English Literature and Linguistics

The English Language and Literature major at Sogang University is a department with a strength that no other English department at any other university has achieved in a relatively short period of time. This success was made possible by proactively pursuing programs that differentiate us from other universities. We do not rest on our past reputation but strive to constantly innovate through continuous effort. Since its founding, our major has sought to maintain its status as a representative department befitting Sogang University’s image of being “small but substantial.” Above all, in 1999, we separated the Department of English Language and Literature into the English Language and Literature and English Culture majors, actively establishing a complementary relationship between existing and new disciplines. In particular, the strengthening of the complementary relationship between literature and culture clearly represents the unique characteristics of our department. Furthermore, English Linguistics harmonizes traditional fields such as phonology, syntax, and semantics with psycholinguistics and pragmatics, which are gaining prominence as new disciplines. In addition, we are newly planning to strengthen the field of discourse cognition. We are also striving to provide high-quality English education grounded in the humanities by significantly reorganizing the general education curriculum. In this way, we are doing our utmost to create substantial educational programs by best embodying the enterprising spirit that is a hallmark of Sogang University. At the same time, preserving our tradition of producing "students proficient in English," we use original English texts as textbooks for all courses and evaluate students' academic achievement in most classes based on papers and presentations written in English. As a result, most students who participate in exchange programs to the United States and other countries receive excellent grades without any difficulty. Because we are successfully inheriting and developing this fine tradition, I believe the future of the Department of English at Sogang University is bright. I am aware that there are still areas where we fall short. Nevertheless, we intend to turn our weaknesses into strengths through greater effort. We earnestly hope for your continued encouragement and support. Purpose and Objectives of Department Establishment The Department of English Language and Literature is one of the oldest departments, established in 1960 under the name "Department of English Language and Literature" coinciding with the founding of Sogang University. In particular, the department takes pride in boasting the most diverse student body among all departments at Sogang University and in cultivating competent talents for a diversifying modern society. Indeed, the department produces creative and open-minded professionals, practitioners, and educators through balanced humanities education that leverages the academic characteristics of English literature and linguistics, as well as liberal arts English education—renowned as a model for English education in Korea. Furthermore, the rigorous and thorough training—encompassing various lectures conducted in English, active student participation, and reports written in English—is a defining characteristic of the department and has been passed down as a cherished tradition. Sogang University’s Department of English Language and Literature possesses the underlying strength to have achieved a reputation in a relatively short period that no other university's English department has attained. This success was made possible by the proactive implementation of programs that differentiate it from other universities. The Department of English Language and Literature strives to always innovate through continuous effort rather than resting on its past reputation, and since its founding, it has been maintaining its status as a representative department befitting the image of Sogang University as "small but substantial." Career path after graduation Many students have likely thought from time to time about how wonderful it would be to be able to speak English fluently. Of course, one does not need to major in English Language and Literature to acquire English proficiency. English can be learned through personal effort or at private academies. Given the reality that most graduates do not continue their studies in English Language and Literature after entering graduate school, why do so many students aspire to major in this field at university? Have you ever deeply considered what it truly means to learn and speak a language proficiently? Learning a language is not limited to the mere study of the language itself; it can be said to be complete only when one learns the lives, ways of thinking, culture, and history of the people who use it. Therefore, students majoring in English Language and Literature learn about the culture of countries where English is the native language, and by comparing this with their own culture, quality of life, and texture, they can examine their own culture and the nature of their lives. Western culture has long required the ability to express one's thoughts rationally and persuasively, whether in writing or speech, as a fundamental quality for university students. This tradition of humanities education is clearly demonstrated by the fact that even in the United States, where English is the native language, most universities still teach "speaking" and "writing" as required liberal arts courses. The Department of English Language and Literature strives to cultivate students' critical, moral, and creative abilities by scientifically researching language beyond mere language learning and by studying literature as a concrete and holistic expression of life. This is becoming a more urgent and practical issue for us, as we live in a rapidly changing world and must increasingly encounter foreign cultures more directly.