I remember once a student asked, “Why do we have to learn English all twelve years of school? I mean, I get why the sciences are for all years, because of the development and cerebral part, and all. But, I already know how to speak and write, my computer will do my corrections, and I will never read another book after I’m done here. Why do I have to take English for 12 years? This really is stupid.”

I thought long and hard about his question. And struggled with my answer.

The next day, I returned. My answer: Why take English for 12 years? Because what you learn about in English is life – as you learn from the stories of others, you discover your life is a story, too, and you become more aware of how your story fits with others. From the day you are born to the day you die, you are a character in your story and a character in other stories – sometimes a minor character, sometimes the antagonist, sometimes the supporting lead, and always the protagonist in your story. But more than that, you are a part of history – a story, THIS story, about this point in time: for our local, for our nation, for our generation. The more you become aware of this and note this in your life, the better you can write your ‘story’.

What do you want your story to be? How do you want to be a part of the stories of others? What character do you think will honour who you really are? The more you become aware this, of these ‘inciting moments’ in life, the ‘climaxes’ along the way, the more you will take ownership of your life, learn from others (in the books and stories we read as well as others who cross your path), and you will stand on the shoulders of those who have gone before.  Your legacy will be deliberate and planned. The more you learn about others, and from others, the more you understand and the more compassionate you can become. No man is an island.

You see, at its heart, English is about the story, and, at the same time, it is about communication – writing, asking questions, observing, listening, and speaking. Hearing beyond what the ear can hear. It’s about being fully present (“to be where your feet are”), about awareness, assessing and sensitivity to others, compassion and comprehension – not just with the mind, but with the heart, too – and in there comes the analysis and comprehensive understanding that weaves life and text together. As we grow and engage, we also increase our understanding of ourselves and the world around us, our part in it, and the difference we can make.

That, I believe, is what the English class is all about, from the beginning to the end. It is the crux of life-long learning, the focus of self-awareness, and the crossroads between myself and everything that makes up the world around me and the part I play in all of it. “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players.” What role will you play?

That was my answer. And that’s why I think English … and reading and writing … are important. Not for just learning, but for living. If you want to live well, this is where you start.