Our bachelor’s degree program aims to cultivate competence in English and lay the basis for academic research and English teaching. In their freshman and sophomore years, students receive intensive education in the four basic language skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Moving on to their junior and senior years, the courses focus on professional abilities. Also, the department places an emphasis on core courses such as literature, culture, linguistics, and teaching proficiency. This demonstrates the depth and width of our program.

As for literature and culture, in addition to standard courses such as Introduction to Literary Works, English Literature, and American Literature, we offer a number of diverse and cross-department elective courses to include Asian and comparative viewpoints. With these courses, we aim to cover the latest in literary and cultural issues.

In the field of linguistics, we don’t just offer essential courses like Introduction to Linguistics and Language Analysis, but also elective courses, such as Syntax, Phonology, Semantics, Language Discourse, and Pragmatics. This course design covers the relationships between language and culture, society, psychology, and gender, to more fully illuminate and understand the close connections between language studies and daily life.

As for English teaching courses, by combining the results of empirical research and field experience in classes, following current trends in foreign language learning, we offer students the opportunity to apply what they have learned about “micro-teaching” and “teaching internship” in junior high or high schools.

Our program not only further improves our students’ English abilities, forming a solid foundation for developing literary, cultural, linguistic and teaching research skills, but also enhances critical thinking skills. We encourage our students develop an international outlook to help them succeed and lead in different fields.

The Graduate Institute of English Language and Literature was established in 1956 on the strength of the existing faculty and resources of the Department of English.  The Institute is the first of its kind and is dedicated to the study of foreign languages and literatures in Taiwan. In addition to its M.A. programs, the Institute began to offer Ph.D. programs in Linguistics and Literature in 1986. In 1996, the Graduate Institute merged with the Department of English as a single teaching and research unit, offering B.A, M.A and Ph. D. programs. In 1999, the M.A and Ph. D programs are divided into three tracks: Literature, Linguistics and TESOL, all of which aim to develop research skills and train research-oriented college instructors and scholars in these fields.

We have 177 M.A. students and 48 Ph.D. students. Only a few students are admitted through recommendation and screening, and most are admitted through the Graduate Entrance Examination.

To encourage teachers to continue in-job training, the Department hosted its “Summer Program for English Teachers” from 1978 to 2001. In this Program English teachers must take 10 credits of coursework each summer, and complete the required credits within four years. Like the M.A. program, English teachers will be awarded certificate of completion, but not a degree, after finishing 40 credits. In 1999 the Department started to administer its “Summer M.A. TESL Program.” The participants are mainly junior high school and high school teachers (including vocational high schools); they must complete 32 credits in four years. After successfully passing the oral thesis defense, they are awarded an M.A. degree. The number of required credits was 24 now and the courses are taught in both Chinese and English in weekends. The program will no longer recruit students from 2024.