When growing up, I sometimes questioned why students had to take English every year. Looking back, I can see there is some merit to taking English. The typical English education can be broken down into categories: vocabulary, grammar, and literature.

Vocabulary is a never ending life learning experience. Nobody really knows how many words there are in the English language. New words and meanings continuously appear as society develops. Some online searches attempt to estimate the language as containing over a million words. The main reason for vocabulary is so that we’re able to understand the messages that are conveyed to us.

Grammar involves our command of the language to effectively communicate to others. Fortunately, the rules of grammar do not change often. However, we’ll always have to pay attention to our use of grammar in conveying our thoughts to others. Grammar skills will indicate to your audience the effectiveness of your communication skills.

Literature involves the reading of “literary works”, and deciphering what the author is attempting to communicate to the reader. Literature exposes readers to the vocabulary and grammar skills others are using to convey a message. Exposure to multiple writing styles help to shape the reader’s personal writing style. Experiencing numerous ways to communicate a story will help the reader learn to communicate their own thoughts.

Combining a strong vocabulary, grammar skills, and a literature background provides the tools for anyone to become an effective communicator. Utilizing these tools efficiently is a lifelong improvement process. As far as how many English classes the typical student needs, I don’t know. I only know that some folks spend an entire lifetime improving their skills.

-M