Welcome to the blog for the Villanova English department! Visit often for updates on department events, guest speakers, faculty and student accomplishments, and reviews and musings from professors and undergraduates alike.

Tuesday, December 26, 2017

Rutgers English Diversity Institute

The Rutgers English Diversity Institute (REDI) is a one-week summer program at the New Brunswick campus of Rutgers University. REDI is designed for advanced college students and recent graduates whose cultural, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds may contribute to diversity in the  fields of English and American literary studies. The purpose of REDI is to encourage students to attend graduate school and to pursue careers as teachers and scholars in the field.  At REDI, students will learn about traditional and nontraditional subfields and critical approaches in English and American literary studies from Rutgers University faculty. REDI activities will include seminars, lectures, workshops on applying for graduate school and on digital resources in literary studies, a trip to a research library, and a cultural excursion to New York City.

Up to fifteen students, chosen from a national pool of applicants,will each receive a $500 stipend for participating in the program.  Application Deadline = March 1, 2018.  Apply online at redi.rutgers.edu.


Tuesday, December 19, 2017

Technical Writing Internship

Think about a summer internship opportunity in technical writing.  Rocket Software is an IT infrastructure company headquartered outside of Boston, and two Villanova parents work in senior leadership roles within the company.  Technical writing is a quickly expanding field that can be a great entry point into the tech industry.


Monday, December 18, 2017

Prof. Alan Drew: Top Mysteries of 2017

The Wall Street Journal has named Prof. Alan Drew's novel Shadow Man one of the top mysteries of 2017.  "This gripping Southern California thriller," the review notes, "follows a hunt for a serial-killer who, through the creative use of the region's infamous freeways, identifies his victims and then escapes from the scenes of his crimes."  Congratulations to Alan!

Prof. Alan Drew

Wednesday, December 6, 2017

Monica Krup: James Joyce Calligraphy

English major Monica Krup's Joyce-inspired calligraphy project. The flowers are the last lines of the novel and the vines “yes I said yes I will yes.”  Monica was a student this semester in Dr. Megan Quigley's Joyce seminar.

Dr. Megan Quigley's English 1975 Class

Students from Dr. Megan Quigley’s English 1975 on Journals, Diaries, and Blogs shared what they’d learned from keeping a 25-page journal all semester, while also celebrating the holiday season.  Our one group take-away: Keep writing!  Keeps you healthy, witty, socially and politically astute, and ready to think through the challenges that life throws your way!

Monday, December 4, 2017

2018 ETS English Language Learning Summer Institute: Paid Internships Available

The English Language Learning (ELL) group in the Assessment Development division of Educational Testing Service (ETS) expects to hire approximately 35 interns for the summer of 2018.

POSITION OVERVIEW:
ELL summer interns will produce materials for use on large-scale, high-stakes standardized tests of English language proficiency. Each intern will work on one of the following:
--TOEFL iBT® Test.  The TOEFL iBT test is taken by nonnative speakers of English who are planning to apply to a college or university in an English-speaking country.
--TOEIC® Tests.  The TOEIC tests are taken principally by people who need to communicate with both native and nonnative speakers of English in the context of the global workplace.

The test development work is intellectually challenging and rewarding. The work may include:
--writing items that test knowledge of grammar, vocabulary, and reading comprehension
--identifying academic texts which are suitable for testing reading comprehension
--creating conversations and talks that test listening comprehension
--developing scenarios and prompts that allow candidates to demonstrate their speaking or writing skills

PROGRAM DETAILS:
The program runs from July 9 through August 17 (6 weeks) for all test sections except TOEFL Reading. For TOEFL Reading, the program runs from June 25 through August 17 (8 weeks)*. Interns are expected to work 8:30–5:00, Monday through Friday, for the whole program, and will receive attractive compensation. All work is conducted at the ETS Rosedale campus in Princeton, New Jersey. Interns must provide or arrange their own housing and transportation.

JOB REQUIREMENTS:
The TOEFL iBT test and the TOEIC tests are global measures, so ETS actively seeks candidates who can bring diverse experiences and perspectives to the work. The ELL summer internship workforce includes people from a variety of backgrounds, such as undergraduate students, graduate students, teachers, professors, and professional writers. Applicants must have completed at least some undergraduate work in order to be considered.

All interns must have appropriate authorization to work in the United States. If you do not currently have U.S. work authorization, please note: Some candidates who receive an internship offer may be able to apply for a CPT or an OPT work authorization visa if enrolled at a U.S. university. Check with your university’s international student services office or program coordinator for eligibility before applying to the ELL Summer Institute. CPT visas can usually be acquired quickly, while OPT visas typically take longer. Candidates who receive an internship offer and who need a CPT or an OPT visa should apply for one of these visas immediately upon accepting our offer.

Interns must have a very high degree of fluency in English but do not need to be native speakers. Additionally, interns must have excellent writing skills. The work requires verbal precision and sensitivity to nuance, analytic skill, attention to detail, and receptiveness to instruction. Interns must be able to work well individually and collaboratively, carefully consider constructive feedback, and manage their time effectively to meet targets.

APPLICATION PROCESS:
Each of the test sections hiring for the summer is associated with a specific work sample. You will need to complete and submit a separate work sample for each test section for which you would like to be considered. Directions for completing and submitting your work sample(s), along with a cover letter and résumé, will be posted on the ELL Summer Institute Web site beginning Friday, December 1, 2017.

Applications are due Wednesday, January 31, 2018. Applicants are selected mainly on the basis of their performance on the work samples. Work samples will be evaluated in February and March, and you will be notified of your status by Friday, March 16. For questions, please contact Recruiting Consultant Monica Hopkins at mhopkins@ets.org.


SCHEDULE OVERVIEW:
December 1, 2017:  Application process opens
January 31, 2018:  Application deadline
March 16, 2018:  Applicants notified of decisions
June 25, 2018:  First day of the ELL Summer Institute for TOEFL Reading
July 9, 2018:  First day of the ELL Summer Institute for all other test sections
August 17, 2018:  Last day of the ELL Summer Institute
* Day off on July 4 for the holiday