English - The most bs subject taught?

[Killa_ken]

I honestly don't understand this, why do ******* english teachers ask such retard questions like what is the context of this essay, who is the intended audience, and what is the author trying to persuade you of.

why don't they get real ******* jobs and stop asking questions to which nobody gives a flying toss about.

 

[PardonTheWait]

For the same reason professional NFL players don't get real jobs and stop running into each other and throwing a balloon around?

 

[Killa_ken]

NFL is entertaining, english class is hell.

 

[PardonTheWait]

From your perspective.

Some find English lessons riveting.

 

[Scuzi]

They're trying to teach folk like you how to use the language properly.

Judging by your post, you could benefit from paying more attention in their class.

 

[bum]

Have more context!

 

[snowdog]

Killa_ken still goes to school ?
Edit: ah 21, but they still teach that rubbish on your studies in uni/college ?

Anyways, I agree, I get the same questions for Dutch:

who is the intended audience, and what is the author trying to persuade you of

Even on my exams. Luckily you can pass the exams without doing a thing for it because of the type of the questions, but still I think it's a waste of time...

 

[int]

Angry at homework?

 

[Killa_ken]

English is a graduation requirement, one that I am yet to fill.

 

[thecremeegg]

You have a point - I hated having to analyse poetry, biggest load of crap ever! I'm pretty sure than when writing the poem, the poet didnt analyse each line to ensure that it meant something.....utter balls imo

 

[yer_averagejoe]

i used to feel the same but now i realise it is a brilliant subject and one you should pay attention in. you might not like the subject matter they're giving you, so why not go out and choose some of your own? reading books is very important and if you havent read a lot already, you should start now.

 

[M0T]

You have a point - I hated having to analyse poetry, biggest load of crap ever! I'm pretty sure than when writing the poem, the poet didnt analyse each line to ensure that it meant something.....utter balls imo

I completely agree with that. I remember reading that some authors came out and said that the way that their works were analysed in english classes meant that people were finding meanings that just weren't there.

Saying that it is a very useful skill to have when doing a research based degree.

 

[KittensCake]

I've only just realised this, but I think Killa_Ken is actually a Jock. He's from the US, he says in his profile he loves American football, gym, he thinks he's better than everyone else, he's probably on roids and regularly goes on about how he will smash peoples faces in, and he thinks English is a waste of time, probably thinks the same about any other subject that doesn't involve sport.

BE GONE FOUL BEAST

THIS ANTI-JOCK SOLUTION WILL SCARE HIM AWAY

 

[Energize]

The english language cirriculum needs restructuring, so that rather than wasting time analysing poems and stories for some hidden meaning, people are tested on their ability to write formally, spelling, grammar etc. Real world stuff rather than story writing.

Art was another pointless subject, so much time spent just copying other artists works and teachers blathering on about techniques when we hadn't actually even been taught to draw properly.

 

[int]

The english language cirriculum needs restructuring, so that rather than wasting time analysing poems and stories for some hidden meaning, people are tested on their ability to write formally, spelling, grammar etc. Real world stuff rather than story writing.

"Story writing" is a way of showing you can structure your language, use correct terminology, grammar and spelling. If someone enjoys it whilst they're doing that then that's just a bonus.
At 16 I'd rather write a story or a pretend news article than practice writing formal letters.

 

[snowdog]

"Story writing" is a way of showing you can structure your language, use correct terminology, grammar and spelling. If someone enjoys it whilst they're doing that then that's just a bonus.
At 16 I'd rather write a story or a pretend news article than practice writing formal letters.

That's rubbish.
Í had to learn both but tbh writing random rubbish is boring and pointless, I hate writing already and writing some story is liek torture, an utter utter waste of time...

While writing formal letters will be handy in the future, the schools should concentrate on this, along with learning better how to make CV's, letters of application, etc... They do it already but too little, too much time is wasted on some ****** poems...

Writing poems does not give you money in the end unless you like it or are talented. Writing a CV and letter of application gives you a job, it pays off in the end and will be very handy in life.

 

[Werewolf]

They're trying to teach folk like you how to use the language properly.

Judging by your post, you could benefit from paying more attention in their class.

That's pretty much it, it's also about being able to understand the angle from what I remember.

Ken, it's a very handy ability to have, especially when you're reading the newspaper, or watching Faux "News", knowing who the audience is they are playing to, and being able to understand/read between the lines in regards to the wording can be extremely useful in enabling you to get to the facts rather than the hyperbole.
It's especially useful if you're reading something that might be a bit older than your current generation.

For example it can also make some books much more enjoyable, by honing your ability to think about what you're reading (some authors for example might have hidden jokes/references that can add to the fun of reading the book), in the case of older books by helping you to understand that something was not talked about openly at the time, so the use of certain words or phrases in a particular context can be extremely important in understanding what is being said.


Snowdog, writing poetry might not help directly with say writing a CV, but it does make you think very hard about the words you're using, something that is extremely useful when writing things like a CV, and of utmost importance when dealing with many professional subjects (a single word in a legal document can change the whole meaning of it, making it useless).
So it does have a point.

 

[sarutobi]

Because English teaches you how to read, write, analyse, explain, understand and communicate. All of which are core life skills.

I used to think like you do, "its so pointless, i know how to communicate properly. I can read and write." But when I actually started taking an interest in English (had a great teacher for 5th year) my whole perspective on almost everything changed. No longer did I look at poems and books as complete mince. I understood how they were written and why they were written. I could analyse and criticise things I never could in the past.

Comics, films, tv shows, magazines, VIDEO GAMES etc all started to look different to me. I could now see them as they were meant to be seen. I could catch all the hidden themes and symbolism that I couldnt before. And it all became much more interesting. Things I used to take at only face value were transformed into complex pieces of art. This new found comprehension gave me new tools to work with in my quest to communicate MY ideas and philosophies.


Without english, all the basics of the language would soon be the only thing left. Which in turn would begin to deteriorate. The ability to communicate would be lost save for the odd lol or stfu here and there. The grammatical ability of the country is bad enough as it is without us pulling away their only hope for a better grasp at their own language.


P.S I know this post is full of grammatical errors etc but i dont care its 2.20 in the morning and at least i know what im talking about

 

[Inquisitor]

"Story writing" is a way of showing you can structure your language, use correct terminology, grammar and spelling. If someone enjoys it whilst they're doing that then that's just a bonus.
At 16 I'd rather write a story or a pretend news article than practice writing formal letters.

Quite. While dislike like the over-analysis of texts that's quite common in English, it really isn't enough for kids just to be taught the rules of grammar and spelling.

Context an application is of paramount importance in learning the language, and that's where creative writing comes in.

That's rubbish.
Í had to learn both but tbh writing random rubbish is boring and pointless, I hate writing already and writing some story is liek torture, an utter utter waste of time...

While writing formal letters will be handy in the future, the schools should concentrate on this, along with learning better how to make CV's, letters of application, etc... They do it already but too little, too much time is wasted on some ****** poems...

Writing poems does not give you money in the end unless you like it or are talented. Writing a CV and letter of application gives you a job, it pays off in the end and will be very handy in life.

You don't learn to communicate, analyse or evaluate by writing formal letters all day long.

 

[theo]

Eng is split into Language a Litrature though for people want different things from it.

At 16 I'd rather write a story or a pretend news article than practice writing formal letters.

I'm pretty sure that's exactly what i did during my GCSEs. Each exam comprissed of a bit old question at the end with a Story or Informative based part that wanted writing.

I always enjoyed my english lessons, the work is very easy to boot i have always enjoyed reading books. Skills learnt in eng are not to be taken lightly and are used in all forms of communication. For example if someone over the internet is using sarcasm without an obvious hints, then you have to analyse the statement a decide if there is sarcasm or not. Something a lot of the internet population can't seem to do.