English is a central issue in British schools. All pupils from infant to school age are obliged to examine it in some way or another. The study of English at a higher level continues to be popular, but it is not for everyone.
Most traditional English courses was largely based literature. This meant and still means you have plenty to read. If you enjoy reading it's no problem, but much of that read, in fact most of what is likely to happen in your own time. You will be asked to read literature from different ages and different genre. It is likely that you will study prose, poetry and drama. Unlike some other issues where there is great attention to absorbing facts that English is often different because it is based more on your personal response to what you've read.
More recently, there has been a growth in the number of English courses, which are language based, and look at various aspects of English and linguistics. The courses, for example, you may be asked to translate a text from one genre to another. There has also been a development in writing courses that enable students to write masterfully in both creative and functional languages. Subjects are often associated with English Media Studies and Drama.
The disadvantage of studying English especially in the more traditional courses is the huge focus on reading. If you are not an avid reader and very few enjoy reading it may be wise for you to think about studying English. With the emphasis being on personal response and opinion rather than fact-based results, as this can cause problems for some. The requirement to write long essays are not specific to English. Other issues requiring projects, dissertations, and long essays, but it is unlikely that you expected to write quite as much as you would for English study.
A qualification in English at any level is likely to be an important factor in making the search for a job easier. There are many opportunities for people with English at degree level, because its value is recognized in business and professions.
At some point in your course, you will almost certainly be obliged to make at least one major project. So where do you start? The library of course! In addition, you must remember that there is a wealth of information available via the Internet.
The Internet is a fantastic support for all forms of inquiry and if you need information when researching a project, so there is an abundance of it. Information on almost any subject you can name the search engines and electronic encyclopedia, and the information made available in large quantities. It is therefore important to find out exactly what you need, what is relevant.
A lot of the information will also be an opinion or just nonsense peddled as knowledge. You must be careful and distinguish the two. General information is well established will be found in several places or attributed to a reliable source. It is often worth trying to control all potentially controversial items independently offline. It may take time and effort using the Internet is seen by many as a quick way to get information. It is not. Allow sufficient time for your project so you can check your facts and to develop your own opinions. Your tutor's time is valuable, he / she will not thank you for wasting it with unsubstantiated rubbish from unreliable sources.
Be selective; decide what the project requires. Try to be specific and targeted. If your project contains irrelevant information and the details are not likely to be seen positively, so make sure you use only what is necessary to improve your project. Do not make the mistake to copy large excerpts from the network, and this is not a good idea. Even more important than copying large chunks, you do not try to go down, what you make copies as you own work. This is plagiarism and viewed very seriously by examiners and moderators at all levels of academic studies. It is also completely meaningless, since it eliminates all learning opportunities.
When you find the information you need, you need to read it, understand it and then try to put it in your own words. Initially, this maybe hard for you to achieve, but the more you do it the easier it becomes. You will learn how to process the information to your advantage.
If your project you need to include photographs, pictures or other images then the Internet can be very useful in these and incorporate them into your work. But make sure you get permission to use images. It is unlikely that you will ever be prosecuted for stealing others' intellectual property rights, but it is a matter of courtesy.
Finally, remember it is important that your project is presented in the most efficient way. It should be coherent and clearly indexed and easy to read. You can always get a friend to read it through to proofread and critique your work.
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