English Literature and Linguistics are both
related to the BS English degree program. For the first two years, students are
taught both Linguistics and Literature, but when they reach in 3rd
year of their academic year, they have to select either Linguistics or English Literature.
Literature and linguistic being belong to the same department, but there is a vast
difference between both fields. In the field of linguistics, you have to study
the language and its related terminologies. However, Literature is unlike Linguistics,
as in Literature, a student has to go through literary books like poems, novels,
dramas, and prose. But when selecting Linguistics and Literature, most students
are confused about which field is better, what they should choose, and which
field will be beneficial for them in their professional life. So in this
article, we will discuss which field is better, either Linguistics or Literature,
and how you can come to know which subject will be beneficial to you.
Why should we not study Literature?
If we compare Linguistics with Literature, according
to my observation, Linguistics is a bit easier than Literature. English Literature
is a vast subject as compared to Linguistics. For instance, if you go through any commission of a lecturer, there are MCQs, and in terms of MCQs, a
student cannot cover up entire English Literature within a given period. In
other words, we can say it is pretty impossible for him. Let's be further clarified
with the following example. If you study the biography of a writer, playwright,
etc., you will also have to look at their works and their life background. In Literature,
so many writers have written many books, so you must study their literary works
along with their biography, and in this way, this process goes on. Already
enrolled English literature students face the difficulty that they cannot cover
the English literature topics in the given time. Besides that, another problem that
a literature student usually faces is memorizing the years and dates of the
writer's birth and their publication of works. Many times, most students forget
the year or sometimes mix it with another contemporary writer. These are the most
common difficulties which almost every literature student experiences.
On the other hand, Linguistics is free from
such hurdles as in Linguistics, and you will have so many terminologies and
branches that you have to study, which are much more manageable than remembering
the years, works, and on and on. For this reason, Linguistics can be considered
easier than Literature. Moreover, there is also a myth that most students select
English Literature even if they wanted to join Linguistics.
Why should we English Literature?
Apart from memorizing purposes, there are other
beneficial reasons for which you can go for English Literature. English Literature
is a field that makes you able to become a critical thinker and an explorer. It
enables us to analyze thing from every aspect. Moreover, it is the Literature
by which we flourish to understand complex poetries, novels, or poems effortlessly. Similarly, English Literature makes us familiar with a
hidden world, i.e., the world of
knowledge. As in Literature, we mostly do reading, and through that, we
explore the world of knowledge. Apart from that, English Literature is a broadening
field compared to Linguistics. In terms of research, We can have so many research
topics to conduct our research in Literature.
Why should we not study Linguistics?
For the following reasons, you should not go
with Linguistics:
1. You are not interested in a specific
language
2. Do not want to know how a language develops
or what psychological involvement is in developing a language.
3. Do not want to acquire the history of the Latin
language.
If the points mentioned above are not included in your plans, you must quit Linguistics as Linguistics is all about studying the language.
CONCLUSION:
So, it can be concluded that both fields keep
significance in professional life and personal life. Like a coin has dual faces in
the same way, there are two sides to Literature and Linguistics. Now it is your
choice which field your interest lies in and what your study plans are, and
based on your study plan, you must select the area accordingly.
