WKU News

Western Kentucky University’s English Department offers the opportunity for high school English teachers to invite professors into their classroom to speak on a variety of English topics. Topics span professional writing to fiction writing, as well as topics in literature, theatre, and film. Members of the WKU English Department Speakers Bureau are also available to hold discussions, interact with students, and support lesson plans. High school teachers requesting one of the professors in the Bureau are encouraged to incorporate the visit into their lesson plan. The goal of the Speakers Bureau is to encourage collaboration between high school teachers and English professors, and to offer high school students the experience of a college classroom.

The Speakers Bureau currently has a number of WKU faculty members available for visits, all experts in multiple subjects. Dr. Alison Langdon, a member of the Speakers Bureau, specializes in medieval literature, Old and Middle English poetry, and the history of the English language. “One of the benefits of the High School Speakers Bureau program is that a high school English teacher can’t be an expert on everything,“ said Dr. Langdon, “so if they’re teaching a text that they feel a little less comfortable with, it’s a great opportunity to bring someone in who has specific expertise on that topic or text. It’s a great opportunity to give students a sense of what English looks like at a college level, and get an idea of how we hold class.”

Each member of the High School Speakers Bureau is available to visit two individual junior and senior English classes per school visit. The Bureau serves the Bowling Green City district, as well as Allen, Barren, Butler, Edmonson, Logan, Simpson, and Warren counties, and is expanding its reach to the Nashville and Davidson county area.

For more information regarding the High School Speakers Bureau, check out WKU’s English Department website, or contact Dr. Alison Langdon.