Why Teach Language Arts?

Language arts plays an important role in the overall development of an individual. At its root, language arts is about communication—the ability to effectively send and receive information. Why is that important? Language arts help us to connect with others, share information and clarify our own thoughts.

Connection fills one of the most basic of human needs. We have an inherent need to feel loved, accepted, understood and have a sense of belonging or shared identity. Meaningful relationships significantly improve our mental, emotional and even physical health. This connection with others comes as we are able to effectively communicate our thoughts, feelings and experiences. While it is true that non-verbal communication can play a role in our relationships with others, the ability to use language—whether spoken or written—is critical in being able to share ourselves and strengthen relationships with other people.

Sharing information is also a critical part of human development. Society exists because we can communicate. Society advances as we learn from others, building on what they have learned rather than having to rediscover everything for ourselves. Throughout the centuries, individuals have gathered and recorded information so it could be accessed and utilized by future generations. Advances in science, engineering, politics, medicine, psychology, and human relationships have happened as people have recorded and shared what they learned.

In addition to being able to connect with other people and share information, the ability to learn about ourselves and make sense of our human experience is connected with our ability to communicate. Writing and discussing our experiences helps us to clarify our thoughts and feelings. Great literature allows us to experience emotions and things that might normally be out of our reach. Thus, language arts—communication– is important for personal development, emotional health, learning and growth as a human being.

We send messages to others by speaking or through writing.

We receive messages by reading or carefully listening to what others have to say in a way that leads to understanding, empathy and increased knowledge.

Thus, when we are teaching language arts, we are providing the basic tools to help our students connect and collaborate with others.