Making a Living from English: How Being 'Avocational' Means Becoming Profoundly Capable

Autor/in	Goodwyn, Andrew
Titel	Making a Living from English: How Being 'Avocational' Means Becoming Profoundly Capable
Quelle	In: English in Australia, 54 (2019) 3, S.43-52 (10 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0155-2147
Schlagwörter	Foreign Countries; Majors (Students); English; Academic Degrees; College Graduates; Outcomes of Education; Teacher Shortage; English Teachers; Employment Qualifications; English Instruction; United Kingdom (England) + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Ausland; English language; Englisch; Degree; Degrees; Academic level graduation; Akademischer Grad; Hochschulabschluss; Hochschulabsolvent; Hochschulabsolventin; Lernleistung; Schulerfolg; Lehrermangel; English language lessons; Teacher; Teachers; Englischunterricht; Lehrer; Lehrerin; Lehrende; Employment qualification; Vocational qualification; Vocational qualifications; Berufliche Qualifikation; English langauage lessons
Abstract	Around the world attacks are being made on English as a degree subject because in neoliberal terms it is perceived as not leading to graduate level employment. The evidence is clear that this is not true, certainly in England, which is the focus of this article: English graduates go into professional and well-paid careers; some of course become English teachers. A degree in English provides a powerful experience, making its graduates excellent employees in a whole range of jobs. However, in England there is a decline in the number of students choosing to study English at the age of 16, when the subject becomes a choice, and this is happening in parallel with an increasing shortage of English teachers. There is also evidence that English in schools has become much less engaging for its students and its teachers because of the current assessment regime. However, what we need to do is articulate the deep value of English and the incredible capabilities that degree level study provides for its graduates and their careers. It can be argued that a strength of the subject is that it is 'avocational': that is, not restricting to a vocation. We also need to ensure that the school experience for our students has the same power as for degree level students, linking it to the increasing recognition in society of the humanising value of the shared reading of literature. (As Provided).
Anmerkungen	Australian Association for the Teaching of English. English House, 416 Magill Road, Kensington Gardens, SA 5068 Australia. Tel: +61-8-8332-2845; Fax: +61-8-8333-0394; e-mail: aate@aate.org.au; Web site: http://www.aate.org.au
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2024/1/01