ePortfolio Framing Statement

English Major Learning Objectives

Read texts closely and think critically 

I feel as though this is the most self-explanatory of the four main English major learning outcomes. In order to interact with a text, one must read it thoughtfully, taking into account the different choices the author makes in terms of subject and how the text progresses, whether that’s the plot of a story or the topics in an article. Thinking about a text critically, though, means investigating what these pieces of the text could mean, such as how ideas connect or the purpose of the writing devices the author uses, and determining the subtext; what the author could be trying to tell the reader without having to say it directly. 

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Demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of literature in English

This statement describes how the student is meant to show that they have an understanding of how literature works and has progressed through the English field, a definition tied more to history. It seems closely related to the way that literature has impacted reality and society, and how pieces of writing change with the lives of the writers and with every new generation of readers. 

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Communicate effectively

When thinking about how a student communicates effectively, the mind first turns to essays, assignments, instances where the student is meant to explain their own trains of thought and how they arrive at a conclusion. While this isn’t wrong, the learning outcome for an English student would involve more care in expressing their ideas. They would need to use multiple pieces of evidence to support each claim, all explained comprehensively so that the reader can understand the student’s thought process. 

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Conduct research in literary and cultural studies

This learning outcome has always felt similar to the second one, in that both are associated with the process of interdisciplinary work. This one in particular discusses the process of bringing together English and research in another subject, whether that’s politics, religion, or any number of other fields for the purpose of connecting ideas and expanding one’s knowledge. I have found my work most often shows this through the intersections of English and history. 

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