Maybe there is an obvious answer, but...

[mangoprophetess]

Why in the world do so many of the Graduate/Doctorate programs in English require Honors or High Pass grades in oral and written exams in at least one and as many as three foreign languages?? I'm honestly hoping this simply means literature in translation (Homer, Virgil, Dante, whatever) and not mastery of the actual languages. I see absolutely

Comments

[pbvalla]

Well, if Jonson said it (about Shakespeare), then that's the way it should be! I'm also hoping that that's not the case, when/if I try to go for my doctorate. I know a little bits of a couple languages but not enough to be serious about it.

[mangoprophetess]

It makes absolutely no sense to me. But, then again, academics can be some of the most illogical people on the planet...

[mangoprophetess]

Okay - that makes a bit more sense. Granted, I had hoped I'd see the last of Spanish (yes, you were correct), but I guess not. Now, what you're saying about the text translation, that does seem what the schools I've looked at want - it just still blows.

As for the Masters "well-rounded understanding of English", I do understand. Most schools require you take a least another BritLit time period (I'm personally gunning for Austen/Brontes/other female Georgians/Victorians, Chaucer, possibly Joyce if I'm brave enough), an American lit (the Beats, perhaps?), theory classes, poetry and/or drama (Wilde and Shaw would be really fun), and often an "alternative" theory class (African-American, feminist, GLBT, etc.). Which is fine; I love literature period, as you know. I'm just a Shakespeare fanatic.

But, if I do get into Yale, I think I'm going to have to take Latin and Greek at a community college or something. I took one year of Latin and was pretty hopeless. As for French, perhaps I'll take you up on that, but I think I can manage

[cryptor_00]

I imagine the language requirement has more to do with proving you have a well-rounded appreciation for language in general, rather than it's particular application toward your graduate studies. However, it might also be that the program specifically looks at texts in other languages.

If it's the latter, then i see a need for the requirement, but if it's the former... just moer proof that half of education is meeting useless expectations of ancient professors.

[mangoprophetess]

I guess I have a well-rounded appreciation for language; I just like English best because it's so weird and silly. But I could deal with it if it's just what thewatersupply said. I sincerely hope it's not the latter though; I don't want to go through translating The Aeneid again, even if it was only an elementary version the first go around...

[cryptor_00]

ancient, dead languages are that way for a reason :)