The Department of English is dedicated to the study of English language and literature in a wide range of historical and cultural contexts, from the origins of the language to the most contemporary forms of literature.

There is at least one professor for each of the department's four principal areas of study: medieval literature, modern English literature of the sixteenth through the twentieth centuries, American literature, and linguistics. The study of contemporary literatures in English is supervised by a maître d'enseignement et de recherche.

The department's distinguished record in research and scholarship serves the cause of good teaching: the department's instructors are also scholars actively engaged in defining their respective fields; as teachers, they are committed to making the study of English an intellectually challenging and rewarding experience.