English
19 courses · Las Positas College · 2026-2027 Catalog
Classes: Summer 2026 · Fall 2026
ENG 4 Critical Thinking and Writing about Literature
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 54 hours lecture
- Prerequisite
- ENGL C1000
- Transfers to
- CSU, UC
- C-ID
- ENGL 120
Develops critical thinking, reading, and writing skills as they apply to the analysis of fiction, poetry and drama; literary criticism; and related non-fiction from diverse cultural sources and perspectives. Emphasis on the techniques and principles of effective written argument as they apply to literature. Some research required.
ENG 11 Introduction to Creative Writing
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 54 hours lecture
- Transfers to
- CSU, UC
- C-ID
- ENGL 200
Introduction to elements and craft of various genres of creative writing, including narrative, verse, and dialogue, using materials drawn from individual’s own work and selected texts from established and peer writers. Practice in writing in various genres. Introduction to workshop method.
ENG 12A Craft of Writing Fiction
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 54 hours lecture
- Transfers to
- CSU, UC
Practice in writing fiction. Developing internal and external sources for stories and novels; biographical sources, characterization, plot, points-of-view, narrative techniques; analysis and criticism of published writing and individual’s own work.
ENG 12B Craft of Writing Fiction: Intermediate
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 54 hours lecture
- Transfers to
- CSU
Practice in writing fiction at an intermediate level. Builds on the skills developed in English 12A by requiring the use of vivid description, specific detail, dynamic and rounded character development, consistent point of view, and logical plotting that avoids cliche. Focus on developing themes that create intellectual or emotional resonance. Expectation of sentence structure, grammar, and format accuracy. Develop internal and external sources for stories and novels; analysis and criticism of published short fiction and a book-length work; analysis and criticism of peer work and individual’s own work. Requires submission for publication at the end of the semester.
ENG 12C Craft of Writing Fiction: Advanced
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 54 hours lecture
- Transfers to
- CSU
Practice in writing fiction at an advanced level. Builds on the intermediate skills developed in English 12B by requiring a mastery of description, detail, character development, consistent point of view, and logical plotting that avoids cliche. Focus on achieving themes that create intellectual or emotional resonance. Expectation of sentence structure, grammar, and format accuracy. Develop internal and external sources for stories and novels; analysis and criticism of published short fiction and a presentation about the craft in a book-length work; analysis and criticism of peer work and individual’s own work. Requires submission for publication at the end of the semester; analysis and criticism of peer work and individual’s own work.
ENG 13A The Craft of Writing Poetry: Beginning
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 54 hours lecture
- Transfers to
- CSU
Practice in writing poetry, using materials drawn from published poetry and individual’s own work for analysis and criticism, with a focus on techniques of revision.
ENG 13B The Craft of Writing Poetry: Intermediate
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 54 hours lecture
- Prerequisite
- ENG 13A
- Transfers to
- CSU
Continued practice in writing poetry, using materials drawn from published poetry and individual’s own work for analysis and criticism, with a focus on techniques of revision and submission for publication.
ENG 19A Journal of Arts and Literature A
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 36 hours lecture,, 54 hours laboratory
- Transfers to
- CSU
Creation of a journal. Practical training in the managing, editing, formatting, and printing of a journal. Enrollment constitutes the staff of the journal. Students may receive credit for ENG 19A or JAMS 19A, but not both.
ENG 19B Journal of Arts and Literature B
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 36 hours lecture,, 54 hours laboratory
- Prerequisite
- ENG 19A or JAMS 19A
- Transfers to
- CSU
Creation of a literary arts journal. Practical intermediate-level training in the managing, editing, formatting, and printing of a literary journal with a focus on the production process, including copy editing, design, layout, proofreading, working with the printer, and digital and print distribution. Enrollment constitutes the staff of the journal. Students may receive credit for ENG 19B or JAMS 19B, but not both.
ENG 20 Studies in Shakespeare
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 54 hours lecture
- Prerequisite
- ENGL C1000, may be taken concurrently.
- Transfers to
- CSU, UC
Readings of the sonnets and representative comedies, histories, tragedies, and romances of William Shakespeare, with attention to the early, middle, and late phases of his art and to the Age of Elizabeth.
ENG 29 Independent Study, English
- Units
- 0.5-2
- Hours
- 36 hours lecture
- Transfers to
- CSU
Supervised study in the area of English. Students interested in registering for an Independent Studies course should contact a full/part-time instructor or dean associated with the English department.
ENG 32 U.S. Women's Literature
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 54 hours lecture
- Prerequisite
- Eligibility for college-level composition as determined by college assessment or other appropriate method.
- Transfers to
- CSU, UC
Chronicles the expression of U.S. women authors through readings in a variety of genres such as fiction, poetry, drama, and the essay. Study of the works of at least three of the following groups: African Americans, Asian Americans, European Americans, Hispanic Americans, and Native Americans, with a particular focus on the 20th century.
ENG 35 Modern American Literature
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 54 hours lecture
- Prerequisite
- Eligibility for college-level composition as determined by college assessment or other appropriate method.
- Transfers to
- CSU, UC
- C-ID
- ENGL 135
U.S. literature from the second half of the 19th century to the present, including poetry, drama, prose fiction, and essays. Emphasizes literary analysis and the exploration each work in relation to its social, cultural and historical contexts.
ENG 41 Modern World Literature
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 54 hours lecture
- Prerequisite
- Eligibility for college-level composition as determined by college assessment or other appropriate method.
- Transfers to
- CSU, UC
- C-ID
- ENGL 145
This course is a comparative study of selected works, in translation and in English, of literature from various regions and cultures around the world, including Africa, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, the Americas, and other areas, from the mid- or late-seventeenth century to the present. Emphasis will be on literary analysis as well as providing historical, cultural, and comparative perspectives on the literature.
ENG 42 Literature of the African Diaspora in America
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 54 hours lecture
- Prerequisite
- Eligibility for college-level composition as determined by college assessment or other appropriate method.
- Transfers to
- CSU, UC
Form, development, and cultural and historic insights of literature of the African diaspora in America and the United States, including some or all of the following: short fiction and novels, oral history and memoir, poetry, plays, songs, popular culture, and nonfiction; exploration of particular themes or periods as reflected in the literature of people of the African diaspora created in America.
ENG 44 Literature of the American West
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 54 hours lecture
- Prerequisite
- ENGL C1000
- Transfers to
- CSU, UC
Critical analysis of the cultural and historical experiences of diverse people of the American West as expressed in their literatures, including the novel, short story, poetry, autobiography, memoirs, as-told-to-narratives, film, and secondary works. Emphasis upon techniques of critical review of and response to literary works. Study of the works of at least three of the following groups: Black and African Americans; Asian Americans, Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander; European Americans, Latinx Americans, Native Americans. Exploration of interrelationships among peoples and cultures of the West, as mediated by place and community and the flow of people and capital as influenced by technology. Comparison and contrast of the myth of the west to the experiences of its diverse peoples and regions. Some exploration of the myth of the west as exported to, consumed by, and in turn generated by other countries.
ENG 45 Studies in Fiction
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 54 hours lecture
- Prerequisite
- ENGL C1000
- Transfers to
- CSU, UC
Form, development, and cultural insights of the novel and short story; exploration of particular themes or periods as reflected in works of fiction.
ENG 110 Craft of the Sentence
- Units
- 2
- Hours
- 36 hours lecture
- Prerequisite
- ENGL C1000, may be taken concurrently.
Practice in sentence-level writing that focuses on possibilities rather than rules, as well as editing in any genre of writing, including—but not limited to—academic writing. Practice in writing and editing sentences that achieve desired stylistic effects based on the writing situation and audience. Develops strategies to communicate complex ideas at the sentence level. Discusses multifaceted and changing nature of language and writing. This course is open to students currently enrolled in ENGL C1000, or students who have passed ENGL C1000 or the equivalent.
ENG 115 Personalized Coaching for Academic Reading and Writing
- Units
- 0.5-1
- Hours
- 27-54 hours laboratory
- Prerequisite
- ENGL C1000, , may be taken concurrently
This credit course provides whole group, small group, and individualized support with writing and reading assignments. Students meet regularly with an English 115 instructor during prescribed hours as well as with English tutors, on a customized learning plan. Student hours spent with Reading and Writing faculty tutors and in Smart Shops also count towards the variable hours of this course. Students can choose to focus on developing their skills in academic reading, composition, research, sentence-level writing skills, or some combination of these. This course is intended to help students be successful in college-level credit coursework.