Forming Bonds and Reading Around the World
From East to West, and from ancient times to modern times, English 255 World Literature covers different types of literature from all over the world and from different periods of time.
The course is taught by Professor of English Dr. Tamara Whyte. She said, “We start with Egyptian love poems, which are the oldest written poetry, and then we go to the Epic of Gilgamesh. We work our way forward, and we come all the way up until the 1900s. That’s one of the special things about the new version is that we go through all of history, but it really gives you a sense of the world and this idea of humanity and this connectedness among people.”
In Fall 2022, ENG 255 is an online scheduled-time class that meets through Zoom every Tuesday from 7-9:45 p.m. as part of a 16-week course. According to the Student Information System’s Course Catalog and the class syllabus, the successful completion of College Composition I (ENG 111) and College Composition II (ENG 112) are prerequisites for ENG 255.
Whyte said that some of the great things about the Zoom class are flexibility and comfort for students, the ability to record and rewatch the class, and the use of different technology such as Kahoot! and the interactive e-book. Balkees Rekik, a current ENG 255 student, said that taking this class online is a great option and that she has been enjoying the class so far. A tip that both Whyte and Rekik gave for students interested in this class is to keep up on readings but to enjoy them at the same time.
However, for students who prefer an online anytime class, Whyte suggests looking into English 225 Reading Literature: Culture and Ideas. She said that ENG 225 will be a new class in Spring 2023 that is different from ENG 255, but complements each other.
When asked about her favorite part of class, Rekik said, “I liked how diverse they were, like we learned about Indian literature and Chinese literature. I generally enjoyed the diversity of what we were learning,”
Whyte said, “This is not a ‘camera off, not talking class.’ Most students keep their cameras on, and that’s really encouraged because it makes a difference. You’re more connected. You’re part of the group. Because I think in three hours, you really get to know each other. And you really bond, and you really get into the topics.”
ENG 255 will be available again in Spring 2023 as a 16-week online scheduled class every Tuesday from 7-9:50 p.m. on Zoom. If you have any questions about this class, please reach out to Dr. Tamara Whyte through her email twhyte@pvcc.edu.
