Just a quick thought today…
I recently read an article from The Guardian from Susanna Rustin, talking about the drop in numbers of people studying English at A-level or degree level.
I recommend reading it as it is very interesting: click here.
In essence, what the article outlined was how fewer and fewer people are studying English, as well as other subjects such as the arts and foreign languages. Instead, 16-18 year-olds seem to be tending towards STEM subjects in the hope of achieving a more profitable and reliable career .
You can look at education in two different ways: as a means to an ends – a way to get oneself into a well paying job, or as an ends in itself. Both approaches are valid, but I am far more appreciative of the latter approach, as I take great pleasure in the learning for the sake of learning. In this sense, I think English is worth studying as much as any other subject, it is merely the one that appeals to me most.
Firstly, communication is essential. The only way we are able to function together as a society is by communicating with one another. Communication is also essential for diffusing conflicts and understanding differences, and, without significant grasp of the English language it is almost impossible to express oneself accurately enough.
Secondly, English can be coupled with the arts to show that learning a subject is worth it if merely as an aid to expression. Of course we use English language to express ourselves in day to day life, but it is only with further education that we can accurately express more complex and abstract thoughts through creative writing as those expressed by higher level students of the arts.
Finally, where would the world be without entertainment. Not all of us are passionate book lovers, but entertainment of any sort, be it books, articles in the media, or video content all originated somehow in English. We all have a guilty pleasure that we like to binge on TV, Netflix or similar viewing platforms. Such guilty pleasures would not exist without the script-writing expertise of those alumni of English departments across the country.
I could go on in glorious, ranting detail about my personal enjoyment of English, but I will leave this here.
Til next time,
Stay Hydrated.
