Theory vs. History part 1

Long live English...

I was having a deep debate with Tripp, one evening and we were discussing his college major.
He plans to become a Creative Writing major with a minor in Psychology.
Interesting combination I thought at first.
Throughout our discussion he asked me a question.

" Do you think English majors should be required to take History of the English Language or English Theory & History. "

We debated this question and possible pros and cons for well over an hour.

English- One of the well known and highly used languages of the entire world.

Old English, Middle English, Anglo-Saxon English, and Latin are all words put together by symbols, markings and squiggles that in turn cause our mouth to make sounds to form words which in turn has made English our primary language, the language most of us use today.

Knowing the history of where words began, how they came about and why the letter a has been used instead of the æ is quite fascinating.
In addition to the history the reasoning behind the æ, ë, ß and ç are learning tools as well.

Why is the a connected to the e?
What are the two dots above the e?
What is the squiggly thing underneath the c?
What the heck is that funky b ish letter?

When did we stop using these and why?
Why did we decide English would be our primary language, why do we not draw photos instead of using words?
Why do we pronounce ellipsis the way that we do?
When do children learn to speak best?
Why do we speak?

All questions that I have asked.
I have many answers and though I feel well versed on the English language as of this moment, there are many other questions that arise.

Either way, Theory and History are both substantial and require great lengths of research, reading and investigating.

I do believe that in order to obtain a great word palate, both classes should be taught, not just in college but in grade school, middle school and high school.

Someone once said, " You will never know where you are going until you know where you have been."

I believe this statement not only applies to physical moments, but historically in language as well.

What do you think?

Danalthemom