Reflective Writing 8: Rethink the Value of English and Writing Studies

According to reports, since 2009, there has been a decline in pursuing an English degree as several students question the utility and value of a degree in English studies or writing. Therefore this project was carried out with the intention that students can know the study English and writing, which gives access to the development of the skills they want and different job prospects. The first thing to do in this project is to collect relevant data. An example of data relevant to this project is the American Association of Colleges and Universities in It Takes More Than a Major: Employer Priorities for College Learning and Student Success. It explains that a degree is not the main focus in giving a job. Still, critical thinking, communicating well and clearly, and solving complex problems are more important than a degree. And there are many other examples of data. 

According to 2018 ADE data, there have been fluctuations in English degrees over the past few decades. The 1960s saw an increase in the number of English degrees being completed. Whereas in the 1980s, on the other hand, there was a decline in the number of English degrees completed. According to the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, the degree program that is experiencing increasing growth today is in communication. Because students think this program provides more practical skills and tends to be more professional than English. Whereas the qualifications that employers are looking for can be found in English and writing.

This project uses an autoethnographic approach based on events that have occurred in our lives. In the project, someone's experience is told about where she first majored in English education because she wanted to teach. Most of us think the same with that girl that people who graduates from an English education degree will always teach. English graduates can do anything other than teaching. With the power of words, they can do whatever they want. Another example of experience is someone who aspires to be a journalist. He has good writing and reading skills. That's why at first, he wanted to major in communication. However, he saw an English major and was interested in choosing it. As long as he studies until he gets a job, he has a high desire to explore something. He also realized that students who had a strong need to write or research or read were much more open to possible unknown career paths with an English degree. Therefore, from some of the experiences that have been mentioned above, it can be concluded that the English department has many opportunities for various types of careers. In addition, the approach used in this project is to emphasize student motivation. One study explained that encouraging students to practice critical thinking about the relationship between academics and professionals is a better approach than just disseminating data.

From the explanation that has been given, it can be concluded that the number of English study programs has fluctuated over the last few decades. It increased in the 1960s and experienced a significant decline in 2009. The reason is that many students still question the value and usefulness of a degree in English and writing studies. In fact, if we look at some of the existing data or evidence, it shows that the English department has a pretty good opportunity for various current careers. Because most employers provide job qualifications that can be studied in English majors. Therefore, with this work, it is hoped that it will open the readers' understanding of the English language education department, which does not only have the prospect of working in teaching.

 

Thank you for reading my reflective today! keep being a inspire person, everyone!🙌👀😁

Reference:

Lara Smith-Sitton, S. R. (2018). Why Writing Matters: Helping Students Rethink the Value of English and Writing Studies. Double Helix, Vol 6. doi: 10.37514/DBH-J.2018.6.1.08

 

Source: Pinterest