Individual research is supported by tutorials and by University teaching on the language of film analysis, technical aspects of film-making such as editing and camera work, and the economics of film production. Some students go on to take a masters degree in film or a course in film production after completing their degree at Oxford. American Literary Studies has also proved attractive to growing numbers of undergraduates. Students can choose to focus on individual writers and texts from 1800 to the present, including slave narratives, and well-known novelists such as Henry James, Mark Twain, John Updike and Toni Morrison. There is currently considerable interest in African-American work.
Many English graduates go on to a career in the media.
Recognising the enormous interest in this area, the University has developed a course in Language and the Media, led by Professor Jean Aitchison, the Rupert Murdoch Professor of Language and Communication. Students look at different genres of the media, such as advertising, news reporting, reviews and sports writing, as well as exploring cultural models underlying media language, and the nature of reportage. They are encouraged to read widely and become familiar with journalism distributed via the World Wide Web. Rupert Murdoch's company, News International, has also funded a Visiting Professorship in Broadcast Media, intended to bring leading practitioners to Oxford to give lectures and seminars. This offers a superb stimulus to students with a special interest in this area.