When English stops connecting
This article argues that English education in higher education has become overly transactional, focusing on employability skills like CV writing rather than critical thinking and interpretation. It suggests that high grades in English courses do not always correlate with actual language proficiency.
Why it matters
It critiques the current state of academic curriculum design and the disconnect between standardized testing and real-world communication skills.
When English stops connecting left When we teach English mainly as a series of transactions, we risk giving students the vocabulary of connection without enough experience of actually connecting. Getty Images/iStockphoto Getty Images/iStockphoto https://th-i.thgim.com/public/incoming/jee0qs/article71577912.ece/alternates/FREE_1200/Kavitha.jpg Motizova Word english made with block wood letters next to a pile of other letter over wooden table. Language learning also involves interpreting, questioning, arguing, imagining and listening to another point of view and this needs to be incorporated into English teaching in higher education At a meeting, someone asked why students who score above 80- 85% in first-year English often struggle with the English sections of placement tests in the final year. Some students skipped the reading comprehension sections, while others performed poorly. But their academic records suggested that they had done very well in English. Marks vs.
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