Courses in the English Department
“Writing is easy. All you have to do is stare at a blank piece of paper until drops of blood appear on your forehead.”
- Gene Fowler
Because effective reading and writing skills are necessary for college success, students are strongly encouraged—and often required—to take a placement test. This test will assess a student’s reading and writing skills and recommend the appropriate class(es). Placement Test Information.
Detailed course descriptions for all English courses are available in the Ohlone College Catalog. Review the Class Schedule for class dates and times for the current semester.
Developmental Sequence
The English Department offers two levels of developmental reading and writing before transfer-level composition. At the developmental level, the reading and writing classes are separate; at the transfer-level reading and writing are taught together.
| Developmental Level 1 | Developmental Level 2 | Transfer-level | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | English 162: Developmental Reading | English 163: Techniques of College Reading | |
| Writing | English 151A: Fundamentals of Composition | English 151B: Developmental Composition | |
| Reading and Writing | English 101A: Reading and Written Composition |
Transfer-level Courses
The English Department offers two levels of transfer composition. English 101A is the first semester transfer-level class and is required to graduate from Ohlone with an AA degree or to transfer to most four-year colleges. English 101B and 101C are second semester composition courses. Whether to take one of these classes or both may depend on where a student wishes to transfer.
| Transfer-level First Semester | Transfer-level Second Semester |
|---|---|
| English 101A: Reading and Written Compsision » | English 101B: Introduction to Literature |
| English 101C: Critical Thinking and Composition |
Literature Courses
The English Departments offers a variety of literature courses. Students may take these courses because they are English majors, because they enjoy reading and writing, because they are looking to fulfill a requirement, or for their own personal interest.
English 104: The Short Story- English 105A: Survey of English Literature: Beowulf to the Restoration & 18th century
- English 105B: Survey of English Literature: Romanticism to Modernism and Postmodernism (1805-present)
- English/Journalism 106: Censorship & Literature (PDF)
- English 107: Literature & Film
- English 108: Writing Short Fiction
- English 111A/B: Creative Writing
- English 112: Modern Fiction
- English 113: Poetry
- English 114: World Mythology
- English/Women’s Studies 115: Women in Literature
English 117: Science Fiction & Fantasy- English 118: Introduction to Shakespeare (PDF)
- English 119: The Gothic Novel (PDF)
- English 120A: Survey of American Literature (beginning to 1865)
- English 120B: Survey of American Literature (1865 to present)
- English 127: Autobiography: Writing Journals & Memoirs
- English 129: Psychology & Literature
- English 130: American Stories: Multicultural Autobiography & Memoir
- English 135: Emerging Voices: Literature Reflecting the Diversity of the U.S.
One-Unit Courses
Students can enroll in one-unit classes through the English Learning Center to improve their reading skills in specific areas. Classes are individualized—students are assessed and given their own programs to complete, based on ability. Students can work on their own time to complete their programs, whenever the English Learning Center is open.
- English 172: Vocabulary Improvement
- English 173: Improvement of Learning Techniques
- English 174: Spelling Improvement
- English 175: Reading and Comprehension Improvement
- English 176: Rapid Reading
Specialized Classes
The English Department also offers courses for students interested in improving their job-related writing skills, in improving college-level critical reading skills, and working as a tutor.
- English 156: Introduction to Report and Technical Writing
- English 167: Critical and Analytical Reading
- English 365: Supervised Tutoring
Learning Communities
English classes, both reading and writing at the developmental and transfer levels, are often linked with other classes to create a learning community. Students in a learning community experience the same classes and enjoy the support of faculty and their fellow students. Learning Communities at Ohlone College.
