Apart from it being integral to our reading, writing, and oral skills development, studying English literature allows you to study people and culture. This can be demonstrated quite obviously through something like Shakespeare which is a direct reflection on society, but also through other literature that use language and allusion to inform the reader about a writer’s particular stance on any given issue. Studying English allows you to develop your abilities to form ideas and opinions on a given subject, which is a skill that will prove invaluable your entire life. Not only that, reading allows you to experience more than you ever could in one lifetime without reading. As great as we think our individual experiences are, they are still narrow and limited in their scope, and if we were to rely on them alone, we would become egocentric. Reading allows us to recognize that there is more to see, hear, and feel than we could ever imagine through the thoughts and experiences of unnumerable others, and this revelation is uplifting to those who continue to study English. To put it into a metaphor, English can be thought of as a tall mountain to climb. The further up you keep going, the greater your view becomes, extending your vision further and further to give a greater sense of proportion to you and the world. From up top, you realize that there is more than one individual’s emotions and experiences, and it brings great personal satisfaction to develop this larger vision. Although noboby may ever reach the peak of “the mountain of learning,” it is the act of climbing it which we benefit it from.
All metaphors aside, when you study English, you learn more about yourself as you can examine your own life experiences and relate to the text in a personal way. In addition, when you are asked to write or speak about what you have just read, it forces you to not only analyze the book, but to analyze why it is that you feel a particular way about it. The reason that we enjoy a book is usually because it resonates with us in a way that we oftentimes initially cannot describe. Whether it be a setting that reminds us of a place we grew up, or a character who reminds of someone we know (often being ourselves), a learner of English is constantly making connections between themselves and the text, which is a learning skill that is not so easily taught on its own.
On a more personal level, I continue to study English to ensure that I will never stop reading. Unknowingly, English becomes a deeper part of your life as it is not simply a passive, leisurely act, but something which you can become actively engaged in. For me, English was the one class that I got truly excited for. Each text, whether it be a novel or a play, took me on some kind of journey beyond the classroom, which I believe offers us all a sense of escapism from everyday life. Whether it be in your adolescence or adulthood, most of us can’t deny that we have felt like we wanted to be somewhere else—in a world of fantasy which still feels real to us. For me, reading could always take me where I wanted to be, and I will be forever thankful for that.
Unlike many subjects, literature is not something you forget when you walk out of the classroom or get your diploma. Instead, it acts as something which you can apply everyday, because whether it be consciously or subconsciously, studying English shapes who you are.
