I found Scholes book to be way more reader-friendly than others we have read so far. I actually enjoyed reading about how the classical studies such as Greek and Latin used to be the foundation of most humanistic curriculums years ago. I probably should have known that Greek and Latin were the basis for most traditional realms of study, yet had no idea of just how significant they were in the rise and fall of english. Duh! I knew people in the “olden days” studied classical things, but never figured that they had directly impacted the world of modern english. Now I can see the connection! While reading, I started to visualize english like a roller-coaster ride, a lull of continual waves that rise and fall depending upon environmental factors.
A line I really liked from Scholes says, “English is not Greek, of course, and it is bound to be a subject of interest as long as it is the dominant language of our country and a world language of major importance, but it has not always been taught and studied in the forms we are accustomed to and sometimes believe to be eternal” (Scholes 2). Thus, upon reading this, I gather that the struggle of english will continue to find its footing in our modern universities for years to come. No one can say just which way it will go next.
Another rather deep thought that I took away from the reading says, “What I mean, then, by becoming an English teacher, includes a sense of one’s own limitations, an awareness of how deep the sea of English is and how shallow and frail one’s boat. We teachers, it seems have apprenticed ourselves to a discipline we can never hope to master-which means that we must learn to enjoy reducing our clumsiness and ignorance without ever hoping to be perfectly graceful and wise. We must learn to enjoy the state of becoming, for we will never fully and perfectly be English teachers” (Scholes 70). This statement just seemed so spiritual to me. Sometimes I really do feel like a servant to my master. I literally “serve” the world of the english language. I can never fully hope to conquer it, because that is not realistic, or in the cards. As teachers, we sometimes need to let go and enjoy the ride, as they say. Cause english seems to have a master plan we may not be aware of.
