English & English Literature
Why study English and English Literature?
A degree in English opens opportunities for jobs in translation, editing and teaching. High tech companies are also interested in English speaking consultants in general and linguists in particular. In addition, a degree from the English Department provides an advantage in the job market, even in non-language related fields.
Why study English at Bar-Ilan?
Because of the faculty and unique study Programs
The Bar-Ilan English Department has the most broadly based Program in Israel. It exceeds all other equivalent Programs in number and variety of courses. It is composed of two independent, structurally related divisions: English & American Literature and Linguistics.
Both divisions offer flexible tracks to accommodate students of every kind. Students may pursue a B.A. in either Literature or Linguistics as their Expanded Major, Major or Minor, or even as part of the "Direct M.A." Program. Direct M.A. students combine a B.A. and M.A. in one track. Students in the M.A. Program can choose to do their Master's degree with or without a thesis. The M.A. can be combined with other options as well, including Linguistics in Clinical Research, or Creative Writing.
Why study English Literature at Bar-Ilan?
To read between the lines
Bar-Ilan has an outstanding Literature Division with tracks surveying the historical development of English and American literature, interdisciplinary advanced seminars, and options for independent study. Among the faculty's special interests are women and literature, the relation of text and image, cognitive and rhetorical theory, Jewish interpretive theory, Jewish-American writers, Renaissance literature, and literature in performance.
To learn Creative Writing with a Jewish flair
In addition to its regular tracks, the Literature Division sponsors special Programs: The M.A. in English and Creative Writing is a unique Program, with no known parallel anywhere in the world. Aspiring writers develop professional excellence in prose or poetry while drawing upon Jewish tradition, and the experience and challenge of life in Israel.
Because of the Teachers' Enrichment Program
The graduate Program "Teaching the Conflicts" recruits English teachers in Israel and exposes them to recent developments in the field of literary studies. It gives them the tools to implement these advances in their own classes, along with a community of like-minded colleagues. The Department also offers a Teaching Certificate {C}for Teaching English at Israeli High Schools.
Why major in Linguistics at Bar-Ilan?
To engage in the fascinating study of language
The Linguistics Division offers courses in syntax, semantics, pragmatics, sociolinguistics, and literacy, with particular strengths in psycholinguistics and neurolinguistics.
To study the structural and social aspects of language and their interaction
There are many areas of faculty specialization, and a broad range of topics for graduate research. Many research projects are currently underway including: formal semantics of predication and events and their contribution to syntactic and semantic theory; first and second language acquisition; bilingualism with relevance to Israeli society; dyslexia and language disorders, including projects on Specific Language Impairment (SLI), ADHD and schizophrenia.
The Department offers research training in both theoretical and applied linguistics and has a good track record for acceptance to PhD Programs in the most prestigious institutions (e.g. CUNY Graduate Center, McGill)
Because of the language acquisition
The Division also includes a Clinical Research M.A. Program, which focuses on the fundamental processes in language acquisition among children, including bilinguals and those with language impairments.
