Essay – At School

Armenia’s new public education standard requires final exams in the humanities, specifically in literature and history, to be conducted in the form of an essay in the 9th grade.

At first glance, this idea seems logical and worth welcoming. So why does it seem impossible to the teachers of these subjects, who respond that not all students are able to clearly and correctly express their own thoughts in writing? It’s hard to disagree, as years of experience confirm this as well.

A school teacher cannot solve this problem alone. It is much deeper, and the school can only partly ensure the development of students’ language and thinking skills (and only through a highly literate, well-structured approach and considerable effort) so that, as a result, they can produce independent, high-quality written work.

It is a well-known truth that language is shaped, refined, changed, developed, and enriched through use. And where does a child actually use language? This, of course, is preceded by hearing the language. Constantly and continuously- in the family environment; and with breaks in frequency- outside, when communicating with friends or in an educational setting. Thus, the quality of language use depends first and foremost on what language the child hears at home, what topics are discussed with them, and how often these conversations take place.

The next important factor is the outside environment, which can either stimulate or limit language thinking by imposing certain boundaries on language use. The primary school environment is especially important at this stage, and the teacher’s role is crucial: if the teacher consistently listens to and engages the child in conversation, without imposing their own stereotypes, but instead encouraging open communication, it will lay the groundwork for the later development of written expression.

The third important factor is reading—especially when abstract thinking begins to develop. At that stage, reading is irreplaceable for broadening the mind, developing speech, and expressing one’s own thoughts more precisely. This is also the stage when students should be encouraged to write as much as possible on topics that interest them.

Thus, every child undoubtedly has the potential to express their thoughts coherently- what’s needed is to create the right environment and set well-formulated expectations.

Nelli Hayrapetyan