Studying English with international students is preparing Parker Lovett, a senior from California, for a career as a diplomat. Besides his English major, he is working on getting his legal studies and international peacebuilding certifications. Lovett said while he spends hours a day reading, he loves it.
What made you decide to study this major?
Lovett said he loves English because it helps him understand people in his everyday life. “When you are able to understand language and communication better, you are able to sympathize and have greater compassion for people.”
What makes your major unique?
“We have several non-native speakers in this major. When you think of the people who are in the class, people from mainland China and the islands of Samoa, it’s really amazing that different people from different cultures can come together and appreciate the same language.” Then going further, he said, they are able to extend their experience “into their own language and their own understanding of literature.”
What do you want to do with it?
“I plan on going into international relations, like doing foreign service. I plan on doing more government work such as diplomacy. Currently, I’m looking into studying at an international relations program in Italy.” He said his major and all his studies are preparing him to “be able to make a clear arguments for public policy for the U.S. government.”
Favorite Class
“The most challenging and interesting [class] for me was the Critical Theories class. What we do is discuss general language theories like Marxism, socialism and feminism but also more English-based structuralism. It helped me expand my view on what English really is. It helped me see how much English helps with understanding and being able to communicate with other people.”
Describe a typical day
“I’m pretty good at following a schedule so I get up at around 5:30 a.m., exercise for an hour, do scripture study for an hour and then get ready. I’m usually out of the house by 7:30 a.m. and go to the library to study for an hour to prepare my mind for all my classes. I work at the Public Relations Services for the school from 12-3 p.m. I’m done with classes by 5 p.m. After classes, I always set aside an hour to study one language.”
Number of people in the major
There are 54 English majors, according to information from Academic Advisors Office. “Generally we have classes of about six to eight people. Each graduating class is about four to six graduating seniors. So we all know each other by the end.”
Time spent in a day
“Usually because English majors require so much reading. I would spend a good four to five hours each day reading. We go through books like crazy. Usually six books per class plus textbooks. But I love reading so it’s great.”
Pros
“One of my favorite things about the English major is you get you read classic literature and understand different cultures. In every class, I get to experience a brilliant writer of some sort.” While he said students often don’t have time to read books and relax, that’s exactly what English majors do. “We read books.”
Cons
“We do tend to spend a lot of time inside, just because we are constantly reading. Another con for me personally is the bad reputation English majors have that we are not taken seriously when it comes to future careers. There is a misconception with a lot of people thinking English major will not get a job.”