An introduction

Glasgow's Department of English Language was founded in 1948, and was incorporated in the confederal School of English and Scottish Language and Literature in 1996.  It currently has around 750 undergraduate students, including 100 at Honours in any given year, and a postgraduate population of about 30.

There are currently 10 permanent members of staff in the department, as well as externally funded Research Fellows, Research Assistants and Graduate Teaching Assistants. Several distinguished former members of staff continue to play important roles in the department's life, and we also benefit from the input of Honorary Research Fellows from other institutions.  

There is a strong and long-established tradition of research and teaching in English Language at Glasgow; distinguished scholars in the field who have worked here in the past include Ritchie Girvan, Norman Davis and M.L.Samuels.  The established Chair of English Language is currently held by Professor Graham Caie FEA, FRSA, FRSE.  The Head of Department is Professor Jeremy J. Smith FEA, FRSE.  Follow the 'Staff' link on the left to find out more about current staff members' range of research and teaching interests.

The Department boasts a range of funded research projects, with support from (e.g.) the British Academy, the Arts and Humanities Research Council and the Leverhulme Trust.

In the two most recent reviews of the School's activity, the Teaching Quality Assessment (1997) and the Research Assessment Exercise (2001), the School achieved the highest possible grades: "Excellent" and 5*.