ms and its literary taste is within the bosom of aspiring non-English teachers who counterblow the end of the English Major, face the wind of unemployment, work on meagre income, who are crucified terribly like Christ, face their cruel societies bravely and become the sign of strong eternal Christ to refine the English language and its Literature in its pure form.
Mohd Shafi Padder
English Language and its Literature is a golden wealth, which kills the rust of your mind and cleanses Your heart, improves your Communication. There is wisely business inside this language under garb and its literature which is the sauce of life.
The tragedy of this era is the end of the English Major throughout the world. There is need of an hour to re-structure the English Major and keep it safe from its crucifixion. The English Major is right now in the coffin on a carriage but soon mourners will feel its breathe and try to uncover it from the coffin with the intention of hospitalising it so that it can survive and live in its prime youth.
The UK is the cradle of the English Major and its literature. It produced great writers, poets, essayists and the critics. Together, they are collaboratively the national figures of England. They give taste to their language and literature which is felt as a sweet cuckoo’s song, but in this era the literary hunter injured its throat.
It is the era of market economy, science, technology, oil and gas which are improving day by day and moving ahead. The so-called linking language or the window of the world lost its mirth. An article on the same subject was written by Nathan Heller in the New Yorker dated 27 February 2023. He lamented on the tragic ethos of the English Major and its Literature in the USA. The great linguistics writers, poets and critics of this era lost their consciousness whilst hearing the death of their DEARY CHILD i.e. Major English Language and its Literature. The greatest scholar and the traveller of New York, Mr. Bob Walsh, ignited the mind of an English learner to infuse the spirit in the English Major and Literature and it should be felt as it was in Shakespeare’s era – in its prime age.
At this moment, it is disturbing to look at the drop in the enrolment in humanities at the colleges in the USA including Harvard University. It shook the English Learners Union throughout the world. The same is felt throughout Kashmir and the UK. Certainly, English Learners considering studying a Major in English are declining year after year. The signs are felt as English Language and Literature is right now dim in light because a tragedy has befallen upon it directly or indirectly.
It is said, “first sow, then mow”. The question which arises in the minds of the English scholars is, why does there seem to be an end of the English Major? Why has it lost its prime youth? It has various reasons which are seen or unseen. Some schools in the world teach 60% to 70% in their syllabus written in English Language and Literature, their Regional English writers, poets, essayists and critics. Their writing is indeed written in English having regional thoughts and also containing imperfect grammar but which is improving in nature. In Kashmir, unskilled, amateurs and non-professional are teaching the English Language and Literature, people who do not have Bachelors or Master’s Degree in English. In some countries, English received a hostile treatment. Some nations – so called developing countries – charged English Language and its Literature and deprived their respective nationals of their national respect. Some are saying, by qualifying in English Language and Literature the learners are non-religious, following English fashions and behaviour. Hence, Non-English Teachers of English Language and its Literature are living as step brothers or sisters. The state recruitment for English Teachers is only 0 to 5 %, which is equal to nil at the bottom. However, Non-English Teachers of English Language and its Literature are facing high unemployment and their unemployment rate is increasing day by day. The English ethics, ethos and figure is disfiguring and deforming as a man is disfigured by a wild bear. Unskilled teachers who are teaching English and its Literature in the schools of Kashmir are making classes dull, uninteresting and in doing this, are encouraging the death of the English Major. The non-native literary artists became literary artists when they read our original English grandmasters like Geoffrey Chaucer, William Shakespeare, Ben Johnson, John Dryden, Francis Bacon, Henry Fielding, Wordsworth, Arnold, John Milton, Shelly, Keats, Eliot and others. The grandmasters of English teaching and its literature are dropped in the Asian schools by their boards in their text books prescribed by them. In lieu of it, they are teaching their non-native literary figures who are not perfect but emerging and improving linguistics or artists. The primary importance is given to the secondary artists, who themselves were the readers of grand English Masters. Hence, the original artists are neglected and the golden era of former artists is hardly provided to the students. They are not well acquainted with the Great Grandfathers of Major English Language and its Literature.
There are some unique measures by which we can revive its original spirit. Some of the important controlling powers are non-English teachers of English Language and Literature, who are not working in Government Institutions, should be encouraged to move further into English education, they should be well equipped, technologically, developed free of cost by the British Council. They should be given fully funded scholarships as unemployed English teachers by the UK, USA, Australia, Scotland, Canada and South Africa.
Basically, there is a fashion in university subjects. Sometimes, they become less popular -and they come back into fashion. As right now in UK, we had less boys wanting to do science and commerce degrees – but more girls wanted to do science and commerce subjects. It is just a fashion – it fluctuates. It is not important.
There should be a separate job giving platform for the unemployed English teachers in the UK and the USA, who will assist, hire and recruit them throughout the countries. Their writings should be encouraged and appreciated, and their Language Learning should be valued. Special concession should be given to them. They should be given free jobs, but in return the non-English Teachers of English Language should provide tax to the British or USA Government monthly after getting the salary. The English Language should be branched into the economic English, English of Technology, Market English so that it can achieve worldwide fame and its glory will resume its stature which is need of an hour.
Throughout the countries, Scholarships is given to the richer community who can afford fees and other expenditures. Those who are working in Government. Higher officials are getting Chevening Scholarship. The unemployed non-English teachers of English Language and Literature are neglected, whose conditions are worse than a beggar. They are now working as Cleaners, housekeepers, Cashiers, Clerks etc.
Finally, the tragedy with the end of the English Major should be controlled, and the English family should observe, measure and examine the critical issue carefully to find its outcome and save the English Characters, their Language and Literature from crucifixion. The non-English teachers of English Language should be knighted with honour, which they deserve because they are living the life of aliens.
Mohd Shafi Padder is an author and his literary work of art is published in Feelings International USA, A book of Artists,https;//autunisPoetry.com,A Glympse(PPDe Anand) Sydney, Arts and Humanities Sr.No. 49124 entitled LangLit:An International Peer Review etc.He can be mailed at paddershafi20@gmail.com
