What good is linguistics?

[Sara Kimball <skimball@uts.cc.utexas.edu>]

This question is directed to those of you with degrees from English
departments in non-linguistic concentrations (literature, rhet-comp.,
medieval studies .... etc.) who may have taken linguistics courses either
because they were required or because you thought they would be useful.
What did you think of the courses?  Were they useful in teaching
composition?  Were they useful to you in other areas?  Do you have
suggestions for people teaching linguistics courses within English
departments to undergrad and grad majors?

Thanks in advance.
Sara Kimball