Shocking Study: Half of College English Majors Can't Understand Dickens

A study of English majors at two Kansas public universities reveals a startling truth: 58% struggled to comprehend even the opening paragraphs of Dickens' *Bleak House*, failing to distinguish between literal and figurative language. Even with dictionaries and phones, many students were overwhelmed by complex sentences and unfamiliar vocabulary. While scoring well on standardized reading tests, they lacked the skills to tackle complex literary texts—a significant problem considering many were training to be high school English teachers. Researchers expressed alarm at the findings, emphasizing the need for universities to address students' actual reading levels to avoid awarding degrees to those lacking proficiency in reading complex texts.