Do I Still Need English?

Grade 12 English is a mandatory credit for entry into any university program. Many people question as to is English necessary past a certain point, especially if you have no interest in pursuing a field directed towards language. If you are already literate, why do we still need to take English?

The truth is regardless of the field, area of work or expertise you will use language skills. From using proper grammar in your résumé to communicating instructions, English is everywhere and will follow you despite what you choose. Don’t worry, it’s not as bad as it sounds. However, basic reading and writing skills are learned earlier in Education. These skills are regularly practiced in every course, so why do we need to take English every year?

Personally I find that English allows you to build your critical thinking. Practicing your mind to deeper analyze Shakespeare’s plays or a children’s book, pushes one to think outside the box. Instead of assuming the meaning of a sentence, it is the different interpretations that will allow a piece to have significance. It’s like if you were trying to run faster. You could go for a run everyday which would be the direct and obvious method. However, to push further towards your goal, you can build strength and target the muscles used for running. This shows different approaches to the same goal. Basically English makes you think deeper to achieve a deeper understanding.

I believe that this critical thinking is universally used and is what makes everyone different. While certain people may agree on similar things, have shared experiences and beliefs, their approach to a given task could be completely different. Having unique and diverse ideas is what pushes towards success. If you are an engineer you need to come up with new solutions to problems. A teacher needs to understand the different learning strategies of the students. Regardless of the job, you’ll find problems that will need to be solved. These problems will be analyzed and solved with the help of good ol’ English.

Every year in English is different. The content in Grade 11 and 12 requires certain maturity. It is when you prepare yourself for ‘the real world’ that you become more aware of certain norms or values in society. I find that English allows unlimited interpretations and all of them can be valuable to develop a personal understanding. It is important to be able to shift your perspective because diversity builds a stronger community. As you transition into University you will have to adapt and this will require you to think differently and develop new perspectives. It will be very helpful to be able to critically think and it all can be traced back to your Grade 12 English class.

This topic is debated often and can be further discussed in the comments. Another place to see different opinions is https://www.debate.org/opinions/is-four-years-of-mandatory-english-class-in-high-school-necessary.