Department of English

The question raised by Charles Churchill is not a rhetorical one and hence an answer should be attempted. However, the answer is far from being easy and the closer we think we have moved towards the answer, the farther moves the elusive answer. Yet the constant endeavour of every educationist should be to take one step closer to the arch of excellence so that the seekers of excellence are inspired to strive, to achieve and not to yield The Department of English recognizes the need to put the institution and the graduates passing out from the institution on par with their global counterparts. The Department aims at both qualitative and quantitative excellence.

The department engages students from all streams. B.A., B.Sc., B.Com., B.B.M., B.S.W. and B.C.A. As a major subject English is offered to students of the B.A. in different combinations.

The General English syllabus designed by the Department has set goals at various levels. At a lower level the goal is to drill students, especially those from a non-English medium stream in school and pre-university education, in the four basic skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing. The students receive a basic course in English grammar structures and phonetics. They also have practical exercises. The facilities available in the Language Laboratory are employed to meet the above-mentioned goal. At a higher level, the goal is to make students cultivate effective communication skills, to hone their powers of expression and comprehension and to draw out their latent creativity. The syllabus, therefore, offers teaching/learning material ranging from media and journalistic writing, business communication, poetry selections, short pieces of prose and fiction and one-act plays.

The syllabus for Major English is tailored to meet the needs of students seeking literary training and to sensitize the students to the finer nuances of literature. The selection of background material, prose, fiction, drama and poetry introduces students systematically to each age of English literature and the characteristic genres and literary movements of that period. The students are also grounded in the basics of research writing and methodology by being trained to write a 20-page term paper. The objective is to fit students out for post-graduate studies in literature and jobs that require advanced literary skills as also to acquaint them with a broader and more sensitive understanding of human and societal relations and their inherent issues and problems.

The English Department is active in involving students in co-curricular and extra-curricular activities organized by the department and college. The faculty also offer their services to other academic bodies and social organizations. They function as examiners, assessors, text book writers and editors, curriculum designers, guest speakers, comperes, judges, health counsellors, and resource persons. They also are in contact with the large number of students as value education/moral science/religion teachers and remedial and tutorial facilitators.

Objectives:

General English:

• To hone the powers of comprehension, analysis and expression in the English language in the students
• To develop their skills in public speaking, leadership and the histrionic arts
• To shape the reading habits which would turn them into well informed young people
• To fit them out for careers at the local, national and global levels in academics, the media, the corporate world and administrative services
• To train them in etiquette through exposure to contemporary use of the English language
• To mould them into effective communicators in day-to-day transactions as also business and academic affairs
• To familiarize them with teaching aids and presentation skills

English Major:

• To nurture sensitivity towards works of Literature
• To develop powers of critical thinking through a grounding in literary criticism and appreciation
• To create awareness of the interdisciplinary possibilities of English studies.

Teaching Faculty:

• To be competent learner-centered teachers with necessary knowledge and skills
• To achieve personal goals
• To be constantly in touch with the innovative and creative developments
• To be conscientious, punctual and systematic
• To draw out creativity and originality in students
• To motivate and work with slow learners and advanced learners

 Research and publications in the last four years

1)      Dr. Geralyn Pinto.

Research Papers Presented/Published:

• “Parodying Orientalist Assumptions in the Siege of Krishnapur’’ (at an international conference organized by Mangalore University ,Mangalore from December 17th -19th 2005 )
• “In an Antique Land: An interrogation of the Rhetorical Strategies of History’’ (at a national conference organized by the Association of English Teachers of Mangalore Univ. from March 2006 at St Aloysius College,Manglore.Publication in Perspectives in Indian English Fiction (a collection of essays)

“The De-eletezation of history in Amitav Ghosh’s In an Antique Land” (at an international conference organized by the Association of Commonwealth Lit.and Lang.Studies from Aug 17th -22nd 2007 at the Univ.of British Columbia ,Vancouver ,Canada )

Publications (creative writing)  

·        “Re-Routing”(non-fiction writing)by the Outlook Magazine and Picador (India )(2005)

·        “The Ballad of the I.C.U

·        “Apartheid”

·        “Shifting Sands”           

Poems in Mosaic,an anthology of poetry pub.by Unisun Publications ,Bangalore (sept 2008)

·        “No Talking after Lights Out”

·        “Chompakali”

General short fiction in “The Curse of The Bird and Other stories”by Unisun Publication ,Bangalore(March 2009)

·        “The Heating Pool”(article)in “Floss Carmele”

Honours and Awards

1) Dr Geralyn Pinto

·        Doctoral Degree in English(2006)

·        Runner-Up Prize in the “Fouth Annual Non-Fiction Writing Contest”organized on a national level by the Outlook Magazine and Picador India (Feb 2005)

Special Prizes awarded by Unisun Publications for:

“Angel Gabrial”(children’s fiction )and “No Talking After Lights Out”(general short fiction)in the national level 2007 creative writing contest

·        Recepient of the “Agnesian Achiever”award by the Alumni association of St Angnes College (March 2009)

·        Recepient of trophies awarded to teacher achievers by the Association of MangaloreUniversity College Teachers (AMUCT)(July 2006 ,July 2007,Jult2008)

Winner of the 3rd prize in the Western (Solo)singing contest organized at the district-level by the Rotract Club.(Aug 2005)

Dr. Geralyn Pinto won the first prize in the short story section of the 2010 Unisun Reliance TimeOut  Creative Writing contest for her short story titled "Two Is Company"

2)      Mrs. Sonya Karkera:Distinction earned in the Grade 8 exam in Communicative English organized by the Trinity Guild Hall London (Feb 2008)

Mrs Sonya Karkera was invited by the Pilton Bluecoat Church of England School at Barnstaple, Devon, England for a guest lecture series on Indian folktales from Feb 26 - Mar 15th, 2010

Workshops and Seminars Attended /Conducted

1) Dr Geralyn Pinto :

• “Perspectives in Indian English Fiction”(Paper Presented)(Organized by the AET,Mangalore Univ. at the national level in St.Aloysius College, Mangalore.Mar 2006).
• “ICT Workshop”(organized by the Computer Sc. Dept.,St.Agnes College,Mangalore at a national level.July 2005)
• Paper Presented (Organized by the Association of Commonwealth Literature and Language Studies (ACLALS) in Vancouver, Canada.August 2007)
• “Subaltern Perspectives in Indian English Literature”(served as moderator for lead paper presentation session) (organized by the Dept. of Eng..St. Aloysius College,(Autonomous)Mangalore Univ. on a national level in January 2009)
• “Statistical Techniques and Data Analysis using SPSS 17”(workshop organized by the Department of Statistics,St. Agnes College(Autonomous) at a regional level . July 16-17,2009)

ORGANIZED

• ‘Tell a Tale’(a national level creative writing contest (Sept .   2005)
• An inter-collegiate Creative Writing Workshop conducted at Milagres College,Kallianpur.(January 2006)
• ‘Curtain Raisers’(an inter-collegiate theatre workshop using CPE funds.(December 2006)
• "A Children's Garden of Literature" - a mini exhibition of children's books held on Sept 29 & 30, 2009. "Children's Writ", a student-authored source book of children's lit released by Dr Sr Prem D'souza on the occasion
• Dr. Geralyn Pinto's mini book for chidren titled "Angel Gabriel: Two Tales of Mystery and Adventure" was released in April 2010, by Unisun Publications, Bangalore

 ACTIVITIES          2010 - 2011

• Remedial Classes were conducted,from December 1^st onwards, for the students of Semester I to improve their spoken English.
• Interactive Session for Optional English students was held on December 18^th 2010 in association with Hopkins Association, the Literature Club of St. Aloysius College, Mangalore
• Extension Activity, ‘English for Fun’, was conducted for St. Agnes Kannada Primary School students of Std. VII from December 10^th onwards.
• Recitation Competition with the theme ‘Nature Poetry’ was organized in the January 2011.
• Opinion poll, a survey on relevant issues, was carried out for students in the month of December for publication in the College Magazine.

Honours Programmes:

·        Curtain Raisers(U.G. students)-play acting

·        Curtain Raisers(Advanced)(P.G. students)-script writing and play production

Plan of Action of the Department for the Next Five Years.

• Academic: Bridge Course for the Incoming I Degree Students; Regular Remedial Classes; Subject-related Guest Lectures
• Co-curricular Activities Planned: Language based competitions
• Honours Programme: Gavel Club Public Speaking and Leadership Development Programme and Creative Writing "Pen-a-tale" Programme
• Certificate Course planned: Introduction to Phonetics and other basic etiquette
• Extension Activities: A Workshop on the concept "Training the Trainers" for school teachers on English; Service Learning and a Workshop on Creative Humour and another on Creative Writing for students.
• Consultancy: Phonetics, Public Speaking, Creative writing, Leadership, Personality Development
• Research Project - Minor: Minor research - yet to be identified
• Publication - College Magazine, Research Based Journal for the staff
• Career guidance Programme - Orientation Programme to the I BA English Major students.
• Career guidance for III BA English Major Students.

P.G. Staff Members:

 Papers Offered: