Concentration in Language and Literacy
as part of the Master of Arts in English at Southeastern
Language and Literacy Program Overview
The Language and Literacy concentration in the English Department's M.A. program targets prospective and returning writing and language teachers and otherprofessionals. This M.A. offers those individuals a comprehensive program that addresses the full range of their content-area purposes. Our curriculum encompasses the related disciplines of composition and rhetoric, literacy studies, and grammar/linguistics, offering advanced training in historical and current scholarship, research and bibliographic methods, instructional pedagogies, and professional opportunities.
Degree Requirements
With thepermission of the Coordinator of Languageand Literacy, a student may choose a concentration in Language and Literacy. Students will complete at least 36 hours of English, with at least15 hours of coursework at the 600 level. With the approval of the Graduate Coordinator, students may take a maximum of6 graduate hours in a related field. Required courses include: English 577 (Gateway course: Foundations in Language and Literacy), and at least two courses from the Language and Literacy core curriculum. A Language and Literacy thesis will be submitted following completion of the program's required apprenticeship and approval of a student's outcomes portfolio.
Curriculum
Requires the permission of the Coordinator of Language and Literacy. All students choosing this concentration must complete the following coursework:
| 1. | ENGL 447/577 |
Foundations in Language and Literacy |
| 2. | Two courses from the following: |
ENGL 413/508, ENGL 414/524, ENGL 467/567, ENGL 476/576, ENGL 620,ENGL 646 |
| 3. | ENGL 770 [6 hrs] |
Internship and Thesis in Language and literacy |
Students must also complete at least 15 hours of coursework in English at the 600 level. With the approval of the Advisory Committee, students may take a maximum of6 graduate hours in a related field.
Apprenticeship
Language and Literacy students will serve two semesters of apprenticeship(3 hours weekly or equivalent) in one or more of the following areas: as tutors in the SLU Writing Center; in the department's Teaching Mentorship program; in the Southeastern Louisiana Writing Project; or as teacher assistants in area K-12 schools. The apprenticeship will be completed in conjunction with students' enrollment in English 467/567 or English 770 (Thesis Research and Thesis). Current teachers seeking secondary certification may use their current teaching assignments to fulfill the apprenticeship requirement; additional apprenticeship assignments are possible with consent of the concentration coordinator.
In conjunction with their course work and apprenticeship, students will compile a portfolio documenting and reflecting on outcomes of their work for learners. The portfolio will in most cases serve as a basis for students' own required thesis project.
Faculty
Jeffery Wiemelt, (Concentration Coordinator)Associate Professor, Ph.D., University of Wisconsin-Madison
Composition and Rhetoric; Linguistics and Grammar; TESOL
George Dorrill, Professor, Ph.D., University of South Carolina
Linguistics and Grammar; TESOL
Joel Fredell, Professor, Ph.D., Indiana University
Literacy, Historical Linguistics
Richard Louth, Professor, Ph.D., University of Virginia
Composition and Rhetoric
Christine Mitchell, Associate Professor, Ph.D., University of Southwestern Louisiana
Composition and Rhetoric; English Education; TESOL
Resources
Resources for Language and Literacy Students