FRINGES AND THRESHOLDS: ENGLISH PRACTICE CLASSES IN THE ENGLISH PHILOLOGY DEGREE

Abstract

English Practice (EP) classes form a constituent part of English Studies (ES) degrees in the country which have historically developed along a threenode model as studies in the English language, linguistics and literature. As current curricular arrangements obtain, these classes occupy a significant number of contact hours which, notwithstanding the shrinking classes allocation space in the ES programs under revision over the past decade, institutions of HE offering ES degrees seem dedicated to preserve. Moreover, recent student surveys have indicated that nowadays ES students place highest expectations and motivation value in pursuing ES degrees on the practical study of the English language which directly correlates with the contents of the course in EP. Yet, it appears that regarded from various perspectives EP classes occupy the fringes of ES as they are disposed now in terms of discipline, academic subject, scholarly concern, administrative and institutional accountancy and promotion mechanisms, pedagogy, etc. So much so, that there hardly exists a published systematic scholarly address of issues pertaining to the EP classes within the ES degree and subject, while discussions of EP classes are an intrinsic and dynamic part of in-house professional concerns on the everyday level. My paper aims at bridging this gap and addressing the issue of EP classes within the ES subject and BA degree.