Dedicated to the study and practice of the diverse uses of the English language in all its forms, the Department of English devotes its teaching and scholarship to English studies as understood in the richest sense, including: the heritage of literature written in English, the philosophy and practice of rhetoric and composition, creative writing, English education, linguistics, the methods and theories of teaching English as a second language (TESL), and, in general, the social, ethical, and psychological dimensions of language use.