I think I’m not the only student who keeps asking this question. Every time I am sitting in the library writing a seminar paper about metaphors or the wilderness in literature, for instance, the very same question comes up again.
Most students in our department are in the teacher-training program, those who don’t typically envisage working in the field of adult education or for a corporation, where their main task would be communicating with foreign countries or translating company documents. So, will one of their pupils ask them later about how to differentiate between a conceptual and absolute metaphor? Or, will anyone in your the future workplace ever want to know how the conception of the English garden in literature has developed throughout history? No, they will want to know how to express themselves in English, how to pronounce words correctly, and how to apply certain rules of grammar. And most companies will ask for a reliable translator and communicator with a perfect knowledge of the foreign language.
With this in mind, at least two thirds of the information I have accumulated over the years will not have little, if any, significance for my future work as a teacher. Honestly, I am able to write literary comments in an academic style and I can discuss linguistic phenomena in an adequate manner, but as soon as it comes to casual conversation or everyday language I often can’t find the right words. I think we are just not taught enough of what most of us will really be able to use in the future. I sometimes wish I knew more vocabulary and collocations instead of minute details about Walt Whitman or The Scarlett Letter.
Language skills are often pushed into the background at university. But at least the English Department introduced a language exam after the first module; in Spanish, for instance, only literature and linguistics are examined (in German of course). And in the English Department all communication is in English, which gives us a lot of possibilities to practice. In addition, the grammar and writing courses really go into depth, and we have to work hard in these courses. Still, I think that there should be much more focus on the language itself than teaching so many subjects which won’t have much importance for most of the students later on in life. There should be a lot more courses in which we could practice actual English communication and not just academic writing. The course that I’m writing this blog for is actually the first one where we’re trained to use more casual, informal English and I must say, it requires much more effort than writing one of my usual seminar papers.
I wish there were more courses or specializations to choose from, but we’re only given a choice in the last three or four terms. Also, we can’t really focus on the language because literature seminars are always part of the program, no matter what specialization we choose.
I think that this problem is not specific to our English Department but rather university studies in general. Most of them are not really practice-oriented and a lot of knowledge we will need later at work has to be acquired in special vocational training sessions. Take my sister, for example. She studied applied linguistics and her aim was to work as a speech therapist later on. When she started work, she realized that she needed a lot more training because she only had the theoretical background – actually diagnosing and treating patient was something completely different. That’s the same in most of the degree programs, where we get a lot of theoretical background but actually have no idea how to apply this knowledge at work. It usually costs a lot of money to do additional training or you have to work in a company or institution for free during the summer holidays just to gain some practical experience. Only those who are really motivated and willing to expand their knowledge and experience in their free time are maybe well prepared for their future work. But if you have to work for free during the holidays, how are you going to earn the money you need to live while you’re at university?
I have learned a lot at university and I have definitely improved my English skills. I also feel capable of using these language skills later at work. But, considering the amount of work I did during the course of my studies and the number of topics and subjects I’ll forget as soon as my studies are over, I could have achieved a lot more if given more adequate training. This is what sometimes makes me sad when I think about our universities. There’s so much we have to study, but often so little we can really learn from.
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