Established 1915, the Department of English in St. Pauls Cathedral Mission College, celebrates its hundredth anniversary in 2015, and is one of the oldest departments to begin the Honours course. It has grown steadily as a centre for serious academic engagement. The Honours course focuses on the study of literature in English. Students who love reading, have a flair for writing and are proficient in English should aspire for this course. English Honours helps to develop and sharpen skills of analysis, logical reasoning, interpretation and understanding of various points of view. It opens up the world view of learners as they get to taste not just British Literature but a slice of world literature too. They are introduced to people, culture and tradition and more importantly to new worlds of experience. Learners grow and evolve through this literary journey by reading poems, plays, novels, essays and short stories. The content and style of a text are often decoded through the use of literary theory. The English Honours course is designed to engage the creative imagination of learners and to improve their writing skills. Students are not only taught the nuances of the English language, but command over the language is a prerequisite to enable them to express themselves and follow class lectures. The course will comprise eight papers and students will be expected to answer questions with a set word limit of 500–600 words and short notes within 250–300 words. Answers will have to be convincing, logically argued and replete with textual evidence, while being concise and to–the–point.
The Department conducts periodical assessment and there exists a healthy system of student–teacher interaction. The mode of teaching not only entrails classroom lectures as the teachers regularly prepare PowerPoint Presentations while also providing the students with handouts and reading lists which aid them in their study. The Department publishes an annual academic journal, Symposium, (ISSN 2320–1452) and where scholars from all over Kolkata are invited to write. The Department regularly conducts UGC sponsored Seminars and Conferences.
Students who to take up English Honours will find it liberating and enjoyable provided they have a fondness for literature and are comfortable with the language.