The European History of English Studies

Is 'English' a genuine academic discipline? What does it include? Why?Today it is represented at most universities in Europe, and in a greatvariety of shapes. This variety cannot simply be explained by the differentpurposes English serves in different educational contexts. Even more so,it is due to the institutional history of the discipline. 

The history of 'English' is relatively short and of great complexity.It is a history full of ideological and political conflict, both nationallyand internationally. This collection gives a survey of English as an academicdiscipline in Europe. It offers essays on the history of English studiesin various countries, deals with issues cutting across national bordersand, in the final essay, highlights common features. Much work remainsto be done.

This volume marks an important step towards a European history of Englishstudies, by sketching a framework, by offering examples, by creating acontext for further work, and by discussing the problems of writing thehistory of a discipline crucial to the humanities.

Table of contents

Ordering information

This is the Homepage of the EHES project.

What you may want to find out about. Click here for a questionnaire.

Where you can find material. Click here for a bibliography.

Contact us for more information:

Balz Engler, EnglischesSeminar der Universität, Nadelberg 6, CH-4051 Basel, Switzerland <engler@ubaclu.unibas.ch>.

Renate Haas, ErziehungswissenschaftlicheFakultät, Universität Kiel, Olshausenstr. 75, D-24118 Kiel, Germany,<haas@ewf.uni-kiel.de>.