The area of English at Jackson State University has established these major objectives:

• To help students develop the ability to read, think, and write clearly and critically.
• To help students understand and appreciate good writing and literature.
• To help students become aware of the truth, beauty, and wisdom of our culture to the extent that they are able to make value judgments about the society in which they live.
• To prepare students for teaching English and for other career roles in society.
• To provide the necessary courses for all students to fulfill state and university requirements.
• To encourage students to engage in creative and scholarly writing.

The primary objectives of general foreign language instruction at Jackson State University are those shared by most foreign language departments today:

• To teach the student the fundamental skills of speaking, reading, and writing in the foreign language.
• To help the student to develop an understanding of and a respect for another culture.
• To give the student an awareness and appreciation of the aesthetic and intellectual history of the target culture and of its present day manifestations.
• To help the student comprehend, analyze and explicate literary works in the foreign language.
• To help the student acquire command of the target language as a tool for written and oral communication.
• To provide for the student's training so that he/she is capable of teaching and transmitting to others the aforementioned skills, attitudes, and abilities.