So many doors will open for you only if you allow yourself to be the best you can be and won't let your degree limit you, regardless of your bachelor.

Hello guys! I'm back to writing in my blog after a hectic few months at work! For this post, I won't impose on anyone why my degree was the best choice for me despite getting accepted in mostly Journalism and Mass Communication programs in other universities but I am definitely proud to share why my degree has been absolutely helpful in many ways. Always remember though that all programs are different and others are best for different people but if you have been eyeing to pursue AB English or BSE English, here are reasons you should definitely give this a go!


1. English is beyond the typical language and reading

In DLSU, I chose English as my first course over Communication Arts and Organizational Communication because I was interested in the field of Linguistics and Literature. Linguistics is my favorite because this is beyond grammar rules you were taught as gradeschoolers and high schoolers; I had one major where a professor during our first day of class bluntly proclaimed to our confused class "THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS GRAMMAR" and yes, it lead me to an existential crisis hehe. You will learn that grammar is a societal and cultural thing embedded in our textbooks as something formal but not what is set in stone.

Literature is another interest I have because I love reading but if you're an English major, you're not only exposed to just American and English Lit but also tons of local and world Lit. I'm thankful that through my major I grew love for not just the classic Western authors but also even local writers and even BC (Before Christ) era ones or even contemporary, millennial writers.

Also, at least while I was still studying, I had professors who found ways to use lessons as a way to open up to society issues. I had a prof whose class also served as Gender studies for me and I learned a whole lot. I also had another professor who taught us about theater and the arts as one way to improve confidence in public speaking.

English is fun! I still find myself being a nerd whenever I speak of less-spoken about literary masterpieces that are short stories (Here's an O Henry piece that isn't "The Last leaf" and is my personal favorite!) and poetry (I love introducing Jose Garcia Villa to anyone who'll listen especially "The Bashful One" and "Emperor's New Sonnet") or explain some sociolingustic trends such as codeswitching (or ~~conyo language~~ to the common people which is actually more complicated and not as you think) and swardspeak (aka Beki speak which I did a research on this back in college and read the pioneer research on this that actually dates back in the 70s!).

2. Having an education background helps in other ways 

Being a BSE English graduate, I also had Eduk units. So besides having the opportunity to learn in the fields of Linguistics and Literature, I also had Professional Education courses. Maybe if teaching is not your cup of tea, you won't enjoy lesson plan making or classroom management learning but listen up! Teaching for me is a test of patience and grit. You have to remember how to make your lessons timely and appropriate for your class and execute it well enough in class. I had difficulty in teaching back in college because I was more of a writer than a speaker but it built my confidence as time went by because I learned to teach in front of large class sizes and even learn how to manage everything in one hour.

As a writer, although I don't writer lesson plans or create tests in my line of work, the patience and diskarte being a teacher entails you to earn had benefited me in so many ways especially with tight deadlines and dealing with difficult personalities in Journalism.

Having also a background in education means also you are trained in research. I will tell you how research training came in handy, from finding other ways to pursue results to abiding by writing ethics such as detecting plagiarism. In DLSU, this was a HUGE deal for us so I was taught to not only do my citations well to avoid plagiarism but also detect plagiarism.

Also, having eduk units means you are qualified to take the Licensure Examination for Teachers (LET) and if you pass the test, you will have a PRC ID and that means exemption from taking any Civil Service related test! (You hit two birds with one stone here).

3. Teaching English is a necessity

People already associate English with English teachers and that isn't a bad thing! Having English as the other official language of the Philippines, everyone locally definitely needs to learn to master it. Besides learning English being in demand locally, there are also opportunities to teach it abroad especially with so many bilateral agreements (To name a few, check this and this by yours truly ajejeje)

I won't lie and say it's easy to teach English if your students speak a different language at home and with others because it is a challenge yet what noble profession doesn't have any share of difficulties? It's a rewarding feeling when you teach students especially with skills they will need in the future such as writing and speaking.

Also, English classes are a great opportunity to teach kids HOW TO VALIDATE SOURCES. In this era of fake news, media and internet literacy is a must know for everyone. English teachers can weave in these lessons and I can't stress enough how schools definitely need this and English teachers, with our papers and research we assign to our students, we need to emphasize this to the young ones!

Another thing you can consider when you're in English is that language and literature are useful venues to discuss society issues. How about holding debates on current issues for your speech classes? Also, when I used to teach English back in my practicum, I taught poetry and incorporated some real life issues while analyzing with my students. It's daring, sure, but English for me isn't only a personal skill but also a societal instrument.


4. It doesn't only lead to teaching

Many of my blockmates in English are now amazing educators in great schools but I will also share that some are also pursuing other fields. A number I know are in law school which I believe English is one of the best pre-law programs because major classes you're required to take in English are going to be more useful for practising law. One branch of Linguistics is Stylistics and I had a class solely dedicated to that. Stylistics focuses on the interpretation of texts, so that will depend on many given factors such as words used together and its context and even how, where, why it is written. It still stands as one of my favorite majors as an English grad which I think will be immensely useful for Law students out there.

Wanna work in PR and Marketing? English too also provides a great training for that. Besides the numerous writing and speech classes we are required to take which makes it great when you write press releases and in hosting, the training in being creative with presentations also serves as a practice for when you pitch in for ideas on promotion of brands, goods, services.

English is also a great degree to have if you want to pursue higher education in Literature. While of course, Literature is still the best undergrad if you want to pursue Literature, I'll also share how some Literature professors I know actually pursued the same undergraduate program I did and are now amazing writers especially after they finished their MA and PhD in Literature.

If your writing goal is more journalist than novelist (may kilala akong ganyan), I will attest that having an English background is extremely relevant in your career path. I use my analysis and interpretation skills I learned from my English majors classes on a number of news, laws, documents, and others I have to write about. I also apply a lot of research ethics in my work and also the patience I have in dealing with various student personalities with different people in my work.

English is beyond teaching, language, and linguistics.

I feel like being an English Major has defined so much of me as a person. If someday you do believe that having an English degree will be the best path for you, I will tell you that you will not regret it! ❤️❤️❤️