Due to an increase in the desire for practical skills, the American university has in recent years decided to emphasize business and technical education at the expense of the humanities. This decision stems from the assumption that the study of literature has little or no utilitarian value. We believe, however, that with the right instruction, the study of literature is a practical discipline. Furthermore, it cultivates other important abilities that make it an indispensable part of university education. Because literary study involves the four processes of reading, thinking, discussing, and writing, its practical pedagogical value lies in its tendency to stimulate these activities and thereby improve the student's ability to perform them.
Careful reading increases one's vocabulary and general verbal sensitivity and sophistication.
In the classroom, the teacher can lead the student to think critically about what has been read. Classroom discussions sharpen reading and thinking skills and increase the student's ability to express thoughts orally. The teacher can then use these processes to stimulate in students the desire to organize and record thoughts in writing. Thus the study of literature can be seen as practical intellectual discipline. This is why, for example, English majors make such highly qualified candidates for law school.