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M.A English Department

About the course

The Post Graduate Department of English, which began in the year 2012, enjoys an enviable and prestigious position at the PG Block of St. Philomena’s College. The ambiance of the department is salubrious. The faculty is highly motivated. The students form a formidable community of local, regional and foreign flavour with the objective of learning English language and literature because it has the universality of appeal to man and empowers everyone to drink life to its lees.

The objective of the department is to sensitize the students at the higher level the values of learning English Literature and to tread on the realms of gold with a critical, inquisitive, creative and innovative approach. The students are given ample opportunity to make presentation on the prescribed papers for each semester. They are regularly exposed to listening to guest lectures, seminars, group discussions and debates to hone their skills in communication. The curriculum not only helps the students to find employability but also offers them consolation and stay in life.

Present Faculty

The students’ strength

With the formation of the new team of teaching fraternity and dispensation, the strength of the students suddenly and remarkably shot up to 21. They were all selected through the process of entrance test and they hail from regional, national and international areas. It is a big leap from the one digit figure of the past.

The Course

The M.A English Course is of 78 credits, spread over 4 semesters (20+20+20+18). The syllabus includes Soft Cores which complement three Hard Core subjects for each semester. At the final semester, it provides a project work of specialization at a minor level in various areas related to English literature. The 8 credit Open Elective taught by Professors of other disciplines like Journalism, HRD help to develop job readiness and other attributes for the post graduates passing out of the department. At the same time the department of English offers two open elective subjects like English Grammar and usage and Business Communication and Soft Skills to students of other disciplines like Physical Science, Commerce, Journalism, Computer Science and Social Work to hone their skills in communicative English.

The Syllabus 

Initially from the year 2012 to 2014 the same syllabus was pursued by the students as per the MA English programme of the University of Mysore. Subsequently the syllabus was revised within the ambit of the regulations of the University of Mysore by Dr. A. John Siluvai, Chairman of the Board of Studies of the Department of English in association with the board members Prof. YashodaNanjappa, Prof. S. SyedaHajira Begum, Dr. NishaTholkappian, Prof. Sobana and Prof. Ayesha Haque. The new syllabus after ratification at the Academic Council came into effect from the academic year 2014 onwards.From this academic year 2018-19 a few more changes and modifications have occurred with meaningful objective. Apart from some minor deletions and additions to the different literary genres of the authors in the existing syllabus, a new soft-core paper entitled “Formation of trainee-teachers in ELT (English Language Teaching) is incorporated in IV Semester course with the additional 4 credits to sensitize the students in developing the confidence and competency in ELT pedagogy. Priority is given in this paper to linguistics and phonetics to cultivate the correct English pronunciation which is the most decisive problem that Indian speakers face while communicating with fluent and native speakers of English. This is one of the reasons why Bernard Shaw’s play ‘St. Joan’ is replaced with ‘Pygmalion’ where the dramatist tries to reform a flower girl speaking cockney English instead of the language of Shakespeare and Milton. Besides, the paper also offers the various techniques of teaching English grammar, poetry, drama, fiction and short stories to the benefit of PU and Undergraduate students.

Finally in the global scenario today one hears of certain group of people glorifying the terrorists as martyrs. To present a correct perspective of what martyrdom really means, the reputed play ‘Murder in the Cathedral’ by T. S. Eliot is introduced in the syllabus in lieu of John Osborne’s ‘Look Back in Anger’ in Paper I “The Modern Age –II’ of IV Semester.

Evaluation

To maintain the sanctity and credibility of evaluation in keeping with the high standards, only professors from other PG Departments of established Universities like University of Mysore and allied autonomous PG centers are involved.

Activities and Achievements

  1. In March 2013, the Department organized a National Seminar in co-operation with women’s studies Department of the University of Mysore. Over 30 papers including Experts from AzimPremji University, CIEFL and other Universities within and outside Karnataka presented papers. A special number of ISSM Journal is due to publication.
  1. In August 2013, Prof. Elizabeth Russel from Spain delivered a special lecture on post Structuralism.
  1. A National Seminar financed by the UGC(1.25 lakhs) was conducted on September !4th 2013, on ‘Applying Principles of Feminism in the learning of literary texts in English in colleges’ National Sahithya Academy awardee Ms. Vaidehiinaugurated. Over 25 papers were received and the second ISSN publication is due.
  1. The literary department celebrated the 450th Birthday of William Shakespeare on 23rd April 2014 with an exhibition and other programs befitting the status of the great bard. Distinguished visitors like T.R.S Sharma, R.P. Kaushik Chairman of the NAAC peer committee and its members, visited the exhibition and praised the use of ICT like videos recorded lectures, audio and video materials used for deploying in the transaction of the curriculum.
  1. In August 2014 at the initiative of Prof. John Siluvai, Prof. Hubert Darbon, from France presented a seminar paper on Moliere’s Tartuffe and interacted with the students and enlightened the students exceedingly well.
  2. In February 2016 a one day Inter-collegiate seminar on E. M Forster Revisited was conducted by the department with 150 proactive participants.
  3. In February 2018 a one day workshop was organized by the PG Department of English on Literary Theories with the resource person Prof. Lourdusamy from St. Aloysius College Mangalore.
  4. Most of the students passing out from the department get placements as lecturers in reputed colleges and organizations in urban and rural areas ,particularly in the MDES and in ‘TIME’ in Bangalore

Future Plan of Action

The Future Plan of the Departmental activity will veer on the need to instill among the students the research skills and to hone them to take up the task of independent and investigative study instead of simply depending on the professor’s classroom lectures. Emphasis is on the personal work under the supervision and continuous evaluation of the professors. The proactive participation of students in more seminars and presentation sessions will take the priority.

There is a serious attempt to convert soon the department to the status of DOS so that on completion of the postgraduate program, interested scholars can continue their Ph.D. program in the campus itself.

Eligibility

Bachelor Degree with English as one of the major subject with 50% (45% for SC/ST & Category- I candidates).