As a student in high school, taking English is compulsory from grade 9 through grade 12.
At first, I thought it was unnecessary since the career path I am interested in doesn’t directly connect to the English curriculum. However, I started to realize that English isn’t just about writing poems or reading Shakespearean plays. It provides you with tools and helps you develop skills that are vital to success in all aspects of life, and is especially helpful to those pursuing a university education. Even though a lot of students consider Grade 12 University English to be a burden, I believe it to be an essential part of a high school education as it gives you a foundation in writing, communication, and analysis.
The importance of English to those entering university is evidenced by the fact that all degree programs require Grade 12 University English as a prerequisite. Our modern day educational system requires English teachers to provide instruction on proper grammar, sentence structuring and formatting. These skills are extremely valuable since a lot of programs require students to write essays, lab assignments and other university projects. Studies have shown that the most successful job applicants and employees are the ones who can write well. This shows writing is a skill that will help a person succeed, regardless of their future profession. Also, English teaches how to determine the key points in a piece of literature, which is crucial when taking notes in university. In high school, teachers guide students through the writing process by printing off notes and providing the structure for writing projects. However, as I move on to a post-secondary education, I am expected to be more independent and create writing projects on my own without assistance from professors. Without the skills learned in Grade 12 University English, I believe it would be very difficult to take proper notes and produce quality writing assignments in university.
In addition, English allows students to acquire communication skills that will help throughout their entire life. This is a skill that people use every single day making it one of the most important they will learn! Whether a person is a waitress at a local restaurant or an emergency room doctor, both professions require excellent communication since people need to understand them in order for them to do their job effectively.
Elementary and secondary English classes provide students with a foundation that will help after high school whether they choose to enter the work force directly or purse a post-secondary education. Depending on the university program, these skills may not be further developed so students need to have a good base before leaving high school. Participating in class discussions, giving presentations, and commenting on other students’ work are ways Grade 12 University English classes helped to prepare me for the future. The communication knowledge I have developed through the English curriculum will definitely benefit me for the rest of my life.
Finally, English helps students analyze a variety of texts and videos which can be researched further and presented in a professional way. This is critical in university as students may not have access to resources, like professors or teaching assistants, to discuss the content learned and get clarification, so being able to analyze the content independently will definitely help a person thrive in university. Grade 12 University English prepared me for this, having to work with many different types of material including novels, plays and videos. Learning how to analyze key points gathered from these materials and then answering questions or writing essays based on this information is common in university no matter which program I choose making English valuable to my educational success.
In conclusion, Grade 12 University English should be a requirement for all university programs. This class provides students with the necessary tools to successfully complete any program I choose to pursue at university making it an important part of my high school education. Even though many students may not be interested in a career that connects directly to an English program, I am certain that they will be able to obtain their dream job if they use the writing, communication and analysis skills taught to them in their high school English class.
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