Emphasis in English Education

English majors who are considering a career in middle or high school teaching after graduation should enroll in the English Education emphasis. This emphasis has been specifically developed to align the CSUCI English major with the California State Standards for English Language Arts. As a graduate with an English degree and the English Education emphasis, you will be well prepared to help your future students develop a comprehensive understanding of the discipline of English.

Additionally, upon successfully completing the program, you will be qualified in your subject matter and will be exempted from taking the CSET English examination. This exemption will qualify you to enroll in a credential program immediately after graduation without having the additional expense of taking and passing the examination.

Annual advising is required for students in this emphasis. To make an advising appointment, email Dr. Mary Adler, the English Education advisor, for an appointment.

In addition to waiving the examination, students who graduate with this emphasis will have several advantages as they begin their credential program after graduation:

1. They will gain a comprehensive understanding of critical issues in their field and how those issues relate to teaching and learning.
2. They will have the opportunity to work with and learn from instructors who are current or former secondary teachers; these instructors bring a wealth of practical information with them.
3. They will actively experience and reflect upon instruction that is itself a model of effective teaching approaches to diverse subject matter.

English Education Emphasis Requirements

Students must take the regular BA in English core program and sequence C (ENGL 475 and 477 or 478). Do not take electives. The courses for the emphasis will double count!

The following courses are required for the emphasis (note that many satisfy other university and elective requirements. Seeing an advisor early on will help you avoid taking additional courses!)

• EDUC 330 Introduction to Secondary Schooling (3)
  • This is a field experience course. Take it as early in your program as possible!
  • You must take it concurrently with one other English course
• ED/COMM 345 Media Literacy And Youth Culture (3)
  • This course is required as a support course. It satisfies the upper division interdisciplinary requirement, out of the major.
• ENGL 474 Approaches To English Grammar (3)
  • Prerequisite: ENGL 315
• ENGL 478 Writing as Reflective Practice (3)
  • Prerequisite: ENGL 330 or consent of the instructor, if you are an experienced writer
  • If you took this course for sequence C, substitute ENGL 477 here instead.
• ENGL 210 Themes in World Literature (3)
  • Or an equivalent course with some exposure to non-western literature, with approval

Prior to the final semester, students in this emphasis will begin the English Education Portfolio which will serve as the final assessment in the program (in place of the regular English program portfolio). Informational meetings will be held each semester to advise students in the emphasis of the requirements for this portfolio.

In their final semester, English Education Emphasis students will take the English Capstone , where they will conduct original fieldwork in a secondary classroom or complete an in-depth original research project in the field of literature or writing.

Resources for those considering teaching in English after graduation:

CSUCI Credential Program

CA Single Subject Teacher Preparation Requirements

US Department of Education Teacher Page

National Council of Teachers of English

Teaching jobs in California

This page updated 2/29/08.