of teaching and testing. Use of audio video tapes, CDs and over-head projectors is a regular feature of teaching for greater interest and better comprehension. For drill in pronunciation, comprehension and grammar, digital language laboratory is used. Students are encouraged to use the internet facility for preparing assignments, projects and dissertation.
There is a rich presence in the Central Library of near about 3000 books and journals apart from a good collection of audio video taps and CDs. The Language Laboratory, still something not common, is a very beneficial tool in developing communication skills and aviation English.
German and French were introduced in the beginning as Hobby Courses but due to the demand and popularity now these are taught as part time certificate and Diploma courses. Most of the professional course students opt for one of these language. A Certificate Course in "German for Conversation" (Elementary & Advanced) has also been introduced recently in 2005. These course are so popular that the enrolment in German and French reaches and average of 800 to 900.