PTI has a rich English curriculum with faculty drawn from many humanities departments at Princeton. Our approach to teaching balances rigorous instruction in practical writing skills with exposure to many different texts, from newspapers to epic poems. We cultivate confidence in grammar and style as well as in analysis, debate and discussion. At the center of the English program is a three-course introductory composition sequence: English 024, English 101 and English 102. English 024 provides training in fundamentals of grammar and style; English 101 introduces students to academic writing, rigorous analysis, and modes of argument; English 102 is an introduction to the formal study of literature, with emphasis on close reading and exposure to different literary genres. All students seeking an Associate’s Degree are required to take English 101 and English 102. Students who enter the program not ready to take English 101 are first required to enroll for a semester in English 024. Students who have completed English 101 and English 102 can enroll in the advanced English electives. These upper-level college seminars cover special topics in world literature: courses involve intensive study of works related to a theme, time-period, or region. Students write in-depth essays, give presentations, and lead discussion sections. Many students who begin their studies in English 024 finish by taking advanced courses in topics like world drama or Latin epic.

 

 

 

English 024: Preparatory Writing

This is the first writing class in the PTI writing sequence. Students who need extra preparation in order to take English 101 are enrolled in this course. English 024 is focused on developing student writing on the level of the sentence and paragraph. It combines a formal grammar curriculum with a syllabus organized around the power of clear and concise journalism to affect the way we view the world. Students complete a number of assignments modeled on reporting from newspapers like The New York Times and Newark Star-Ledger, as well as longer essays and opinion pieces. Students follow a rigorous grammar syllabus intended to cultivate an intuitive sense of certain basic grammatical conventions.

 

 

 

English 101: Introduction to Composition

This course is PTI’s main introduction to composition, and is required of all students pursuing an Associate’s Degree in the Liberal Arts. It provides a basic introduction to the conventions of academic writing, with emphasis on the thesis, the five-paragraph essay, correct grammar, and appropriate use of citation. Students read a variety of different works – from op-ed journalism to plays and short-stories – and learn to make sustained arguments in writing about them. Much emphasis is placed on debate and analysis, both in class and in writing.

 

 

 

English 102: Introduction to Literary Analysis

An introduction to literary analysis, this course exposes students to works of literature in a wide range of genres, including fiction, poetry, drama, and the novel. Students learn techniques of close reading and are introduced to major ideas in literary history and literary theory. Assignments consist primarily of rigorous interpretive essays examining and comparing different literary works. Readings vary by teacher, but past courses have taught works by James Baldwin, Amiri Baraka, Samuel Beckett, Elizabeth Bishop, Junot Diaz, Langston Hughes, bell hooks, Franz Kafka, Herman Melville and William Shakespeare, among others.

 

 

 

English 203: World Literature

This advanced elective allows students the chance to study specialized topics in world literature. The theme varies from year to year, but the course always involves reading in advanced texts, intensive classroom discussion (often led by students), and the writing of multiple essays. Past topics have included “The Journey in Literature,” “The Aeneid and its Influences,” “Reason and Passion in the Ancient World,” and “World Drama.” This course fulfills a Diversity requirement for the Mercer County Associate’s Degree.

 

 

 

English 205: American Literature

An advanced elective on American literature, with readings drawn from different authors, time-periods, and literary movements. The course involves reading in advanced texts, intensive classroom discussion (often led in part by students), and writing of multiple essays. Readings may include Ralph Waldo Emerson, Frederick Douglass, Herman Melville, Flannery O’Connor, Sarah Orne Jewett, Ralph Ellison, oral poets of Native North America, American folk-songs and folk-poetry.