The department of English at Loyola College of Arts and Science (Co-Ed.),Mettala, was established in 2015 and has rapidly emerged as one of the most distinguished and esteemed departments within the institution. With a firm commitment to academic excellence and holistic development, the department seeks to foster a transformative educational experience for its students. The department's mission is not merely to impart knowledge but to inspire students to become creative, competent and confident individuals. It aims to equip them with a deep understanding of English language and literature, while also nurturing their critical thinking, analytical skills and cultural awareness.
Department of English endeavours to produce graduates who are not only proficient in English but also possess the intellectual ability and cultural sensitivity required to thrive in an increasingly globalized world. Over time, the Department's strength has increased. Due to its isolated location, the Department struggled to establish the ideal setting for the teaching and study of English language and literature. But in the course of time, The department has been successful in supporting students' entire development in addition to fostering a positive learning environment.
The department's programs give students the opportunity to go into the vast realm of literature. Courses like English for Competitive Examinations, English Literature for Competitive Examinations, Public Speaking, Spoken English, Effective Communication, and Creative Writing are offered to cater to the global interests of learners. These courses enable learners to use their communication skills to enter any professional field. The department provides a range of opportunities for learners to showcase their creative ability, including coursework, seminars, enacting dramas, competitions, and more.
The objectives of the Department of English are closely related to Periyar University as a whole, but also reflect the special nature of our discipline and our commitment to literature, language, and the arts. Our commitment to the quality of education that we offer is reflected in our determination to maintain a healthy academic performance.
Our goals in teaching are to enable our students to read well, to write well, and to think well, and to provide them with appropriate knowledge in the discipline of English language and literature. More specifically,
We aim to graduate students who have:
The reading skills to examine literature from multiple eras, cultures, and genres with critical understanding;
The ability to express themselves clearly and comprehensively, orally and in writing;
Research skills which enable them to expand, from a variety of perspectives, their own readings of literature and understanding of language
An appropriate knowledge of relevant fields within the discipline, including literature; literary history, criticism, and theory; the language structures of modern English and the history of the English language;
An enhanced appreciation and enjoyment of literature and language.
Vision:
The department's vision is to create a hub for scholarly achievements through teaching and learning that foster critical thinking, language proficiency, and literary sensibilities.
Mission:
To develop the students' ability to write coherently, read critically, and use their creativity to successfully understand, assess, analyze, and contextualize literary and social materials.
To develop in the pupils the ability to think rationally and to talk clearly about language and literature.
To impart knowledge of our abundant literary and cultural legacy to the students.
To help students understand and appreciate how our courses equip them with the abilities necessary for a wide range of fulfilling professional employment options once they graduate and thus derive the proposed outcomes.
Department of English
Synergy of Language and Literature with Artificial Intelligence
The Department of English organized a seminar entitled Synergy of Language and Literature with Artificial Intelligence on 28th February 2024 at Bishop Remigius Hall. Prof. Roy, Head of the Department welcomed all the students. Rev. Dr. Albert William SJ, Secretary, addressed the students with words of blessings. Mr. D. Prasanth Arockia Samy, Assistant Professor of English at St. Joseph College, Trichy, acted as the resource person for this seminar. The seminar comprised three distinct sessions, each focusing on Language, Literature, and Artificial Intelligence (AI).
The first session delved into the realm of Language, exploring its dynamic nature and how A.I. models such as "CHATGPT" interact with linguistic elements. He compared the Syntax and Semantics of the language with Gadgets and Humans respectively and also revealed the algorithms behind Consumer interest.
The second session focused on the takeover of AI in Literature, exploring examples of the literary text "Turing" written by AI. He also provided some insights into Robotics, Cyborgs, and Cybernetics.
The third session delved deep into AI models such as "DESCRIPT" which converts text to audio, "DALL-E2" which converts texts to audio, "LUMEN" which converts text to image or audio, and "voice.ai" for changing a person's voice, and many others. He concluded the session with his perspective of AI taking over Humans. The seminar concluded with a grateful Vote of Thanks delivered by Mr. Arul Aakash, Department Secretary from III BA English.
Awareness on Law
The Department of English organized an Awareness programme to the English department students entitled "Awareness on Law" on 21th August 2023 at Bishop Remigius Hall. Prof. Roy, the Head of the department welcomed the gathering. Rev. Dr. Albert William SJ, Secretary, Loyola College of Arts and Science, Mettala, delivered presidential address. Rev. Dr. Samuel Jayaseelan SJ, Principal, Loyola College of Arts and Science, Mettala, felicitated the gathering. This programme was organised for the students to be aware of the Indian law.
The session was divided into four. Four speakers from law college, Salem, spoke on various topics to give awareness to the students. B. Awin Sushanth, LLB, Government Law College, Salem, gave awareness on negative impacts of Cigarette butts in our environment during the first session. Second session was handled by S. Sakthisweri, LLB, Government Law College, Salem. She spoke on the Laws of Motor Vehicles. The Third session was addressed by S. Kanga, LLB, Government Law College, Salem. She addressed the students on importance of Right to information.
The final session was handled by M. Sandhya, LLB, Government Law College, Salem. She spoke on Cybercrimes and Right to information. The event concluded with Vote of Thanks proposed by Prof. B. Catherine Pradeepa.
Bridge Course
The department of English offers bridge course for all the first year students from 23.06.23 to 01.07.2023. This course helps the students acquire the second language. Students will be certified after completing the evaluation of this course. The main aim of having this course is to speak, write, read the second language.
Freshers Day 2023
The Department of English celebrated Freshers Day for new buds of English department on 11th August 2023 at Bishop Remigius Hall. It was a vibrant and welcoming affair aimed at introducing the new students to the college community. All the students of Department of English gathered in the Hall to introduce themselves. The Event began with Prayer song followed by Group singing that set successful tone for a memorable academic journey.
To bring companionship among students, Fun Games were conducted in which the Freshers participated with admiration. The Games were aimed to bring relaxed environment, enabling the freshers to interact with their peers and seniors.
The senior students shared their experience in this college. Ms. Sreetha, III BA English, shared her emotional journey throughout her College years. Ms. Farjana, II BA English, shared her valuable Department memories to the freshers.
The event also featured cultural performances from seniors showcasing their talents. Girls performed an entertaining Folk Dance with trendy dance steps and Boys put on a magnificent performance with their Dance which brought energetic atmosphere. The celebration ended with Cake-cutting and Gift distribution to the Freshers.
Speech Burger Report
We the Dept. of English organise Speech Burger on every Tuesday in a week. In that programme many students participate from various departments from our own college and they exhibit their talents via speech, skit and so on in the open stage. Topics such as Diwali, teacher's day, finance, man vs animal, freedom and rights, nation first, always first and so on. The event has occurred in open auditorium from 10.50 a.m. to 11.05 a.m. every Tuesday in a week. We the Dept. of English allocate each staff for one group and train the students for the event. It creates connections that can lead to new professional opportunities among the students.
The motto of the speech burger is "the more you practice before giving a speech, the more you might feel comfortable in the delivery and content of your presentation". Speech burger builds confidence and overcome any challenges. It's exclusively for the student's platform in which the students express their ideas, feelings, emotions, acting and so on. All the students actively listen the programme and they encourage the participants. Every time the management has rendered the full support and co-operation to make the event possible.
