Department of Literature and Languages
Words That Transform, Language That Connects
Explore traditional texts alongside community writing, multimedia projects, public rhetoric, children’s and adolescent literature, creative writing, professional writing, linguistics principals and the digital humanities.
The Department of Literature and Languages offers you a variety of degree plans which prepare you for written and linguistic expertise in English or Spanish.
What sets our department apart is our insistence that whatever form it may take, discourse is discourse. A degree in English or Spanish prepares you for a variety of careers within and outside of academia.
Explore Our Programs
Applied Linguistics (MA/MS) TESOL Emphasis
As a student in the Applied Linguistics program, you will engage in cutting-edge pedagogical and research strategies with others who are pursuing careers in teaching English to speakers of other languages. Whether you choose this field as a primary or complementary discipline, this program will prepare you for a variety of careers including teaching at the university level or teaching English as a second language abroad.
Communication Studies (BA/BS)
The Communication Studies program produces graduates who understand and can solve communication problems, making them uniquely qualified to contribute to the growth and betterment of any team.
English (BA)
This 120 hour program is flexible and accommodates students with a wide variety of interests and career goals.
English (BA) Teaching Emphasis
This program offers three specialized tracks all designed to immerse you in the world of English and equip you to pass on your knowledge to the next generation of writers.
English (MA/MS)
Our Master of Arts in English is designed for students who, upon completion, demonstrate a foreign language proficiency while the Master of Science in English is for students without foreign language focus.
English (PHD)
The Ph.D. in English is designed for students wishing to teach in community or four-year colleges and universities. It stresses both substantive knowledge of the various divisions within the field of English and an extensive introduction to the profession, including classroom teaching, tutoring and computer-assisted instruction. The degree requires that each candidate serve as a teaching assistant.
English (PHD) Applied Linguistics Emphasis
The Ph.D. in English is designed for students wishing to teach in community or four-year colleges and universities. It stresses both substantive knowledge of the various divisions within the field of English and an extensive introduction to the profession, including classroom teaching, tutoring and computer-assisted instruction. The degree requires that each candidate serve as a teaching assistant.
Hispanic Studies (BA)
The undergraduate Spanish program is dedicated to the study of languages and literatures of Latin America, Spain and the United States. The department offers a wide range and variety of courses, including beginners, intermediate and advanced courses in Spanish language and culture as well as courses designed for heritage speakers and native speakers.
Hispanic Studies (BA) Teaching Emphasis
Our program encourages and equips Spanish educators. No matter your proficiency level, we have language courses designed for you. You’ll study the history, politics, social structures and traditions of Spain and Latin America. Our combined Spanish and teaching program prepares you for the high school classroom. You’ll take courses in methods for teaching Spanish, issues in Spanish literature and culture, and Hispanic linguistics. After graduating, you’ll be certified to teach Spanish at the secondary level (grades 7-12).
Legal Studies Minor
The legal studies minor gives students the benefit of a multi-disciplinary minor with rigorous courses intended to improve their ability to get into law school and help them to succeed once there. The reason for this is that not only do law schools consider undergraduate GPA in admission decisions—they also consider the quality of the undergraduate courses taken by a candidate. The minor in legal studies is available to any student in any major who is considering law school upon graduation from A&M-Commerce.
Professional Advancement in English Studies Graduate Certificate
The Professional Advancement in English Studies Graduate Certificate provides students with the necessary English hours for students who wish to teach dual-credit or college-level courses in a field other than English. Students who pursue this certificate should already have a bachelor’s, master’s or PHD in a discipline other than English.
Spanish Language Teaching (MA)
The main goals of this degree program are to prepare Spanish language professionals who will become language instructors in high schools and/or community colleges, and to provide a strong foundation in Spanish literature and linguistics for those interested in pursuing a PhD in the areas of Spanish literature or Hispanic linguistics. Some of the classes we offer include: foreign language methodology, advanced writing, children's literature, and Spanish and Latin American literature and cinema.
Studies in Children’s and Adolescent Literature Culture Graduate Certificate
Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) Graduate Certificate
This certificate is ideal for students who either already hold a completed graduate degree or are actively in the process of earning a graduate degree and wish to earn this certificate in conjunction with their degree. In addition to the enhanced professional status that the Certificate in the Teaching of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) brings, this Certificate will enable the holder to meet the 18-hour SACS requirement to teach at the College level.
Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) Minor
Become specialized in bilingual education. You’ll the foundation of bilingual/ESL education and how to assess, create and deliver specialized content for bilingual students. It is highly recommended for you to know Spanish.
Women’s and Gender Studies Graduate Certificate and Minor
The Graduate Minor and Graduate Certificate in Gender Studies provide the opportunity for students to focus on the interdisciplinary study of issues that shape and define our understandings of masculinity, femininity and sexuality. The study of gender enhances knowledge of the global world historically and across cultures.
Explore Our Department
Writing Center
We are here to help you at any stage in the writing process; From brainstorming to polishing the final draft. Our tutors are able to help you understand the prompt, expand your current draft or even answer your questions about formatting, citations and grammar.
Applied Linguistics Laboratory
The Applied Linguistics Laboratory is dedicated to high-quality research in Applied Linguistics. We are actively seeking out partnerships and collaborative work with industrial partners.
Ontological Semantic Technology Laboratory
The Ontological Semantic Technology Laboratory advances ontology-based research–in particular natural language processing (NLP)–through development and implementation of NLP software, and engages in academic and market research by harnessing the available industry expertise on campus in collaboration with off-campus colleagues.
The Mayo Review
The Mayo Review is a student-run literary journal published by the Department of Literature and Languages at A&M-Commerce. We publish the highest quality prose, poetry, drama and visual art available from both outside and university sources.
Welcome from the Department Head
The Department of Literature and Languages is a multidisciplinary department with programs in English, linguistics, foreign languages and philosophy, and affords you opportunities for academic enrichment through diverse offerings and an international faculty.
Courses in the Department of Literature and Languages improve your reading, writing and analytical skills, offer insight into the use and structure of language, help you develop an understanding and appreciation of literature, and explore film as an art form. The programs offered for non-teaching majors are designed to prepare you to enter graduate study; or as basic preparation for professions such as law, publishing, ministry, broadcasting, government, advertising, freelance writing, creative writing and business. The programs prepare you to write effectively, to think and read critically and analytically, and to understand cultural and social differences.
Our Research
Our literature and languages faculty are excited to develop your knowledge and skills through research. Opportunities are available for both undergraduate and graduate students. We encourage you to discuss any research interests with your professors.
The Trial of Womanhood
Augmentative and Alternative Communication
Humor Studies
TESOL and Language Teacher Training in the Digital Age
Pragmatics and Second Language Acquisition
Multimodality and Communication
Ontological Semantics and Natural Language Processing
Second Language Writing and Technology
Humor and Multimodal Markers Project
The project is based on a corpus of digital-quality audio-video recordings of dyadic conversations in which speakers perform a baseline joke and then are free to talk for about ten minutes. Both speakers are closely miked and have a computer camera trained on them, thus allowing for multimodal features including prosody and eye gaze to be captured. Learn More
First Year Writing
News Spotlights
True Crime Meets Academia—Dr. Charles Woods Shares His Research
Part 4 of the Spooky Stories Series Content Warning: Although not described in detail, this article does mention topics of murder and sexual assault that may be triggering to some. For October, we have been exploring scary stories at A&M-Commerce, from children’s horror stories to legends of ghosts on campus and myths about the Salem Witch […]
Whoooooo’s There?: The “Hauntings” of David Talbot Hall
Part 2 of the Spooky Stories Series On the farthest east side of campus stands David Talbot Hall. It’s a fairly plain-looking building from the outside: red brick, rectangular in shape, uniform windows neatly lined up on all four sides. Inside, however, is a different story. The building is adorned with pillars, large winding staircases […]
Scary Stories and Staying Power—TAMUC Professor Shines a Spooky Light on a Children's Horror Classic
Part 1 of the Spooky Story Series For many of us, a childhood rite of passage was to get our hands on a book from Alvin Schwartz’s “Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark” series. The spine-chilling tales and Stephen Gammell’s horrifying illustrations kept many of us awake at night. Because of this, “Scary Stories” […]
A&M-Commerce Faculty Secure $100k College Readiness Grant
The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board has selected A&M-Commerce to receive a $100,000 College Readiness and Success Models grant. Dr. Pamela Webster, associate professor in the Department of Mathematics, and Dr. Gavin Johnson, assistant professor and director of writing in the Department of Literature and Languages will serve as co-principal investigators. The grant is earmarked […]
TAMUC Faculty Win Grant Award for Digital Privacy Lab on Campus
A collective featuring two Texas A&M University-Commerce faculty members is the recipient of a monetary award that will be used to establish a digital rhetorical privacy lab on the university campus. Dr. Charles Woods and Dr. Gavin Johnson, both assistant professors in the Department of Literature and Languages at A&M-Commerce, are advisory board members of […]
A&M-Commerce Faculty Member Receives Awards for Podcast
Texas A&M University-Commerce Assistant Professor Charles Woods, Ph.D., was recently honored with a pair of awards for his podcast, “The Big Rhetorical.” Woods’ podcast bills itself as “your home for all things rhetoric, composition, technical communications, Ph.D. life, and so much more.” The podcast, which as of writing has 114 episodes dating back to August […]
Multiple TAMUC Faculty Members to be Recognized at Virtual Ceremony
Eight faculty members at A&M-Commerce will be awarded the 2021 Dr. Augustine “Chuck” Arize Junior Faculty Award in a virtual ceremony on Tuesday, Oct. 5. Dean Kimberly McLeod in the College of Education and Human Services will serve as keynote speaker for the event. The award recognizes A&M-Commerce junior faculty who exhibit professional excellence. Candidates […]
TAMUC Hosting Annual Viewing of Manhattan Short Film Festival
The Texas A&M University-Commerce Department of Literature and Languages will restart its yearly tradition of hosting a viewing of the Manhattan Short Film Festival on Sept. 29. The festival is unique in that, instead of a touring event that travels to various venues, it is hosted simultaneously by theatres, schools, municipalities and more worldwide. At […]
Multiple A&M-Commerce Professors to Receive Junior Faculty Award
The A&M-Commerce Faculty Senate and the Texas Association of Black Personnel in Higher Education have selected eight outstanding faculty members to receive the 2021 Dr. Augustine “Chuck” Arize Junior Faculty Award. The award recognizes A&M-Commerce faculty who exhibit professional excellence. Professors are nominated by department heads or deans based on exceptional teaching evaluations, research, publications […]
A&M-Commerce Professor Publishes New Book on Cultural Impact of Fairy Tales
Dr. Maia Lamarque, professor in the Texas A&M University-Commerce Department of Literature and Languages, recently published a new book, “Fairy Tales and its Adaptations in Spanish,” which focuses on how fairy tale analysis is the paradigm of globalization. Lamarque posits that fairy tales are the emblem of the human condition, global awareness, and offer a […]
Meet our Department
Contact Us
- Department of Literature and Languages
- 903.886.5260
- P.O. Box 3011
- Commerce, TX 75429-3011