About the English Programme
Who are we?
As a programme we are made up of three basic groups, all of whom are indispensable: teachers, students, and administrative staff. Nor is it unusual for teachers to learn from students and administrative staff, who in turn learn from teachers and each other. In other words, we are interlinked in the process of learning, and we depend on each other as we work together towards our common goal – the pursuit of knowledge.
“We see in all other pleasures there is satiety, and after they be used, their verdure departeth; which showeth well they be but deceits of pleasure, and not pleasures; and therefore we see that voluptuous men turn friars, and ambitious princes turn melancholy. But of knowledge there is no satiety, but satisfaction and appetite are perpetually interchangeable; and therefore appeareth to be good in itself simply, without fallacy or argument.” Francis Bacon
Our Teaching
Lecturers here are both teachers and scholars. In their teaching they combine both intellectual rigor and an enjoyment of words and how they work. Learning is an ongoing activity, which means that discussion is not confined to the classroom, but extends to hallways, offices, and email exchanges. They also help train the next generation of teachers for all levels of education, from kindergarten to university lecturer.
Our Scholarship
As scholars, lecturers contribute to a worldwide community of research and literary creativity. They have helped establish the wider significance of New Zealand literature; created an institute for the study of human/animal relationships; and they publish ontopics ranging from the issue of forgetting in New Zealand culture to the importance of illustrations in the work of Dickens. Nor is their work limited to scholarly research – faculty in the programme also write plays, novels, poetry, television programs, and movies.
Our Students
English students from the University of Canterbury have gone on to work in many fields. One of our graduates has served as New Zealand 's Ambassador to Turkey, while two others appear on TV One. Others have gone on to work in publishing, radio, business, and government, while still others have elected for careers in primary, secondary, and tertiary education. In other words, a degree in English – with its grounding in careful, close reading and the construction and analysis of arguments – prepares you for a wide range of professional pursuits.
Our University
The English programme is part of the School of Humanities in the College of Arts, and members of the programme serve on both college and university committees. We are proud to be an integral part of the University of Canterbury, and of the University's mission to educate and serve the wider community.
“It has always seemed strange to me that in our endless discussions about education so little stress is laid on the pleasure of becoming an educated person, the enormous interest it adds to life. To be able to be caught up into the world of thought -- that is to be educated.” Edith Hamilton