taxman Posted July 12, 2013 Share Posted July 12, 2013 I did write a long answer but the short one is that anyone who needs to ask the value of studying English Literature wouldn't be able to understand the answer given to them in the first place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatrajah Posted July 12, 2013 Author Share Posted July 12, 2013 Non-exhaustive list of the ways in which study of English literature might be useful in real life: 1. History. It's a good gateway for history. 2. Language. It teaches you how language works and achieves its effects. 3. Which in turn, will improve your skills at reading, writing, listening and speaking. Communicating more generally. 4. Communication skills are up there with the most important things you can ever learn. 5. They will improve every aspect of your life. No exaggeration. 6. Is that sufficient? I think it should be. Are you suggesting that it is necessary to study the subject in order to gain these skills with language etc? I'm sure it is quite possible to do this through life experience, reading books for pleasure & reading the "better" sorts of newspaper. ---------- Post added 12-07-2013 at 22:07 ---------- I did write a long answer but the short one is that anyone who needs to ask the value of studying English Literature wouldn't be able to understand the answer given to them in the first place. I was wondering when someone would come up with this one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harleyman Posted July 12, 2013 Share Posted July 12, 2013 I endured 5 years of studying this subject & thought it the most boring & futile subject in the curriculum. Incidentally, I was taught the subject by the same teacher that had taught Roy Hattersley about 20 years earlier. So because you find it boring there really is no point in teaching it to anybody else ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris_Sleeps Posted July 12, 2013 Share Posted July 12, 2013 Reading a book isn't the same as understanding a book. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatrajah Posted July 12, 2013 Author Share Posted July 12, 2013 Not really. I got nothing of value from studying the subject & I suspect this is also true for the majority. I was hoping for a few replies to convince me otherwise. Not much luck so far though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris_Sleeps Posted July 12, 2013 Share Posted July 12, 2013 What books did you study? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Longcol Posted July 12, 2013 Share Posted July 12, 2013 Back in the day when I did my "A" level English Lit I was the only lad in a class with about 15 lasses Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wornout53 Posted July 12, 2013 Share Posted July 12, 2013 I studied English literature to O level and it left me with an abiding love of the written word. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
janie48 Posted July 12, 2013 Share Posted July 12, 2013 I loved English literature it introduced me to Dickens, Shakespeare, Jane Austin and Charlotte Bronte. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skinz Posted July 13, 2013 Share Posted July 13, 2013 Not really. I got nothing of value from studying the subject & I suspect this is also true for the majority. I was hoping for a few replies to convince me otherwise. Not much luck so far though. I suspect you suspect wrong. Using the vast majority of others is a poor claim to inflate your failure to grasp anything from EL. Personally I don't think you'll be convinced. It's the Spanish tourist thing "If I can't have beer n fish n chips I don't want owt". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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