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What is English literature?
English — the legendary subject where we all struggled to write literary essays and integrating quotes, searching desperately on Thesaurus to find the word we needed. Whether "crashing out" in in-class writing or burning the night oil to study for a grammar test, English is the subject ingrained in a very core part of school. The question is, what is behind the English literature we see today?
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English Literature has been produced since the 7th Century, with one of its earliest masterpieces being Beowulf, an Old English epic with its origins in a time between 700 to 1000 AD.The English ​Language was then heavily influenced by French after the Normal Conquest. Moreover, Celtic fringes and other cultures have also enriched English literature.
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English literature has a rich influence on the world, but especially shaped the landscape in England. In the Middle Ages, English competed with Latin and Anglo-Norman English, especially among the literate minority. However, the renaissance and the Elizabethan Era created a golden age for English literature, with William Shakespeare's plays transcending time with its depth and richness. The King James version of the Bible was also exemplary in English literature, spreading all over the world in 1611.
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English literature has evolved significantly in cultural, social, and political contexts not only in England, but also all around the world. The major pieces of literature written in English outside the British Isles are treated separately: under American literature, Australian literature, Canadian literature, and New Zealand literature.
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Why is English Important?
English is a language spoken worldwide by 1.5 billion people, with approximately 400 million native speakers among them. It is the most widespread language around the world and holds its significance in professional settings, advanced technology, universities, economics, and general navigation. English serves as a connection to global affairs (Tariffs...) and a universal language to communicate and network with millions upon millions of people.
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Moreover, studying English also increases one's literacy and critical thinking. English literature enhances one's understanding of different opinions and worldviews, as well as developing critical thinking and debating skills which will be extremely useful in the future. It also provides a deeper understanding of the world through writers who have accumulated wisdom over the years. From modern dystopias that have long been foretold by George Orwell's 1984, to complex dilemmas of morality narrated in Fyodor Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment, each hold such a deep understanding of society and the various issues that arise within it that the average person looks past. Taking in different opinions and insights of authors will certainly change how one perceives the world and avoid falling into a negative cycle of tunnel vision, which can lead to ignorance for facts that are clear to the eye.
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Lastly, learning how to communicate with others properly is one of the, if not the most important skill needed to lead a successful life. Understanding objectives in jobs, persuading others in a life-changing decision, handling and managing relationships, writing resumes and job emails... these situation all require a decent skill of communication. By studying English, one will naturally learn the suitable communication strategies and appropiate grammar structure for formal situations. Some professionals even state they will reject a person if they have incorrect grammar in their applications, showing simply how important grammar is in real life.​
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