100 Level English

Courses in English at the 100 level offer an introduction to study in English while also satisfying degree requirements for writing-intensive courses in faculties across the University of Alberta. ENGL 102 and 103, the courses most students will take, offer opportunities to engage with a diverse range of literary materials and to begin to learn and practice the interpretive skills, investigative approaches, and research methods focal to English Studies as a discipline. ENGL 125 offers comparable opportunities with specific reference to Indigenous literatures. ENGL 199, available only to Engineering students, concentrates on fostering skills in critical thinking and effective expression.

Important Registration Info

Please consult the University Calendar for a full listing of our ENGL courses, not all of which are offered in a given year. Our department also offers Film Studies and Creative Writing courses.

Below are our course offerings for the current and previous terms:

ENGL 102 - Introduction to Critical Analysis

How does critical analysis matter to reading and understanding literature, broadly conceived? In this course, we will explore methods of critical analysis through a wide range of texts from different historical periods and cultural locations. In studying language, literature, and culture, students may encounter a diversity of print texts and other media. Students will also develop their abilities to communicate original, evidence-based interpretations of texts in a variety of forms, including writing and oral discussions.
Note: ENGL 102 does not need to be taken before ENGL 103

ENGL 103 - Case Studies in Research

How does research matter to reading and understanding literature, broadly conceived? In this course, we will pursue literary research through one or more case studies in literature, print texts, and/or other media and their effects. Research helps us to understand texts in particular locations, histories, contexts, and debates. Students can expect to learn about, and put into practice, the stages in a research process, from identifying a research question or problem, to finding and evaluating useful supplementary materials, and learning about how to place their ideas in conversation with the knowledge they build from research. Note: Before registering, students should check Bear Tracks and the Department of English and Film Studies website for specific section subtitles/focus.
Note: ENGL 102 does not need to be taken before ENGL 103

Note: ENGL 103 is a variable content course. Please see our:

Previous Offerings

ENGL 125 - Indigenous Writing

An introduction to Indigenous literatures in North America, from their earliest oral forms to their contemporary variations. Not to be taken by students with *6 in approved junior English.
Note: Sections reserved for students in the TYP Program include a 3 hour seminar component in addition to the 3 hour lecture component.

ENGL 150: Introduction to English Studies

An introduction to studies in the discipline recommended for students considering a program in English. Students will be introduced to a variety of methodological approaches while learning about how current topics in literary, cultural and media studies relate to contemporary socio-political issues, with special attention to race, Indigeneity, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, and class.

Note: ENGL 150 will not satisfy the Junior English requirement for the BA. Only ENGL 102, 103, or 125, or WRS 101 or 102 will satisfy the Junior English requirement for the BA. This class will count towards general Arts breadth and can be used as one of the pre-requisites for senior-level English classes, but it does not have the emphasis on writing skills development that is required for other Junior ENGL and WRS classes.

ENGL 199 - English for Engineering Students

This course undertakes to develop and strengthen clear and effective writing for Engineering students whose disciplines require them to be familiar with the genres and formats of professional communication. It will focus on instruction in fundamental writing skills, including building effective sentences and paragraphs, and on learning to communicate clearly across a range of genres and media used in academic and professional contexts, including correspondence and presentations. It is not a course in technical writing. Students will be introduced to the principles of information gathering, analysis, and citation. In order to maximize time spent writing and reading with instructor support, the course may be organized along the lines of the flipped or blended classroom, in which students review short video and other prepared material, including assigned readings, in advance of class, and spend class time working in a practical way on assignments and required tasks. Those assignments and tasks will be organized week-by-week around the following units:

  • Writing sentences
  • Writing paragraphs
  • Writing email
  • Writing letters
  • Reports: basic form and format
  • Library session
  • Working with research materials and data
  • Incorporating research and data into your writing (including paraphrasing)
  • Citation
  • Effective presentations: powerpoints
  • Effective presentations: oral presentations
  • Knowing your audience
Students will be required to engage with other forms of writing, including creative writing and rhetoric; this engagement is understood to be necessary to their own development of effective communication. Every student will be required to complete a capping exercise, whose writing will be assessed by the ENGL 199 instructor. This exercise may involve research, analysis of information, paraphrasing, summarizing, or reporting, at the instructor's discretion. It may be tied to a library session. Students may anticipate in-class quizzes and exercises based on assigned readings and classroom preparation materials. Although students must complete written and/or presented assignments throughout the term, there are no formal analytical or expository essays. There is no final exam. Please also note that ENGL 199 has no essay component.

 

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Craig Soars
Undergraduate Advisor
email: efsadvsr@ualberta.ca 

Undergraduate Student Awards and Prizes
The Salter Tea Awards Ceremony

The Salter Tea is held annually to honor the memory of Professor FM Salter, a benefactor and former Chair of the Department, and to celebrate teaching and learning in the Department of English and Film Studies.