You might need a dictionary to read this profile, but to its subject, Professor James Vanden Bosch, that would be a good thing. Teacher of literature, grammar and linguistics, Professor Vanden Bosch is a polymath. That is, he’s a person with lots of knowledge in many subjects. He could tell you that its etymology is from the Greek polu, or “much,” and the Greek manthanein, or “learn.” And he’d tell you that in passing—you know, off the top of his head. He’s just that kind of guy.
His lectures are stories, meandering their way to a destination and never afraid to stop by interesting side streets. They sound rehearsed, like he’s been giving them for years, but in reality he’s always adapting them to student questions or curiosities. Stop by his office after grammar class and he’ll delight in re-explaining the “absolute phrase.” Or maybe he’ll offer to lend you a book of essays about Cormac McCarthy, one of his favorite authors.
Taking a class with Professor Vanden Bosch is like listening to an audiobook. Whether it’s a discussion of Dante’s Inferno or an exercise indentifying verbs in the future perfect tense, Vanden Bosch is a master of the lecture. Those who consider this form of teaching old-fashioned or ineffective have never listened to Vanden Bosch.
In his free time, you might find him on the racquetball court, shoveling his always pristine driveway (quite a feat during Michigan winters) or teaching English grammar classes in Russia over the summer. Oh, and you’ll also want to sign up for his interim class, “English Grammar”. While it might sound like a dull way to spend your January at Calvin, it’s anything but. In fact, because of Professor Vanden Bosch’s reputation as an amazing teacher, it’s one of Calvin’s most popular courses. You’ll start with nouns and verbs and move to elliptical phrases, beginning each morning with a language-centered devotion and a “low-impact verbal calisthenic”—Vanden Bosch’s phrase for puns, Tom Swifties and other language play.
KING OF GRAMMAR Faculty Profile: James Vanden Bosch
By Abby Zwart ’13
English Professor James Vanden Bosch teaches the popular “English Grammar” interim course.
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