Department of English

The Department of English was established in 1882, and is thus one of the oldest departments in the University. It has been home to stalwarts like Professors TRH Peck,  PK Venkata Rao, T Balasubramaniam, Fr. Julian Fernandez SJ,  Fr. Devasagayam SJ, PS Balasubramaniam, Fr. Hedwig Da Costa SJ , Barbra Naidu, Cheriyan Alexander, John Zachariah, and Etienne Rassendren.

The Department has over the years conceived many innovations in English teaching and was the first to adopt and explore the certificate course model in the 1990s. The streamed syllabus approach was introduced in 2005 to ensure that students from diverse backgrounds found inspiration to improve their language skills. A ‘lived experience’ model is employed for General English, based on a lively interrogation of context and social relationships through reading and writing. Additional English has been offered since 1998 for the benefit of students unable to pursue an Indian language.

In 2005, St. Josephs College (Autonomous)  began offering an MA in English. In 2013, the EJP (English, Journalism, Psychology) programme was started and the Department began offering Optional English whilst also collaborating on a unique inter-disciplinary approach to Journalism. A Communicative English programme was introduced through the BA-CPE programme from 2016 onward. Bangalore University recognised the Department as a Research Centre offering Ph.D programmes in 2018. The Department opened another interdisciplinary collaboration in Journalism for the BA-JIP programme in 2019, with a new focus on the ethical practice of journalism in the global context. In 2020, despite the many disruptions of the pandemic, the Department began an multi-disciplinary Theatre & Performance Studies course as part of the BA-TEP programme. The existing three-major BAs have resolved into two-major programmes following the adoption of NEP in Karnataka in 2021.

The student-centred focus of the Department’s work is visible in the five associations it runs—The Literary Society, The Quiz Club, The Performing Arts Society, Nous and The Linguistics Society. Each Association runs a flagship festival: Meta by the Literary Society, Upstage by Performing Arts, Blue Pencil by Nous, Tie Grab by the Quiz Club, and Some-Antics by the Linguistics Society. Apart from festivals, these associations run workshops, guest lectures, screenings and a social justice film festival, and other regular intramural activities. The Department also runs an alumni networking service titled JEAN, or Joseph’s English Alumni Network.

The Department brings out an occasional newsletter titled EngCompass, and two print magazines devoted to student writing titled EngSter and Soupçon. It runs a website for student journalism titled Open Dosa and also maintains the Rohith Vemula Archive for documenting the educational and social experiences of students from underprivileged communities.

The Department has held a national conference devoted to new textualities titled Writing Worlds, Worlds Writing since 2020.