10 Reasons Everyone Should Take English Classes, Part 2

in Education by Kathy Teel — February 12, 2011 at 12:02 am | 0 comments

In the first article, we looked at 5 reasons why everyone should take an English class, and if you’ll remember, they all had to do with reading.   Besides reading, the other thing you have to do in an English class is write.  Writing, and all the little components of it, matter immensely.  It does not matter what your major is or what career you choose, you simply must be able to communicate yourself well in written words.  This will be as true for math, science, or PE majors as it is for English, psychology, or sociology majors.

Here are a few reasons why the writing component of an English class makes a difference in everyone’s life.

1.People will judge you by your written expression.

An intelligent person, someone who knows the difference between the possessive and plural uses of the letter “s,” will not be impressed by the way you confuse “it’s” and “its.”  A good English teacher will make sure you know the difference, and penalize you straightforwardly for failing to do so.  If you get one of those English teachers who doesn’t believe in correcting grammar or spelling, run—far and fast.  That person is not helping you.

2.People who write well, think well

Writing requires a person to slow down their thinking to the speed of their longhand or typing.  That gives you more time to consider each thought, to analyze it, and to decide if it makes sense, or if it logically follows on the last thought.  Structured writing does not allow you to get away with sloppy thinking.

3.There’s only one way to become a better writer

and therefore a better thinker: to write.  Practice makes perfect, after all.  If you’re not a natural talent at writing, chances are you may have avoided it for most of your life.  Understandable, but not helpful.

4.Everyone needs writing skills

There are some professions that don’t seem to be get writing-heavy at first glance.  Say you’re a biology major, for example.  You plan to work in a lab and examine cells through microscopes all day, every day.  Fine, but how do you think biologists get paid?  They get paid through grants that they either earn themselves or that they request from their university.  And a sloppily written grant will indicate sloppy thinking.  In a competitive market, no researcher can afford to lose that much credit with grant-makers. You simply must write well to get funds.

5.You never know what the future will bring

You may think that your life will never require you to have the kinds of mad writing skills that get taught in English classes, but you really can’t say that for sure.  What if you decide to get a master’s degree or doctorate?  What if you decide to teach, or write a book about your experiences?  Or, to take it out of academia, what if you need to explain to your insurance company why they should cover some medical procedure?  There will be times when clear, persuasive thinking expressed in writing will save the day, and you’d be lost without it.

English classes do more than just teach you grammar skills and make you read old stories.  They teach you how to think, analyze, and articulate your ideas.  Anyone who wants any kind of credibility in their position must be able to do those things, and when you look back, you’ll see that it was your English teacher who taught you what you needed to know.

Tags: college English class English teacher writing writing skills