Why English Majors Should Study Abroad
By Dana Ringuette, Ph.D.
Chair, English
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"The English Department promotes study abroad because we believe that the experience gives students an opportunity to study literature in its national context, an experience that makes the literary work come alive in remarkable ways that differ considerably from the more passive experience of being an armchair traveler. Students not only read about Wordsworth’s celebration of the play of light and shadow on the Lake Country mountaintops in his Lyrical Ballads, they actually get to see the chiaroscuro effect in action. Similarly, the leap of imagination students are asked to make when reading say, Wuthering Heights, is not nearly so far when they read it while hiking the Yorkshire Moors: Cathy and Heathcliff’s ghosts seem very near, indeed. We also promote study abroad because we believe that one of the impulses behind the discipline of English lies in the cultivation of our capacity to empathize with others. Our day-to-day experience may be limited in terms of exposure to different cultures, different practices, but reading, thinking, and writing about texts enlarges our worlds. Study abroad complements this process beautifully. We may not have grown up in a South African township under apartheid but reading about the life of a person whose life is utterly determined by the color of her skin, as in Sindiwe Magona’s Mother to Mother extends our capacity to identify with others." |
Recommended Study Abroad Programs for English Majors
Australia
Griffith University
Brisbane
Semester or Year
Brisbane, with a population of 1.6 million people, is Australia's third largest city after Sydney and Melbourne, and is quickly becoming one of the most desirable places to live. The population is very young and culturally diverse. Griffith provides many opportunities for study abroad students to become acquainted with the area through orientation activities and arranged day or overnight trips. Numerous core and core-option courses from the 5 different content areas are offered at Griffith University.
Germany
University of Würzburg
Würzburg
Semester or Year
Wuerzburg is a young old city, as the people like to say. It is an old city because of its 1400 year old history. Each day, city-goers are surrounded by cultural artifacts dating back to different epochs. Yet, the city is young because Würzburg has one of the highest concentrations of 20 to 30-year-olds in Bavaria and thousands of students come to receive their education here. Home is Where …: Space, Mobility and Concepts in 20th Century Drama is offered through the American Studies Faculty at the University of Würzburg.
Greece
American College of Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki
Summer, Semester or Year
Greece -- home of the Olympian gods, sun-filled, passionate -- has been a destination popular with visitors for centuries."Undiscovered" Thessaloniki is the second largest city in Greece, true crossroads of East and West, and gateway to the Balkans. Founded in 315 B.C, Thessaloniki is now a modern seaport city of 1.5 million inhabitants renowned for its wide avenues, neighborhood squares and tree-lined streets. While at ACT English majors can take lower-division classes and general education courses.
Ireland
National University of Ireland, Maynooth
Maynooth
Semester or Year
Study at Ireland’s second oldest university. The National University of Ireland, Maynooth (NUIM) is located in County Kildare, Maynooth, about 25 km (15 miles) west of Dublin city center. Maynooth has a classic, Irish feel with many historical sites and quaint country roads to visit and explore. Since Ireland is such a compact country, you can travel almost anywhere within a couple hours. English majors can take upper-division core option and elective courses while at NUIM.
South Africa
University of Cape Town
Cape Town
Semester or Year
Due to Cape Town's extensive history as a port city, Cape Town's 3 million people are a blend of African, European, and Asian heritage and tradition. Cape Town is vastly diverse in landscape, people, and activities. You will find no shortage of things to do and learn in Cape Town. UCT is situated on a hillside slope of Table Top Mountain with views of the ocean and easy access to both the mountain and the water. Core and core option courses for English majors can be found at UCT.
Nation-Building in the New South Africa (faculty-led)
Cape Town, Johannesburg, Dennilton, and Kruger National Park
Summer
The course introduces students to the historical, literary, geographical, political, economic, educational and environmental issues involved in the process of building a non-racial society in the new South Africa. This course comprises an integrated series of lectures, seminars and field trips that will include students and community members from both the U.S. and South Africa.
South Korea
Sogang University
Cape Town
Semester or Year
Around 1,350 foreign students are currently studying at Sogang University in various academic programs. International Students participating in the exchange program may register for courses offered in Korean or English to take a maximum of 21 credits per semester. You can enroll in literature courses offered in English and experience living in urban Seoul. ENG 2901, among others, is a course offered by Sogang University for English Majors.
United Kingdom
Harlaxton College
Grantham, England
Semester or Year
Harlaxton Manor is a 100-room Victorian manor house located in the English midlands. Students live and study at the manor along with their faculty members and other Harlaxton staff members. Harlaxton offers upper-division courses for English majors.
Harlaxton is a unique experience because you live, dine and study with your professors. This gives it a great community feeling because you interact with your faculty outside of the classroom. --Kayla Blue, Fall 2009
University of Glamorgan
Treforest, Wales
Semester or Year
Glamorgan is located in the small town of Treforest. Treforest is only minutes from the larger Pontypridd and just north of the Welsh capital, Cardiff. World class theatres, museums, galleries, and great football (soccer) matches are all within easy reach of Treforest. Glamorgan's location offers the best of both worlds: a small town feel with big city opportunities available at your doorstep. Upper-division, core option and electives for English majors are offered at the University of Glamorgan.
English Literary Landscapes (faculty-led)
Grantham, England
Summer
This course is an opportunity for students to read and discuss some of England’s most admired writers while resident in the British Midlands at Harlaxton Manor, a 100-room nineteenth-century manor house. Class meetings will be devoted to close reading of the assigned material, and weekly visits to literary sites will give students the opportunity to experience firsthand the landscapes that the assigned writers have made famous.
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