What have Anglophone Studies given me?
Well, I would rather start with what it took from me. Unfortunately, it took
almost all of the last illusions I had. I realized that I will never learn
English (or any other) language to such an extent that it would satisfy me. How
could I – when I make mistakes even in my own mother tongue? Together with this
arose another issue – how can I teach someone if I am not perfect myself in the
subject? Maybe it seems as a triviality but it is not, particularly with regard
to my future job.
I always thought that literature is
amazing. And this belief stayed with me for these three years. Although, I am
not that sure that to anatomize every single detail in a book or in a sentence
is such a deserving act. How could it be when some people in our age learn how to
save human lives? Or develop amazing gadgets which we will never understand?
BUT – studying literature / linguistics
means studying life in general. It will not help us to get a job or an
acknowledgment from those who can never understand the concept of
humanities...yet, it provides us with a certain feeling of appurtenance, with a
detached view on the world behind the walls of our alma mater. We can feel
somebody else’s stories over and over again, and simultaneously realize it. We
can find details which others may not be able to find...
This makes it so special – and also gives
a reason to endure all those unpleasant moments of student´s hardship. And
lastly, would you find any other studies that would provide you with such an
extensive list of good books to read?
Veronika Soukupová
