In this article Sutherland surveys over the period of the last 40 years (the length of an average full academic career) the changes which have occurred to the departmental structures and procedures in the teaching of and research into English Literature in British universities. He perceives a marginalization of the English department in the…

This article explores the question of where literary study happens through reflection on two case studies. The article examines projects within two UK English departments, which were designed to allow students of literature to engage with local communities as part of their studies. The implications of this work are considered for curriculum…

This paper addresses the observations of two administrators in a university English department in Tokyo, Japan concerning the university's online class evaluation system. The evaluation system has students answer questions concerning their performance and their instructors performance after each class. It also allows students to leave feedback for…

This paper investigates the development of writing initiatives in Central and Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union, an area where prior to 1989, writing in universities played a very minor role. Using data gathered from eight institutions that currently have writing programs of some sort, I identify three typical paths writing initiatives…

This article offers a critical reflection upon underlying theoretical and philosophical inclinations which manifest themselves through the type of courses introduced in higher education institutions to meet what is perceived to be students' educational needs. Given the fact that this article seeks to promote an understanding of the nature of…

The article illustrates the hopes and challenges evident in my attempt to use action research as an approach to engage student teachers in reflective processes. The data was systematically generated from the student teachers themselves and from the diaries I noted through out the inquiry. The study suggested that while lack of previous experience…

The article is an exploration of current trends within, and the desired destiny of, the humanities discipline of English Studies in the context of calls for the "Africanization" of South African universities. The essay advocates the embrace of a non-universalist, emancipationist humanism. (Contains 8 notes.)

Asserts that William Wordsworth's poetry influenced teacher training for British educators and promoted the development of the English Department. Notes several legislative measures that played a role in English curricula. Concludes that current pedagogic studies make academic practice assumptions based on historic precedence dating back to…

Using the Intercultural Sensitivity Scale formulated by G. M. Chen and Starosta, the intercultural sensitivity of English major students, non-English major students, and multinational employees in China were investigated. In this study, intercultural sensitivity was defined as consisting of interaction engagement, interaction confidence, respect…

Follows up on a Williamson and Fitz-Gibbon article (1990) focusing on the impact of a performance indicator project, COMBSE (Confidential Measurement Based Self-Evaluation), on secondary school English departments. This article describes COMBSE's metamorphosis into another system, ALIS (A Level Information System), that has transcended the…

Describes a survey conducted by the Modern Language Association of English and foreign language departments' use of tenured and tenure-track, full-time non-tenure-track, and part-time faculty members and graduate teaching assistants in colleges and universities in the United States and Canada. Reports on professional support, benefits, and…

The social/political issues facing university English departments in South Africa include problems of identity and definition, the need for instruction within the context of social and political history, the problems of cultural relativism, the corrosive implications of Black subordination, and the complex alternatives of private and public…

Notes that the American presence in east central European higher education is considerable and continues to grow. Discusses the ongoing struggles over the shape and the soul of universities in this region. Describes briefly representative teacher and scholar exchanges, teacher-training reforms, and combined East-West programs of study. (RS)

Understanding the absence of composition in western Canada is predicated upon understanding the presence of composition in the United States, the only country in the world with a highly visible tradition of composition. This absence in western Canada, between 1900 and 1950, is largely a matter of appearance--composition in both countries was an…

Basic language skills required for work in the university are discussed regarding listening comprehension, varying standards of students' English, literature instruction, the function of English studies in the universities, English for science majors, and student resentment. (LBH)