The world is changing, and so are English classes.

New concerns in education are leading to a greater concentration on how language itself is used, and one professor suggests using a wider range of texts to cover the information.

"It's not just literature anymore," said Jennifer Jackson, assistant professor of English. She teaches English 300H -- Reading the Social Text: Cultural Critique and Postmodern Fiction. "It's a question of looking at all different kinds of text to see how language is used strategically."

Jackson includes print media and television as texts that can be used.

"The speeches coming out of Bosnia are a specific example," she said.

Susan Gerberg (sophomore-nutrition) agreed that English is not limited to literature.

"The media is good for applications," Gerberg said, but added that analyzing literature is helpful in rhetoric.

But Patricia Schumann (sophomore-marketing) said literature is more relevant to studying English.

"I think you get so much more out of reading," Schumann said. "You don't give intellectual thought to movies like you give to books."

But Jeffrey Nealon, assistant professor of English, said movies and books are very similar.

"You can read films like you read a book," Nealon said. "The grammar may be different, but the mechanics are the same."

Iyunolu Osagie, assistant professor of English, said different texts, such as the media, are important, but literature is the basic text when studying English.

Studying different texts is important because it gives students a broader range of experiences to draw from when analyzing literature, Osagie said.

Jackson said studying literature and texts other than British and American works gives a broader range of material for analysis.

She said there is new concern for explaining works to the public and trying to show how it is useful, as well as demonstrating how professors teach students to accurately and critically participate in their changing culture.

John Moore, associate professor of English and comparative literature, agreed that studying different areas is important.

"A knowledge of both worlds helps you understand the different aspects of the society in which we live," Moore said. "Each thing gives you something the other doesn't."

Some students said analyzing classical literature in particular is essential to studying English as a whole.

"You can't understand (contemporary literature) unless you understand the classics," said Susan Murphy (junior-English).

She said English 444 -- Shakespeare -- is required for all students majoring in English and was especially helpful.

"I don't think you can understand English literature without understanding Shakespeare," Murphy said.

Laura Zimmerman (sophomore-speech communications) said classic literature gives people more insight to the past.

"The classics really reflect how things have been -- they really predict what will happen and are very relevant," Zimmerman said. "You learn so much from (classical authors)."

But Marnie Neyhart (junior-English) said contemporary literature deals with issues that are important today.

"Race, gender and class are important in our society," Neyhart said. "Contemporary literature deals with those issues more."