Prospects of English
I am an undergraduate student at the department of English in a private university. As a student, I have always noticed a kind of inferiority complex among the students of my department and that is, they have a feeling that with a graduation degree in English there is hardly any possibility of getting a good job in the present job market, since all the employers are looking for MBA holders, not English “literature” people. However, to my opinion this is one of the wrong ideas that people have about the students of English language and literature. Why? Let's have a look at the following points:
First, the syllabus of our university is designed to enhance the communicative skills in everyday practical life. It is very different from the traditional literature syllabus that is still in practice to a great extent in most of the public universities and colleges in our country. In those universities, the aim is “to learn about the language/ literature” not the actual use of it. As a result, even after graduating there are many students who cannot even speak English properly. And it is needless to say that in business face-to-face communication i.e. speaking is essential.
Secondly, in many courses there are instructions regarding group-study. This practice of group-study is very helpful for developing communication skills, which is mostly speaking and in some cases dealing with and managing the people in a particular situation. This skill is essential for a good business executive.
Thirdly, there is this practice of presentation in every course, which is very helpful in order to grow confidence among the students. In business or corporate jobs, presentations in English are needed. Therefore, if students are not trained beforehand on this aspect of an international language like English, how would they be able to carry out the tasks of presentations done by a corporate officer at executive level?
Fourthly, every course in English has a requirement of writing assignment. Now, these assignments have two-fold objectives regarding the skill-development of the students. Firstly, students are bound to practise writing English in order to write the assignment. As a result, their writing skill grows. Again for the assignment they often have to go on various surveys regarding assignment topics. This skill is essential for the students who want to go for marketing jobs.
To conclude this article, I would like to give a practical example from my own life. Just a couple of weeks ago, I was ordered by my father to convince an Italian buyer into buying some of our garment products. It was not only an opening venture, but also a challenge for me. Nevertheless, despite the devastating nervousness, I could do the job with considerable aplomb.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel.
Comments