Who Says It Is Useless to Study Foreign Languages: What an English Degree Did for Us
- Monica Chang
On August 12, as the University Admission Committee released the latest data of this year’s college placement results, the foreign language group had the most increased shortage of 62.47%, which became the highest among all departments. It is uncertain whether students’ proficiency in literature and linguistics is useless or unprofitable in today’s society, but some of the English department graduates from Fu Jen University have shared what an English degree did for them.
Fascinated by drama and stage at an early age, Jennifer Lin desired to study in a drama-related department during her senior high school years. “My parents prohibited me from choosing the drama department at that time,” Jennifer said in an online interview last week. “It was then that I decided to enter the English Department at Fu Jen Catholic University for its unique courses in English theater performance.” During her life in the English department, Jennifer admitted that she was not aware of what she had learned until she attended the internship program at National Theatre and Concert Hall.
As an intern responsible for touring her workplace, assisting the shows, and designing publicity plans, Jennifer explained her daily routine was composed of organizing points and constructing ideas. With the critical thinking ability and organizational skills gained from analyzing a wide range of literary works in the English Department, she was able to accomplish those unattainable tasks. Additionally, Jennifer assumed the abilities also helped with her performance in theater training. “As I read the text, I could translate the mindset, sensations, and thoughts of the characters into my personal feelings.” Jennifer said confidently, “In this way, I can express emotions that I have never experienced in person when acting, which allows me to be more in tune with the different roles than my peers.”
Jennifer Lin working as an intern at National Theater and Concert Hall. 2021. Photograph provided by: Jennifer Lin
Amigo’s workplace, 2022. Photograph provided by: Amigo Chiang.
Amigo Chiang, who decided to enter the English department because of her outstanding English grades, recalled in an online interview last week, “Most of my friends assumed I could only become a teacher, a translator, or a flight attendant. I thought, ‘How can you speculate or make a conclusion about my future, just based on what I study?’” While studying, Amigo was introduced to the marketing industry by chance and became very interested in learning more about commerce. To develop her second expertise, Amigo not only attended relevant courses offered by the English department but also actively participated in marketing-related internships in her freshman year.
During her internship interviews, Amigo was often asked by interviewers why an English student would want to work as an intern in the marketing industry. Amigo explained, “I realized that part of marketing requires creativity, and you can’t learn it from books alone.” As an English major, Amigo considered English an advantage when communicating and emailing with foreign companies and clients. In addition, the training in the English department, which often encourages students to challenge others’ statements and develop their own viewpoints, also allows Amigo to construct her views within an organized structure when reporting to supervisors and proposing innovative ideas for her marketing projects. Amigo concludes at the end, “English does not necessarily enable me to get a raise, but it helps me to earn extra points for impressions, which makes me stand out among my colleagues.”
“I had enjoyed reading Chinese books since I was a junior high school student,” said Steven Hsu, “and eventually, I also began to wonder about the literary worlds of English.” Full of curiosity and fantasies toward the English language, Steven encountered an unexpected “turning point” when he entered the English Department.
“Thanks to the countless assignments I had to finish, I was forced to recognize my psychological problems and, ultimately, embark on a journey to explore myself.” With the assistance of the Student Counseling Center in FJU, not only did his psychological state gradually improve but he also began to develop an interest in psychology. “At that time, the consulting firm was a life preserver, which brought me to shore,” Steven expressed with gratitude, “I felt a sense of duty to give back and to help those who were also tormented psychologically.”
Since then, he has taken many psychology courses and read extensively in relevant academic journals. The writing classes in the English Department have also provided him with adequate opportunities to write about psychological topics. Through years of self-training, Steven regards proficiency in English literature and language as what enables him to read words under the surface of things and comprehend psychological textbooks that are not translated properly.
Moreover, Steven also learned how to analyze literature during his years in the English Department, which has helped him analyze people and their feelings when studying psychology. Finally, Steven shared at the end, “Since we don’t make much money studying English culture and literature, we know how to find new standards to measure our value instead of valuing ourselves with money. We, therefore, should endeavor to make our experience more valuable than it is.”
Picture of Steven while working at an English cram school, 2022. Photograph provided by: Steven Hsu