It seems ridiculous to many senior students entering Year 11 that the one subject that they must do is English, an arguably artistic and philosophical subject which isn’t suited for many students, especially those students who align themselves with the sciences. Additionally, many students struggle to understand the real-world applications of English as a subject, with many believing that the only future profession they may have if they study English is to become an English teacher. And while, as a former Extension 2 English student, I may be biased, I do believe that senior English provides integral foundations for the future and other concurrently studied subjects.

Quite obviously, English teaches students about how to structure their language and their arguments. It allows students to understand how their control of language impacts the reception of their writing. For example, a student who learns to uplevel their writing from “this quote is powerful because it shows passion” to “this passage is integral in understanding the underlying passion which the characters had for life” not only sounds more professional, but conveys their point with more complexity, depth, and sophistication. This is applicable in future as this same student goes on to articulate themselves better in job interviews, reports which they may need to write, and generally expressing themselves in a better, clearer way.

Additionally, the analytical aspect of English teaches students high order critical thinking skills. The ability to truly recognise how choices an author makes impacts their writing is a transferable skill which teaches students the importance of their actions. This also expands into a more well-rounded, emotionally mature person who is more adept at recognising causality and responding appropriately to new situations.

Moreover, despite some students arguing that, unlike other HSC subjects, the only career to which English leads is an English teacher, this could not be falser, with English-based careers abundant. For example, journalism, teaching, editing, copywriting, law, research, and archivism all require strong understandings of English literature and a strong basis of English writing, especially control of language. Even careers which seemingly are completely irrelevant to English require a strong foundation of English, including Engineering and Science, which both involve report writing and a professional, academic voice to be used.

Ultimately, while at times English may seem like a useless subject to many students, its applications are bountiful and, more importantly, the skills which it teaches create well-rounded, intelligent individuals who contribute positively to the world. Thus, despite many debates regarding its legitimacy as a compulsory HSC subject, English remains an integral part of a students’ tertiary education, at least for now!

Shahaf Liraz