Linguistics student have an opportunity to integrate their expertise in language/linguistics in the areas of writing and rhetoric. This minor field would be particularly useful for a student specializing in ESL/SLA, who anticipates a research focus on L2 writing. It would also be beneficial in terms of enhanced employment prospects, since ESL instruction so often involves a heavy writing component.

The Composition and Rhetoric minor should consist (as all secondary fields) of four courses. The core course in this specialization is ENGL 790 Survey of Composition Studies, and while this course is not a prerequisite for any of the other Comp/Rhet courses, it is expected that it should be included in the course of study for this specialization.

Core:

ENGL 790 Survey of Composition Studies

ENGL 791 Introduction to Reseach on Written Composition
ENGL 792 Classical Rhetoric
ENGL 793 Rhetorical Theory and Practice, Medieval to Modern
ENGL 794 Modern Rhetorical Theory
ENGL 795 The Teaching of Business and Technical Writing

ENGL 890 Studies in Rhetoric and Composition:
This course number is used for Composition and Rhetoric seminars and can be repeated for credit as topics vary.

The Medieval and Early Modern English Literature minor consists (as all secondary fields) of four courses. The following courses can all be used to fill out this minor field, although it is strongly recommended that ENGL 781 History of the English Language be included, along with at least one course in Old or Middle English.

Old English:

ENGL 702 Old English
ENGL 703 Beowulf and Old English Heroic Verse
ENGL 800, 801, 802 Studies in Old and Middle English Language and Literature

ENGL 705 Chaucer
ENGL 708 Medieval Literature
ENGL 800, 801, 802 Studies in Old and Middle English Language and Literature

ENGL 710 The Renaissance
ENGL 711 Shakespeare I: The Comedies and Histories
ENGL 712 Shakespeare II: The Tragedies
ENGL 713 Elizabethan, Jacobean, and Caroline Drama to 1642
ENGL 715 English Non-Dramatic Literature of the Earlier 17th Century
ENGL 810, 811, 812, 813 Studies in 16th and Earlier 17th Century English Literature

ENGL 781 History of the English Language [ = LING 731]