This research was conducted as apart of the learning requirements for ENG 252. I chose to write about the misconceptions about the English major because the topic proved interesting, relevant, and individual.
Introduction:
Sitting at the round wooden table, I overhear a flock of students talking about their classes. Often the first questions are, “What’s your major? What do you plan to do with it?” They carry on in this way until I hear one of the boys say, “I like that teacher, but I hate writing essays.” I am always baffled by this reaction to writing assignments because writing has been a requirement since elementary school. His attitude made me wonder how high disdain for writing continues into college since basic writing skills should have been developing long before a university education. “Why do I have to take English classes anyway? I am already fluent, and it doesn’t even apply to my major,” he continues. There it is. A glaring assumption of English and writing as impractical. After a handful of like experiences, I have begun to wonder if the quarrel with English is perhaps not with the language or major itself but with its relevance as a time-consuming craft.
The English major experiences the brunt of outside judgment from uninformed and informed parties, suggesting the worthlessness of an English degree. Consistently when introducing myself as an English major, people have asked me if my aspiration is to become a teacher. Ironically, I feel that they do not consider my endeavors aspirational at all. I have learned firsthand that this is the case for students major wide. The mere assumptions that English degrees can only be applied to teaching reflects the most common misconception of the English major. The versatility of the English major is quite real and defies the general expectation.
Because the English major has no defined application toward one specific future job or profession, a Bachelor of Arts in English can be bent, molded, and used in many circumstances as a foundational degree. According to Learn.org, “Many people think finding a job for English majors is next to impossible. Fortunately, Bachelor's degree programs in English teach many useful skills that make graduates employable in a variety of areas.” Due to this open-ended characteristic, outsiders understand the degree to be aimless and unfocused, despite its proven utility. According to an article entitled, “What Are Popular Jobs for Graduates with an English Major,”[AC1] “English majors can work in many job sectors because of the solid written and verbal communications skills they have developed. Even if you don't find the perfect job right away, keep in mind that you may have to pay your dues before you get the job of your dreams.” This information should provide good confidence to those currently in or considering to pursue the English major.
The Misconceptions:
Missing the utility of the major can create problems in the seriousness given to the major as a valuable educational pursuit. As listed in the article entitled “The 9 Most Common Misconceptions About English Majors (And Why They’re Not Always True),” the following are included as the most common misconceptions that fall upon English majors: the skills learned in English class don’t translate to the “real world”, all English majors want to be teachers, English majors won’t make any money, and there are no jobs for English majors. These widely circulated misconceptions of the English major can cause casual attitudes towards the major’s utility, but the potentially lucrative future of English majors is very much a reality which can be realized through proper exploration of English-based fields and by formally combating the negative stereotype of English major unsuccess within and without the English field.
Jordan Peterson, a well-known academic and motivational speaker, asserts that the entire purpose of gaining an education is to become articulate in expressing ideas. He insists that clarity in speaking and conveying ideas is power. These skills hone the power of influence. In his talk entitled “The Greatest Speech Every Student Should Hear”, he more specifically states, “The reason that you come to university to be educated is because there is nothing more powerful than someone who is articulate and who can think and speak. It is power…It is authority and influence, and respectability and competence.” If this is a true facet of education’s purpose, then why is the English major so misunderstood? This well-educated, well-esteemed intellectual felt the need to address students directly and point out the importance of communication through speaking and writing as a far-reaching, essential prong of education. His observation defends the fact that the skills in the English major are not useless. What major hones these skills better than one focused around writing, speaking, reading, and analyzing?
Utility and Relevance in the “Real World”:
English is very relevant inside and outside academic settings. Perhaps this is more obvious to those who speak English as a second language. Any entry-level degree opens with general requirements including basic English classes. Because of the nature of the English degree, some schools, including BYU-Idaho, do not offer Associate’s degrees in that major. This is likely because a bachelor’s degree is more marketable when applying of jobs. Completing an internship is also not required to graduate but experience seems to be key in remaining competitive in higher paying English-based positions. According to Learn.org, “Internships may provide candidates interested in highly competitive fields, such as media or publishing, with valuable experience.” Those who seek opportunities, market their skills, and freelance their services have more chances of gaining experience which in turn leads to greater potential for future employment.
The criteria for a degree in English varies from institution to institution, so for the sake of simplicity and to avoid generalizations, I will base the following observations on the requirements for a Bachelor’s of English through BYU-Idaho. As listed in the BYU-Idaho 2019 course catalog, the course learning outcome for a required 200 level English course called Fundamentals of Research and Presentation (ENG 252-01) states that, by the end of the course, “Students will demonstrate the ability to conduct and report academic research…analyze, synthesize, argue, support, organize, draft, rewrite, [and] edit.” Another required upper-level course for English majors called Advanced Research and Literary Analysis (ENG 314-02) asserts that course material will teach students to, “demonstrate the ability to write a researched and documented argument.” These skills reappear in usefulness in many real-world situations.
Scientific Research relies heavily on good record keeping. Dissertations and Theses required in grad school settings, regardless of educational focus, also demand well-written material that is original and well-supported by outside sources. The synthesis of original thoughts with those already engaged in a specific academic conversation provides strength to research papers, proposals, and gives depth to educated ideas. Based upon the brief course descriptions provided under the English major degree requirements, these skills can be well-developed long before grad school.
A secondary use of good writing skills applies to resume writing. Job applications often draw upon the ability of applicants to advertise their strengths and accomplishments in a decided, concise way. The content of a resume is crucial to getting a job interview, despite the existence of outstanding qualifications. There are numerous resume writing tips and resume builders that help with technique and content but most cost money. Jordan Peterson’s observation about the necessity of fluent communication is reaffirmed in the reality of the advantages of clean and clear articulation. Data provided by the Senior Vice President over Human Resources at ZipRecruiter, a job networking site, affirms that 80% of submitted resumes are rejected in just 11 seconds because parsing software auto rejects submissions that do not match predetermined word choice scans. Although technique can be applied to passing the “robot test,” the skills of English-based majors may give a hand up to those who apply because their natural instincts in resume building can provide for a professional voice or resume tone.
This is not to say that non-English majors are not or cannot be articulate. There are countless books published by people who focused their degrees around science or math-based fields, in art or music, in fashion or culinary arts. Though, more often than not, these authors are experts first and writers second. This means that their knowledge base gives them credibility to speak on their subject matter, but that formulating understandable material for an outside audience proves to be a challenge. Teaching a subject or communicating knowledge to an uninformed or beginner audience is different than learning and knowing a subject independently. Teaching changes the rhetorical situation, making the audience a classroom of students and changing the presentation level from advanced to beginner respectively. As consistent writers, English majors are trained to tackle these types of rhetorical thinking situations and alter presentation based upon audience. Students can greatly benefit from this catered presentation of information, though before achieving a hired English-related position, students also have the potential to take advantage of those who possess this type of know-how.
Drawing the Line:(View Slide 8 for visual.)
As consumers of literary materials and writers of academic essays, student peers commonly function based on the notion that if some pre-existing, personal relationship is established with an English major before the need for a peer edit or tailored short story, that that service or product should have an automatic “best friends discount” applied. For English majors, this usually means working for free. This thinking seems to be very backwards because those closest to the writer should want most to support them in their vocational endeavors, though this assumption does reflect the popular opinion. A layer of casualness surrounding the difficulties of the major also creates a complex relationship environment for those who choose to study in this field.
Interestingly, this chart of most respected jobs shows English-based jobs ranking at 2, 4, and 10 (Wood). This combats the belief that the English major can only merit to remedial jobs. However, it does not explain the casualness. Notably, most prestigious English-based professions do require schooling beyond a basic bachelor’s degree. This is usually to demonstrate a more tailored set of skills or interests towards a viable career. Perhaps the perspective about the degree’s potential is absent. According to a University article entitled “English Degree + Law School = Winning Combination,” “In order to prepare for the exam and for law school, the American Bar Association recommends students take courses that strengthen their writing skills and research skills, as well as pursue majors that develop skills in problem solving, analytical reading, editing and oral communication. It’s no surprise, then, that many pre-law students choose English as their major” (Spriggs). Many lawyers start with an English degree because it prepares them for the heavy writing requirements and reading comprehension that lawyering utilizes.
English Major Practicality & The Teacher Phenomena:(View Slide 9 for visual.)
Nathan Craig, lawyer, former English-major, and family friend recalls in a face-to-face interview how he began his career as a political science major. This seemed like the most obvious choice of major to prepare him for law school. A wise academic counselor advised him to change his major to English. The trusted relationship between him and his counselor lead him to switch majors. Upon entering law school, he was surprised at his advantage over the other students because he had taken his time to develop writing and critical thinking skills. He was very grateful for his informed counselor who understood the benefits of the English degree.
English majors do often use their education to develop the language abilities of others. Their understanding of the importance of strong communication makes teaching fit naturally into the mold of English majors. Despite the English-major-to-teacher stereotype, most English majors who choose the path of teaching do so with intention and even make conscious sacrifices. “According to Payscale.com in June of 2019, 64% of alumni with a Secondary English Teacher Education degree felt their job had high meaning and made the world a better place” (What Are Popular Jobs). Sometimes, it is not about the money. It is about the perceived impact on people’s lives.
Finances cannot be discounted completely, despite the drive to improve the world by personal sacrifice. The chart from the National Association of Colleges and Employers displays the median expected annual income of students based upon majors. These figures are based off true statistics, but they are projected. English as a prong under the Humanities is on the lower end of annual income which could be why higher paid income jobs seem more prestigious or desirable.
The Counteraction & Conclusion:
Individuals within the major can challenge the stereotypes by being informed. Knowing the options available to English majors, understanding the challenges of the major, and having a projected professional outlook will enable people in the major to stand out as productive and determined. The prerogative to instill confidence in outsiders towards the major can be approached much like explaining a religious belief by taking care to kindly understand the misconception and meet it with an informed answer. It can be addressed one person at a time, but surely this process will not create a lasting difference. Probably the most personal, effective way to address misconceptions is to do what English majors do best…write about it. Articles are a very unthreatening, formal way to speak about a variety of subjects. Working to publish such material could have a good impact on the future of the English major.
As seen in the various viral circumstances on social media, people who want to be heard can be heard. It just takes the right approach. Technology is a great gift in finding writing opportunities, expounding upon skills, practicing editing, and voicing well-constructed thoughts. English majors should feel accomplished to live in a time when writing and publishing is seemingly open and limitless without regard to gender or in-person popularity. This is a wonderful age for the English major, one of fruitful opportunity. Like most professions, achieving greatness in this field will require good connections and skills, but the point is that it’s possible.
(Note: Essay was a adapted later to go along with the presentation slides. All sources used for the essay are listed on the last slide of the Visme presentation.)
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