Language has played a key role not only in human self-expression but also in the development of civilization itself. It is through language that humans first became aware of themselves and began to interact on a more sophisticated level with each other and their environment. It is a key to understanding cultural development. It has played, and continues to play, a foundational role in human identity and self-realization. Through language, human creativity finds expression in such disciplines as poetry, drama and literature. Language does not just express human knowledge and understanding, it makes them possible.

The Department of English offers students the opportunity to explore the rich nuances of human language and literature in the B.A. program in English.

In order to further students' encounters with the rich linguistic variety of human civilization, UWest also offers courses in Japanese, Canonical Chinese, Pali, Sanskrit and Tibetan.