Department: English & Applied Linguistics

Code Name Description
AL1000 Language Awareness AL 1000 develops an awareness of language as an important component of culture and of communication. Students investigate the nature of language and examine ways in which the study of language, and the cultural forces that influence its use, may resu...
AL1050 Languages in the Pacific Language plays an important role in all matters of human life. In AL 1050, students examine historical and contemporary language use throughout the Pacific Basin, as well as in Hawaii. Through exploring topics such as, but not limited to, the effects...
AL1100 Language, Power, and Identity AL 1100 develops an awareness of language as an important component of culture and communication. Students investigate the relationship between language, power, and identity by (1) examining how political, historical, and social factors that have sha...
AL2000 Introduction to Linguistics An introduction to the analytical study of human language and its use. We investigate both commonality and diversity in the systems of sounds, words, and sentences used in the world’s languages. We further examine the effect of historical events, cro...
AL3110 The English Sound System An introductory course in the sound system of English. Topics include: articulatory phonetics, phonetic transcription, sound variation, syllable structure, word and sentence stress, intonation, and phonological rules. The focus is on the pronunciatio...
AL3120 English Sentence Structure An introduction to English grammar for the prospective ESOL instructor. Concepts investigated include parts of speech, grammatical relations, phrases, sentence types, and sentence structure. The focus is on the analysis of problems ESOL students migh...
AL3130 Semantics A study of the use of language to communicate meaning. Topics include: the nature of meaning, the semantic relationship between words, the way meaning is encoded in sentences, interpreting utterances in actual speech, morphemes, historical semantics,...
AL3140 Introduction to Discourse Analysis An introductory course on the analysis of naturally occurring spoken or written discourse. Students will identify patterns of language in use at the discourse level and practice analytical skills on authentic language samples, with the goal of applyi...
AL3150 Introduction to Using Corpora An introductory course on the functions of English vocabulary and grammar in real-life contexts. Topics include: how to access existing large electronic collections of authentic language (corpora), how to build and use a teacher-generated corpus, and...
AL3160 Teaching Vocabulary A course on the teaching of second language vocabulary based on knowledge of its form, meaning, and use. Students develop word analysis skills and explore the nature of meaning, the semantic relationship between words, and the interpretation of meani...
AL3310 History of the English Language The study of the origins and evolution of the English language from Indo-European through Germanic, Old English, Middle English, and Modern English. Other topics include the development of writing and the position of English in the world today. The c...
AL3320 Sociolinguistics An investigation of the relationship between language variation and the following: social class, ethnic group, gender, region, and content. Also discussed are language planning, bilingualism, pidgin/creole languages, and English as a world language....
AL3340 Translation in Second Language Acquisition An investigation of translation problems due to differences in structure, concept, culture, and style among languages. Other topics include equivalence, untranslatability, languages in contact, and the use of translation as a tool for teaching and l...
AL3350 Group Dynamics for Language Teachers A systematic study of group dynamics in foreign language classrooms, including how groups come together, form productive working relationships, navigate conflicts and problems, respond to environmental elements, and complete their tasks.
AL3500 Second Language Learning and Teaching An introduction to the major theories and issues in the field of second language learning and second language teaching. Topics include first language acquisition, theories of second language acquisition, factors affecting second language acquisition,...
AL3740 Technology in Language Teaching An exploration of the effective uses of computers and video in language teaching. Criteria to evaluate computer programs and video series are developed and used to evaluate commercially available language learning materials. In addition, classroom...
AL3750 Creating Language Teaching Materials A course in materials development for language teaching. We will investigate the various conditions under which teachers need to develop materials, the basic principles which different methodologies suggest for the ordering and types of activities,...
AL3760 Teaching English to Children and Youth A course exploring an activity-based approach and featuring a wide array of instructional techniques that promote successful teaching of English to children and youth in both second and foreign language settings. Additional topics include, but are no...
AL3800 Intercultural Competence in ESL / EFL No Description Set
AL3803 Teaching English as an International Language After characterizing the features of world languages, we investigate the implications for teaching that language. We examine multilingual and gilingual societies in regerence to English, the grammatical and discourse standards needed to supoort ESL/E...
AL3804 Teaching English for Specific Purposes This course examines how the theory of English for Specific Purposes (ESP), the umbrella term for activities that help a learner become linguistically functional in a specific application or domain of English, helps to shape ESP instruction. In parti...
AL3950 Language Classroom Experience Observation experiences in a wide range of language classes. Students may also tutor language learners and assist language teachers in the classroom and/or in co-curricular activities. They meet in periodic seminars, document their observations in a...
AL4710 Teaching Listening and Speaking Skills An investigation of current materials and methods for teaching listening skills, oral fluency, and pronunciation. Also included are methods and materials for evaluating speaking and listening. Students prepare lesson plans and present short teaching...
AL4720 Teaching Reading and Writing Skills An investigation of current materials and methods for teaching and reading and writing skills, Also included are methods and materials for building vocabulary, addressing errors, and evaluating reading and writing. Students prepare lesson plans and p...
AL4960 Practice Teaching Supervised practice teaching in an English language program, most often in Honolulu. Students observe and assist their mentor teacher and, when ready, assume solo responsibility for planning and teaching several lessons. They meet in periodic seminar...
AL4970 Practice Teaching in a Language Other Than English Supervised practice teaching in a language other than English of which the student is a native or near-native speaker. Students observe and assist their mentor teacher and, when ready, assume solo responsibility for planning and teaching several less...
AL6000 Teaching Second Languages: Theory and Practice The course examines major theories of second language acquisition and covers the key concepts and principles in second language learning, second language teaching, and second language research within the field of Teaching English to Speakers of Other...
AL6110 English Phonology and the Teaching of Pronunciation An advanced course in English phonology for the prospective teacher of spoken English. Topics include the sound system of North American English, the interaction of the sound system with listening, grammar, and orthography, and methods of teaching an...
AL6120 English Syntax and the Teaching of Grammar An advanced, practical course in English syntax for the prospective teacher of English, using the framework of transformational grammar to analyze problems of non-native speakers in acquiring English syntax. Also included are pedagogical consideratio...
AL6130 Semantics No Description Set
AL6140 Discourse Analysis for Language Teachers This course focuses on the analysis of language use in written texts or in spoken social interaction. Students will learn key concepts related to how language works at the discourse level and develop discourse analytical skills on authentic language...
AL6150 Using Corpora in the Language Classroom This course is about the functions of language forms in a wide range of spoken and written contexts. It provides the knowledge, tools, and skills that teachers need in order to build and use corpora (large samples of authentic language). Students in...
AL6160 Second Language Vocabulary Development A course on applying knowledge of semantics and morphology to the development of vocabulary for second language learners. Students analyze the production and interpretation of meaning, the characteristics of word stems and affixes, and the processes...
AL6310 History of the English Language A course investigating the origins and evolution of the English language. A survey of the development of English from Proto-Indo-European through Old, Middle, and Modern English is presented using linguistic, literary, and historical data. The spre...
AL6320 Language and Society Scrutinizing the relationship between language and society, this course applies such findings to the language teaching situation. Topics include variation based on social class, ethnic group, gender, region, and content. Additional topics may inc...
AL6330 Second Language Acquisition A survey of the scope and meaning of second language acquisition. This course includes a brief historical investigation of important works and concepts in SLA and examines the most current theories, applying them to the ESOL classroom
AL6340 Translation in Second Language Acquisition A course exploring the differences in structure, concept, culture and style among languages and the resulting problems in translating from one to another. Equivalence, untranslatability, languages in contact, and the use of translation in second lan...
AL6600 Seminar in Second/Foreign Language Teaching Visiting scholars or HPU instructors present topics within their expertise. Topics are those related to language teaching but not currently in the curriculum. Example topics are English in a global context, language policies and language planning,...
AL6710 Second Language Listening and Speaking This course examines both pedagogical and research issues in the teaching of second language speaking and listening skills across a range of educational contexts. Topics include listening comprehension processes, oral communication processes, communi...
AL6715 Second Language Reading This course examines both pedagogical and research issues in the teaching of second language reading across a range of educational contexts. Topics include first and second language literacy, selection and adaptation of materials, intensive and exten...
AL6720 Second Language Reading and Writing This course examines pedagogical and research issues in teaching second language reading and writing skills across a range of educational contexts. Topics include first and second language literacy, intensive and extensive reading, process- and genre...
AL6725 Second Language Writing This course examines both pedagogical and research issues in teaching second language writing across a range of educational contexts. Topics include process- and genre-based theories of teaching writing, contrastive rhetoric, assessing student writin...
AL6730 Assessment in TESOL A course in the principles and practices of evaluation in language learning and teaching. While classroom use of teacher-made tests is emphasized, other topics include program and institutional testing, methods of evaluation without tests, and teache...
AL6740 Research and Issues in Computer-Assisted Language Learning After investigating current research in CALL, this course explores methods of using CALL and video in language teaching. Students conduct a critical review of commercially available language learning materials and develop classroom activities that i...
AL6750 TESOL Materials Development A seminar that explores the principles of textbook selection and evaluation, task adaptation and design, and the process of materials development for use in ESOL teaching and learning. Course Restrictions: Restricted to students in the Master of Arts...
AL6760 Teaching English to Children and Youth A course exploring the approaches and implementation of activities for teaching English to young and young adult learners who are speakers of other languages. Characteristics of children and youth of different ages are discussed along with what they...
AL6807 Curriculum Development in TESOL This course provides students with an understanding of the processes involved in developing curricula for English language teaching (ELT) settings. Students will review recent trends in ELT curriculum development, before focusing on specific elements...
AL6961 Practicum I in TESOL A practicum course offering the student opportunities to observe, participate, and assist in ESOL classes both on and off campus. Also included is a professional development project. The individual student's background is considered in designing th...
AL7099 Practicum II and Capstone This capstone course embraces both the applied and scholarly facets of a graduate degree in TESOL. Students undertake an individually designed student teaching experience and complete one of four program options in scholarship: (a) portfolio, (b) com...
AL7199 Capstone An optional capstone course for the continuation of practicum and capstone work in the MA TESOL program. Students work independently under the supervision of a capstone committee and the course instructor to complete their practicum and capstone work...
AMST1776 Essential America The basic ideas, events, and people that have shaped the USA today, focusing on what one needs to know for better participation and success in American society, politics, and business. Short readings and images from past and present are related to cu...
AMST2000 Topics in American Studies Students explore American culture and values through analyzing primary texts while focusing on a specific theme, topic, historical period, or the experiences of a particular group. The particular emphasis is reflected in the course title, and the cou...
ENG1101 Representations of Pacific Life This course introduces students to the history, values and cultures of Hawai'i and the various Pacific Island nations, as they are represented through the genres of poetry, prose fiction, non-fiction essays, plays, films (feature and documentary), jo...
ENG1500 Ways of Reading: Literature, Film, Culture This course explores ways to interpret, analyze, and compose writing. Students are introduced to film and literary analysis, interpretive theories, and to the study of English in history and culture. The course also explores career opportunities for...
ENG1700 English for Specific Purposes This course for visiting international students strengthens English language skills in relation to their specific academic, career or cultural interests. Sample topics could include “English For Nurses,” or “English and E-Sports” or “Exploring Hawa...
ENG2000 The Art of Literature This course will introduce students to multiple ways of interpreting literature, selected from a variety of literary genres such as poetry, drama, fiction and creative nonfiction. Texts to be explored will be drawn from multiple cultures and time per...
ENG2100 Reading Film, Literature, Culture English 2100 introduces critical interpretation, analysis, and composition of a variety of texts – literary, dramatic, and cinematic. Emphasizing the multiple perspectives that writers and readers use in composing and interpreting texts, the course i...
ENG2500 World Literature This course will introduce students to influential literary texts from different cultures and historical periods. Texts studied will include works originally written in English and works translated into English from both Western and non-Western tradi...
ENG3100 British Literature to 1800 The study of medieval, Elizabethan, Restoration, and 18th century British literature, beginning with Beowulf and ending with 18th century writers.
ENG3101 Shakespeare on Screen Examines the history and impact of film and television adaptations of Shakespeare's plays. Special emphasis is placed on how culture, events, and narrative and cinematic traditions shape the production and reception of Shakespeare's works.
ENG3102 British Literature After 1800 The course examines works in various genres by Romantic and Victorian British authors, such as Blake, Byron, Keats, Wordsworth, Austen, Tennyson, the Brontes, and Dickens.
ENG3122 American Literature Students will study selected American literature in several genres, with a primary emphasis on texts from the 19th century.
ENG3130 Topics in World Literature Students will study, and explore issues raised by, a variety of texts. Selections will include literature from both Western and non-Western traditions, and will address works translated into English as well as works originally written in English.
ENG3134 Chinese Literature The course covers China’s historical development of literary forms (tales, histories, essays, poems, plays) leading up to fiction (short stories and novels) as a genre, from the earliest dynastic era up through the 21st century. The examination of li...
ENG3135 Japanese Literature The course provides a solid grounding in the historical development of Japanese literature from the Yamato era up through the 21st century. Narrative forms examined may include classical forms such as the tale, diary, monogatari, and zuihitsu, and th...
ENG3140 Biography An introduction to the literary genre known as biography: its nature, purpose, uses, relationship to history and to fiction, and varieties of format.
ENG3145 Nonfiction Film: Documentary, Docudrama, & Historical Film Students are introduced to the genres of nonfiction film - documentary, docudrama, and historical features - and to the theory, history, and ideology of fact-based film. The focus is not a given film's historical accuracy so much as the writers' and...
ENG3150 Television Studies Television is often casually dismissed as mindless entertainment, but it is also a powerful cultural form that shapes how people see the world. This course will focus on critical “readings” of television’s past and present forms as well as its influe...
ENG3202 Literature of Slavery Though slavery was abolished after the Civil War, its legacy persists and continues to provide a compelling subject for American literary artists. This course will focus on representations of slavery and its aftermath in American literature, from ant...
ENG3203 Pidgin Literature This class offers an introduction to Pidgin literature in Hawai'i, focusing on fiction, poetry, drama, and essays. Some of the topics covered include the historical development of Pidgin literature, the establishment of a narrative voice reflecting t...
ENG3206 British Comic Literature Students will study comic British texts across literary periods, from medieval through contemporary, within theoretical frameworks of culture, class, and gender. Students will study comic theory, consider how sociocultural factors shape responses to...
ENG3223 Special Topics in Asian Literature This course explores themes in selected literary texts from various regions of Asia. The particular emphasis varies. Repeatable for a total of six credits when the focus has changed.
ENG3224 Ethnic Literature The experience of ethnic groups in America's pluralistic society, as expressed in novels, short stories, poetry, drama, autobiography, and film. Groups studied may include Asian Americans, Black and Native Americans, Hawaiians, Hispanics, and White E...
ENG3226 Special Topics in Hawai'i-Pacific Literature This course thematically explores the poetry, fiction, drama, film, and other literary texts of Hawai'i and the Pacific. The particular emphasis varies. Repeatable for a total of six credits when the focus has changed.
ENG3227 Hawai'i and the Pacific in Film This class offers a general introduction to popular, art, indigenous, and nonfiction films focused on Hawai'i and the Pacific. Particular emphasis is given to the shifting cultural and rhetorical contexts of films, and to their social impact on the P...
ENG3228 Fantasy Literature This course explores how literature uses the fantastic to reflect on the human condition, question dominant cultural ideologies, and imagine the real world otherwise.
ENG3250 Texts and Gender This course examines the concept of gender in relation to texts. The particular emphasis varies. Students may analyze texts by writers of a particular gender or sexual orientation, representations of femininity and masculinity, or social construction...
ENG3251 Sex, Power, and Narrative The course examines stories by and about women, and yet it is not a course about women. We will look at the windows through which various women have looked at life, but that life, and even those windows, are not exclusively theirs. We will find in wo...
ENG3252 20th Century American Women Writers of Color This upper-division literature course explores identity politics shaped by class, race, gender, and sexuality within the poetry, prose fiction, drama, biographical and critical essays by Native-American, African-American, Asian-American, Latina/Chica...
ENG3300 Theoretical Perspectives Courses in the 3300 series explore ways theories shape interpretations in both academe and everyday life. Contemporary theories are usually emphasized, but a study of earlier, alternative, minority, indigenous, and non-Western approaches may also be...
ENG3310 Reading Everyday Life This course will examine how texts encountered in daily life shape consciousness and direct people to accept social arrangements involving work routines, gender roles, relationships with technology and interactions with other people and other culture...
ENG3330 Film Theory and Criticism An introduction to the critical analysis of film. Examines narrative form in movies from a variety of theoretical perspectives. The course also explores how cinematic narratives are affected by changes in aesthetics, culture, economics, politics, and...
ENG3350 Literature Adapted to Screen A comparative study of the poetics and rhetorics of narratives captured on page and on screen. By examining written texts (prose, plays, myths, biographies and histories) and their adaptations to the screen (or vice versa), students will learn how te...
ENG4100 Shakespeare Seminar A critical study of Shakespeare, taking into account the cultural, historical, and literary context in which he wrote. Several plays are studied, along with selected critical approaches. Capstone Course.
ENG4120 Seminar in Modernism The forms and themes particular to the modernist movements through the works of selected representative writers. Innovations in narrative technique, the movement away from traditional plot, and social criticism are emphasized. Capstone Course.
ENG4300 Seminar in Textual Criticism An exploration of diverse approaches to the analysis of texts. Students will study and apply key concepts regarding significant movements in the development of literary theory. Capstone course.
ENG4320 Seminar on Postcolonial Literature The study of literature written in English by authors from countries or territories that have experienced colonization, and the application of various postcolonial theories to the analysis of selected postcolonial texts. This literature often address...
ENG4901 Senior Thesis I Part one of a two-part capstone experience that requires an extensive research paper (approximately 50 pages) on a special topic in English, or a substantial creative project. The student is required to spend two semesters on the project. The first s...
ENG4902 Senior Thesis II A continuation of ENG 4901. The student undertakes writing and defense of the thesis. Capstone course.
ENG4910 English Major Portfolio Capstone In this Directed Study capstone to the English major, students compile their best work into a portfolio and reflect on their progress in the major. Students will meet individually with the Portfolio Advisor to determine the final contents of the Majo...
HUM3900 Research and Writing in the Humanities The presentation of analytical techniques for understanding humanistic works and exercises for developing advanced expository writing skills. Progressively intricate library research projects culminating in a major research paper.
LIT6011 World Literature A study of world literature from the first heroic narrative--the Babylonian epic of Gilgamesh--to the anti-heroic Vietnam War narratives of Tim O'Brien. The course begins with select modern poetry from around the world that identifies themes that com...
LIT6701 Seminar: Literature and the Experience of War A course that explores the representation of war in classical, Renaissance, and modern writers including Homer, Shakespeare, Twain, Remarque, Hemingway, James Jones, and Normal Mailer.
WRI1000 Academic Writing for ESL Students A course designed to improve the writing fluency and accuracy of non-native speakers of English to prepare them for freshman composition. It emphasizes vocabulary development, revision, and editing skills. Writing assignments include a variety of par...
WRI1050 Introduction to Academic Writing This course introduces students to college-level writing. It provides instruction in essay development, and the writing process, including brainstorming, drafting, revising, and editing. Students must earn a grade of C- or higher to move on to WRI 11...
WRI1051 Introduction to Academic Writing Lab This lab is a revising and editing workshop which is taken concurrently with WRI 1050. The lab provides additional instruction and practice in critical reading and writing skills and in editing techniques for students needing additional support in th...
WRI1100 Writing & Analyzing Arguments WRI 1100 provides instruction and practice in college-level writing tasks, emphasizing the writing of arguments and the awareness that argument is the cornerstone of academic writing. Students will develop critical thinking skills and academic writin...
WRI1101 Writing and Analyzing Arguments Lab A writing workshop lab to be taken concurrently with any WC&IL I course. Provides supplementary instruction and practice in critical reading and analysis and in research, writing, and editing techniques for students needing additional support in thes...
WRI1150 Literature and Argument Literature and Argument combines the basic elements of HPU's freshman writing course on the argument essay with an introduction to reading and responding to literary texts. It is designed for students whose interests may lead them into more advanced...
WRI1200 Research, Argument, and Writing This course continues WRI 1100's focus on argument as the cornerstone of academic writing, emphasizing organization, logical reasoning, and critical thinking. Students prepare a major argumentative research paper by locating and evaluating sources; s...
WRI1201 Research, Argument and Writing Lab This lab is a revising and editing workshop which is taken concurrently with WRI 1200 or any Written Communication and Information Literacy II course. The lab provides additional instruction and practice in written language skills and editing techniq...
WRI1250 Introduction to Research in the Humanities WRI 1250, like 1200, focuses on how to develop arguments on topics that can be understood only after seeking and carefully reading information from a variety of sources. This class is designed as an alternative to WRI 1200 for those students with a p...
WRI2601 Introduction to Creative Writing In this course students will analyze and practice fundamental techniques of the major genres of creative writing. Students will study and work in all or most of the following genres: fiction, poetry, drama, and creative nonfiction. For each of the ge...
WRI3310 Poetry Workshop An introduction to the study and composition of poetry. As a foundation to the craft of poetry writing, prosody is studied and discussed, and British and American poetry is surveyed. Students submit poems to the class for critique, and they may prepa...
WRI3320 Scriptwriting A course that teaches students the fundamental principles of writing for both the stage and screen including basic drama and film theory and proper script formats. Students analyze texts and view scenes from plays and films and perform a series of ex...
WRI3330 Fiction Writing Workshop A workshop designed to introduce the student of fiction to techniques and concepts, such as characterization, plotting, point of view, theme, setting, and tone. The focus of the course is on writing the short story, although other fictional forms may...
WRI3340 Creative Nonfiction Writing Workshop WRI 3340 is a creative writing workshop focusing on how to apply literary techniques to nonfiction writing. The class is conducted in workshop format, with students revising their essays in response to feedback. Students also analyze the techniques o...
WRI3391 Wanderlust: Student Literary Magazine In this class, students serve as editors for Wanderlust: The Student Literary Magazine of Hawai'i Pacific University. In addition, students polish their own creative writing skills in order to produce publishable poetry, prose, or drama.
WRI3420 Grant Writing WRI 3420 Grant Writing is a workshop course in which each student will not only learn the features, writing, and organizational processes of successful grant applications but also produce both an individual grant application and a corporate/organizat...
WRI3510 Composition Studies This course combines the study of composition theory with practical classroom experience. Topics of discussion, among others, include conferencing techniques, assignment and test composition, revision and editing strategies, writing-process theory, v...
WRI3930 Fresh Perspectives This is a practicum course in which students will be the editors for Fresh Perspectives: HPU’s Anthology of First-Year Writing. Student editors, under the supervision of an HPU English professor, will make selections from teacher-nominated essays; wi...
WRI3951 Staff Reader, Hawai`i Pacific Review In this practicum course, students act as Staff Readers for Hawai`i Pacific Review, the university’s national and international online literary journal. Their main responsibility involves reading submissions in the principal creative genres published...
WRI3953 Managing Editor, Hawai`i Pacific Review In this practicum course two students will act as Managing Editors for Hawai`i Pacific Review, HPU’s online literary journal. Managing Editors will be responsible for managing the magazine’s Staff Readers and their workloads. They will work closely w...
WRI4990 Advanced Writing Revision Workshop Using a workshop format, students will study the principles of deep revision and apply this knowledge to revising prior academic and/or creative work. The course serves to serve students with a range of experiences in a variety of academic discipline...
WRI4997 Directed Readings in Writing Directed individualized reading.