The Department of English was established in 1952, the year of the inception of the college. It started offering M.A. in English Language and Literature in 1966, and B.A. in English Language and Literature in 1967. The Department was recognized as a Research Department in 1985. Comparative Literature Research and Study Centre (CLRSC) started functioning in 1998. A Certificate Course in Communicative English was being offered in the department since 1995. In 2006, the UGC sanctioned two Add- On Courses: ‘ Communicative English ‘ and ‘Visual Communication’.

The Department offers the following programmes:

• B. A. English Language and Literature
• M. A. English Language and Literature
• Ph. D. in English

English Literary Association

The English Literary Association comprises of the teachers and students of the Postgraduate Department of English. The Association aims at the overall development of the students, fostering brotherhood, promoting a healthy competitive spirit and engaging in charitable activities. The formal inauguration of the English Literary Association was held on 15th July, 2019. Ms Jovitta Thomas, Sr Advisor of UN to the Deputy Minister of Municipalities, Afghanistan inaugurated the English Literary Association 2019-20.

‘Aksharakoottam’

This year a new programme called ‘Aksharakoottam’ – a series of varied events, was introduced to nurture the various latent talents of the students. The first event in this series was ‘A tribute to Girish Karnad’ held on 25th June, 2019.

A few scenes from the play Hayavadana were staged in the college quadrangle, and many of his other works were introduced to students. The second programme of the Aksharakoottam series was a patriotic programme under the caption ‘Let my Country Awake’ held on 29th August, 2019. The next programme was a ‘Group Discussion on Citizenship Amendment Act’ held on 18th December, 2019. Prof. Vishnu Namboodiri K M, HOD of History, Mar Thoma College, Tiruvallawas the moderator of the discussion. Several inter-house competitions were organized for the students in September and October, 2019.

The students of the department visited Gilgal Aswasa Bhavan, Eraviperoor on 20th December, 2019, and conducted a short Christmas programme for the inmates. An Inter-collegiate Literary and cultural fest ‘Muses 2020’ was held on 16th January, 2020 and 167 participants from colleges across the state participated in the seven competitions. ‘Odyssey’ – the annual intercollegiate quiz and debate competition was conducted on 17th January, 2020. Mar Ivanios College, Thiruvananthapuram won the first prize. The drama club of the department ‘Prism’ was inaugurated on 29th February, 2020 and two shows of the play ‘Boiled Beans on Toast’ was staged.

Research

In 1985, the Department of English was elevated to the status of a research department by Mahatma Gandhi University. The CLRSC (Comparative Literature Research and Studies Centre) established in 1998, functioning under the Department of English as a separate Research Centre, has been instrumental in channelizing the research endeavours of students, teachers and scholars.

Facilities

• Computerized Language Lab, offering 15 positions.
• Seminar and Reading Room (CLRSC) for Research Scholars and Staff with a Reference Section containing more than 500 books, dissertations and back issues of journals.
• Audio-Visual Facilities for Training in Communicative Skills.
• Internet browsing facility for Students and Staff.