Department of English and Modern Languages

 

The study of literature and language, of the written and spoken word, has long been the foundation of a strong education because through story and word we find our voice, individually and collectively. We learn how to use that voice effectively and how to listen to the voices of others. Students who engage with this study prepare themselves for a lifetime of growth and success, and the Department of English & Modern Languages has the track record to prove it. Five of the past seven Fulbright Scholars from Lipscomb have majored in English and/or a modern language, and our graduates have gone on to excel in law, medicine, publishing, professional writing, high school and college teaching, public relations, and community leadership, as well as many other varied and interesting professions. 

The skills developed through reading and writing and acquiring new languages are among the most sought after in the job market. The ability to write well is typically identified as the skill most likely to get an employee noticed and promoted, regardless of the specific career or discipline. Analytical skills, like those honed through the study of literature, are also in high demand. The top five sought-after “soft” skills–creativity, emotional intelligence (the ability to recognize emotions, your own and others’, and to use that knowledge to improve how you think and communicate), the ability to persuade, to work collaboratively, and to adapt to changing conditions and audiences–are ALL at the heart of what we teach in the Department of English & Modern Languages.

We have designed an intentional and progressive curriculum for English majors that offers a Core set of classes which introduce students to foundational skills and the tools needed to practice those skills. The Core English curriculum culminates in classes focused on preparing students for professional life postgraduation or to pursue graduate degrees in multiple disciplines.  

English majors will also select a concentration to extend their study based on their own goals and interests. Students interested in teaching in secondary education will join a nationally recognized program celebrated for its quality and effectiveness. Students can also elect to focus on advanced study in literature or writing. Classes in these areas hone the skills established in the Core curriculum and broaden the scope of study.

All English majors at Lipscomb are required to have at least one internship or practicum experience in order to help them develop marketable workplace skills and professional contacts before they graduate. Our students have enjoyed a wide variety of placements, including positions with Nashville publishers, newspapers, magazines, professional sports teams, television studios, software firms, non-profits, state government and the entertainment industry.

 

Modern language majors are required to have an intensive language experience, which may be fulfilled in a number of ways: through a language-immersion program such as those offered through CCCU or the Mid-Continent Consortium, or through language study in Lipscomb’s Global Learning program.

 

The department hosts the university’s Writing Studio, through which students across campus can receive assistance with their writing from trained peer tutors, many of whom are English or modern language majors. Tutoring experience provides excellent hands-on experience for future teachers and helps our graduates compete successfully for funding when they apply to graduate and professional programs.

 

Students have many opportunities to publish their writing while still enrolled as undergraduates. Our majors have presented work in a wide variety of venues and competitions, including the National Undergraduate Literature Conference, the Southern Literary Festival, The Nashville Scene, The City Paper, the Society for Professional Journalism Competition, the Southeastern Writing Center Association Conference, and the Lipscomb Student Scholars Symposium.

 

The department also hosts a chapter of Sigma Tau Delta, the international honor society for English studies. Students with distinguished records in the department may be invited to join the society during their junior or senior years.

 

Lipscomb is the first American university to adopt web-based usage of Auralog’s award-winning Tell Me More software for its French, German, Spanish and English Language learners. The department is the only one in middle Tennessee to offer Pre-K-12 teaching certification in French, German and Spanish, and also offers an endorsement in English as a Second Language (ESL).

 

With a variety of activities and programs to enrich the college experience, the department offers our community the opportunity to hear a diverse range of nationally recognized writers. The Landiss Lectures, for example, bring widely renowned writers to campus each year; past guest speakers have included the Pulitzer prize-winning poet Natasha Trethewey, the author Margot Lee Shetterly, the novelist Ann Patchett, the distinguished historians Robert K. Massie and H.W. Brands, and the noted biographer, poet, and novelist Jay Parini.

The Office of Global Learning offers a variety of opportunities for students interested in learning abroad. Lipscomb’s Global Scholar programs provide language and cultural studies for students who spend a semester abroad. Through course work, service learning and field trips, students engage with their local community. Destinations include Costa Rica; London, England; Florence, Italy; and Vienna, Austria.

 

Through our consortial partnerships, students may participate in language-immersion programs that combine home stays with academic study, such as an intensive French program in Angers, France, and an intensive Spanish program in Oviedo, Spain.

 

Additionally, modern language majors may enroll in accredited programs in countries where French, German, or Spanish are native or official languages. Students should consult with the department chair or another modern language professor as well as the registrar before enrolling in order to determine if a given program’s course of study will transfer to Lipscomb for academic credit.

Many modern language majors enter careers in high school teaching or continue to graduate school to prepare to teach at the college level. However, there are other interesting endeavors in which a modern language major would be beneficial, such as the following:

Many students find that adding modern language as a second major will present special advantages for job placement and increased opportunities for career advancement.

All new students (freshmen and transfers) who have studied a foreign language in high school or at another college or university must take a short placement assessment before attending the preregistration counseling session with the academic advisor or attempting to register for any courses in that same language. This assessment is short (20-30 minutes) and easy to access online https://www.perpetualworks.com/secure/register/student/. After taking the placement exam, students should email their score to the department chair (kimberly.reed@lipscomb.edu) for placement information.

The year-long elementary and intermediate language sequences are often offered during the full summer session. Students should realize that the pace of such an intensive course is rigorous and will require at least as much if not more time than a full load taken during the fall or spring semesters. It is recommended that students not take any additional course work nor become involved in many outside activities during such an intensive course (i.e., one should not plan to work more than 12-15 hours per week).

 

All students intending to take an intensive language program must complete the placement assessment and consult with the department chair prior to having their schedules for the summer session approved by their advisors.

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