Use What We Know

We never realize the variety of knowledge we know until we have to put it to use. At some point, we have all wondered what the real use of Grade 12 University level English really is. We never think it is relevant to the program we want to take, but what we don’t understand is, that English is the apple to the pie in relevance to university; Without it, what really is university?  So, the question is: should Grade 12 University level English be a requirement for entry into all university programs?

Tree growing from open book
Tree growing from open book to show expansion in knowledge.

Each university program has its level of difficulty and expectations. In Grade 12 University level English, they prepare us for what is expected in university in terms of; reading and comprehension skills, writing skills, and, research skills. Without the preparation, we lack the knowledge we are already expected to know. Without the “how to” lessons, we lack the practice to get better. We must take one step at a time to increase our knowledge instead of skipping one too many steps and end up falling back.

According to The University of Waterloo, where they require students to pass an exam testing their English language skills before entry. Almost a third of those students are failing. Poor grammar is the major reason students are failing. We cannot jump into something we don’t know. We need the preparation to help us through university and expand our knowledge to a higher level of thinking.

In any career path we choose to take, we must show some sort of professionalism in what we do. In university, we will be challenged to show what we have learned in several different forms of writing. What we learn in school is always used some

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Paper and pen. The main tools needed to write.

where down our career paths. We will always have to write reports, documents, or emails, in which has to do with our jobs. Depending on what we study in university, we will be required to learn new terminology that we must be able to put into words that make it easier for us to understand. With the proper grammar, expansion in our vocabulary, and proper writing techniques, we will make our jobs easier for ourselves and others to achieve a good career.

When we think of Grade 12 University level English, we think of it as being long essay papers, 1000 word reports and just pure stress. But, what we don’t realize is English is really about literature and critical thinking. We have become lazy in our society with our English. We have started to express ourselves with short terms and abbreviations, so much, that we are beginning to forget proper grammar and writing techniques. Having Grade 12 University level English as requirement for entry into universities forces us to constantly be critical in our thinking, grammar, writing skills, and research skills, do to the fact, short term and abbreviations are not acceptable in terms of proper English. We realize the benefits of learning proper English every day since it follows us every where we go.