Yesterday, we started our discussion on why math shouldn’t be an elective and why even the quadratic equation can be useful years after graduation. Today, we continue the discussion by approaching high school English classes and why figuring out the words of Milton and Wordsworth will still hold value well into your adult working life.
Does HS English (past grade 9 or 10) really help anybody but a writer?
I should probably preface this by saying that Matt Freedman is very much interested in computer programming, web development, and that kind of thing. He happens to be a high school student, but he’s also the guy who created the current design for Beyond the Rhetoric. His opinions and perspective will clearly differ from mine, since I write for a living.
Just as with the math discussion that we had yesterday, it may not be immediately obvious to students why they are reading older works like Animal Farm
At the time, reading and analyzing these works of literature may seem like a futile exercise. However, many of these books contain many great lessons. I had a great time learning about the Russian Revolution through the filter of Animal Farm and I would have never surmised the “hidden” meaning of George Orwell’s book if it wasn’t for my English Literature class. Other works contain some great life lessons. What did Wordsworth mean when he said the child is the father of the man?
I’d say that going through and analyzing all of these works is a great way to improve both your reading and writing skills. We are social beings and we could all stand to improve our ability to communicate with one another. Too many people struggle with articulating their thoughts succinctly and accurately.
English class has little about improving reading and writing. Analyzing writing = useless.
Analyzing writing is not useless. It is only through this careful analysis and dissection of previously published works that we can glean much greater meaning out of the words that were printed on the page. If you merely accepted Shakespeare’s plays at face value, you’d be missing out on 95% of their meaning and significance. The formal consideration of the works, in the form of essays and in-class discussions, allows you to gain much more from an otherwise standard story. The Tempest is about more than just an outcast magician.
This ability to better understand the words you read reaches far beyond fictional literature. If you are able to truly understand a work as complex as Paradise Lost,
Understanding these mechanics and practicing through essays, you can also become a better writer. Even if you don’t aspire to write as a career, these communication skills will help you with composing cover letters, sending effective e-mail messages, and even interacting with your significant other. Being articulate is highly valued in our society and it starts with understanding the nuances of the language.
Could there be a part three to this series? Based on the heated conversations that I’ve been having on Twitter with Lesley, Matt, Stephen, and Ed, among others, I wouldn’t be all that surprised.
+1 No one knows how to write correctly anymore.
have you been watching or reading Michael’s Grammar 101? He gave away a great book,”Booher’s Rules of Business Grammar” which I just happen to have won. I just received it and it looks very interesting.
Can’t wait to get started.
You brought back a memory of the movie Renaissance Man where Danny Devito teaches the “dumb” marines Shakespeare. Well, the lessons in life that they learned were most valuable.
Reading not only sharpens the thought process, it also helps improve a persons writing skills. We have seen a direct correlation between a focus on reading for the state testing and increased writing scores.
Everything is intertwined, which I believe is the whole focus of these post Michael. Math, reading, writing, science, logic, common sense are all intertwined to make us better people.
It’s the very unsophisticated people with no class who try to shun certain aspects of education that they do not see very practical value in. I’ve seen many classless and ignorant people who are so full of themselves but mess up the simplest things because they have no common sense, and I look at those mistakes and think “If you paid attention in highschool…”
I appreciate company who can make good jokes about our literature and what not. Even the show Two and a Half Men employs jokes with reference to George Orwell’s work. Uneducated people won’t get those jokes. Simple as that. Even when you converse with somebody, you can immediately sense the depth of ones character, and some people simply lack the depth – they only focus on the superficial practicalities.
I’m not entirely sure if this would make me an elitist, but I can usually tell within the first few minutes with someone whether they have received any (academic) post-secondary education. The way that college and university-educated people articulate their thoughts and their “worldly knowledge” are quite telling.
That said, there’s nothing wrong with choosing to go into trades or to pursue some other career. Each of us has to carve out our own path.
And yes, Jeff, I also enjoy watching Two and a Half Men. Heck, even The Simpsons uses literary references. I think we all remember the Lord of the Flies episode.
I think everyone needs a well-rounded background. English and math are important subjects- knowing the basics will help you in a lot of unexpected situations. While I don’t think english majors need to take a course in quantum physics, eliminating any subject completely will leave you at a disadvantage in the real world.
I won’t rant like I did on the last one.
With English, I always thought there was too much emphasis on analyzing and not enough on the technical. Then again, I happen to be gifted with analyzing, and I wanted to learn more about the technical. Once I reached high school and was more open to learning that is.
Funny story actually, in my grade 12 year, we had to write an essay on A Street Car Named Desire. The essay had to provide evidence from the play that Stan raped Blanche. I wrote an essay on how Blanche seduced Stan, using evidence from the play. Got full marks too!
That’s just how I operated in school though; always working outside the box. It’s why I got along famously with some teacher and horribly with others.
Bottom line though is that I agree that English is just as important as Math. And I’m from a very technical background (took Engineering and I’m presently a Network Support Analyst). I work with programs and scripts and operating systems and hardware. And I still say English is fundamentally important.
Ironically enough, I do have to say English as opposed to other languages in this particular case too. Computers speak English. They don’t speak Japanese or German. Call it a fundamental flaw, but computer languages (which a few interesting exceptions) are all based on the English language.
The ability to first comprehend the text that you are reading, and then to be able to analyze it and glean the information you require from it makes a class like English quite fundamental. Without it, you cannot progress through the other subjects. I don’t think it is more important than Math, but I don’t think it is less important either.
I think the point here is that each subject has its own aspects to offer. Each subject provides some sort of insight or understanding or knowledge about our world and how to interact with it. Any subject that is dismissed will have an impact on your abilities in the so called “real world” after you finish school.
Regarding your essay on A Streetcar Named Desire, I think that’s the beauty of a “creative” course like English. There really is no wrong answer, so long as you are able to back up your opinion or interpretation with evidence from the text. It’s great and it demonstrates that perception is everything.
It was refreshing to read this again with new eyes Michael. I’d like to point out a few really good short stories that I believe everyone would like. A&P by John Updike, The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman and Hills Like White Elephants by Ernest Hemingway. Oh, and I particularly like The Open Boat by Stephen Crane.