语言学个人陈述

语言学个人陈述

申请专业：语言学(当代语言学方向) 　　IhavefoundgreatenjoymentinlanguagelearningforanumberofyearsandmypassionforbothFrenchandGermangoesmuchfurtherthantheA-Levelsyllabus.IhopethatthestudyofModernLanguagesatuniversitycanhelpsatisfymyappetitefortheparticularaspectsofFrenchandGermanthatIfindthemostinteresting.IhavebeenfortunateenoughtobeabletolearnabouttheGermanOccupationofFranceandtheliteraturerelatingtothisperiod;atopicthathasinterestedmeallthemorethroughthestudyofbookssuchas“LeSilencedelaMer”and“UnSacdeBilles”.InGerman,readingthenovel“AmkuerzerenEndederSonnenallee”,setinEastGermany,hasmotivatedmetoresearchthechangeindialectsduringtheperiodofGermanSeparation.IperceivemystudyoftwosciencesubjectsatA-LeveltobeadifferentiatingfeaturebetweenmanyothersapplicantstoaLanguagesdegree.Studyingthesesubjectspromotesadifferentapproachtothesametask;thekindoflogicthatitencouragesiscertainlyusefulwhenundertakingtranslationexercises.Themoreadvancedknowledgethatstudyingthemhasprovidedmewithmeansthatbecomingatranslatororinterpreterinthescientificfieldisanachievablegoal. 　　IamveryfortunatetohavefamilywholiveinGermany,asIamabletospendagreatdealofmyholidaysthere.DuringthesummerIworkedinahotelforafortnight,whichwasanunforgettableexperience.Itgavemetheopportunitytobesubmergedintoanothercultureandforcedme,asitwere,tospeakGermanfortheentiretyofmystay.Itwascertainlyadifficultexperience,albeitarewardingone,anexperiencethatexposedmetoadifferentdialectofGermantotheoneIwasused.Iam,atpresent,lookingforwardtothevisitofafamilyfriendfromFrance,whoiscomingtostayforthreemonthswhilstshecompletesherworkexperienceatalocalridingschool.ThiswillprovidemewiththeopportunitytospeakalessformalandmoreconversationalFrench,whichiscertainlyachancethatIappreciate. 　　BeingchosenasaPrefecthasgivenmemanyopportunitiestocomeintocontactandhelpyoungerstudentsintheAcademy.IhavebeenpartofthePairedReadingScheme,withwhichIcommittedasmallamountoftimeduringtheweekinordertohelpaYear7studentbecomemoreconfidentwithreading.Thisyear,IwillbehelpingstudentstolearnhowtoreadusingtheBowringCode;asystemcreatedbyateacherattheAcademywhichusescolourstoshowlettersounds.IhavefoundusingtheCodeafascinatingexperienceandseeingitseffectshasconvincedmeofitsusefulnessinhelpingpeopletolearntoread.TheCodeisalsoausefulimplementinteachingForeignLanguagesandIwouldhopethatitisadoptedonalargerscale.IwasalsoprivilegedenoughtobeabletohelpagroupofYear10LeadershipandManagementstudentsimprovetheirpublicspeakinganddebateskills.IhavealsoworkedhardtoraisemoneytheUhuruMinistries,acharitythatcaresfororphanedchildreninKenya.Thisnotonlyhasmeanttakingpartinsponsored\nevents,buthelpingwiththeorganisationofsucheventsandwiderschoolseventssuchastheSummerFete.ProgressingtobecomeEditoroftheAcademyTimeshas,too,beenafantasticexperience.IthasmeantthatIhavebecomewellorganisedandhasalsoinvolvedmeorganisingateam,whichIfindextremelyrewarding,especiallywhenonecanseethefinishedproduct. 　　Insummary,Ibelievethatmypassionandenthusiasmforforeignlanguagesgivemethepotentialtosucceed.IalsobelievethatIhaveagreatdealtogivebacktotheinstitutionthathelpsmetorealisemylinguisticpotential.PERSONALSTATEMENT(语言学专业)InconnectionwithmyapplicationforacceptanceintoyourPh.D.program,Iamenclosingthefollowingstatementconcerningmylife,professionalactivities,andtentativefutureplans.IwasborninXiamen,FujianProvinceinChinaonNovember8,1969.Later,myfamilymovedtoBeijingwhereIgrewup.Iamfromafamilyofacademics.MyfatherisaprofessoroflinguisticsandChiefoftheUniversityJournalAgencyofBeijingLanguageandCultureUniversity(formerlyBeijingLanguageInstitute).MymotherisaprofessoratthesameuniversityandteachesChineseasaforeignlanguage.From1991to1993,mymothertaughtChineseatWittenbergUniversity,OhioandIndianaUniversityatBloomington.SheencouragedmetoapplyforadmissiontoadvancedprogramsintheU.S.Igraduatedfromhighschoolin1988,andreceivedthehighestscoresinmyschoolattheNationalEntranceExaminationforUniversities.Thismademean“HonorStudent”atthenationallevel.UponacceptancetoBeijingLanguageandCultureUniversity,mymajorbecameEnglish,withminorsinlinguistics,Frenchandcomputerscience.Iwasawardedconsecutivescholarshipsforallfouryearsincollege.Duringmycollegeyears,Ibecamemoreandmoreinterestedinlinguistics.Mysenioryearwaslargelydevotedtotopicsinlinguistics,andmyrequiredthesisworkfocusedontheinfluenceofculturalandeducationalfactorsupontheChineseandEnglishlanguages.Aftercollege,BeijingScience&TechnologyUniversityemployedme.ForthefirstyearandahalfIwasassignedtoaprojectaimedatcreatingimprovedcomputerprogramforidiomaticEnglish-Chinese&Chinese-Englishtranslations.Thisprojectprovedmewithconsiderableexperiencelinguistics,andfurtherimprovedmyunderstandingofthesubtletiesofbothEnglishandChinese.Sincetheprojectcompletion,IhavebeenteachingintensiveEnglishcoursesatBeijingScienceandTechnologyUniversity.SinceJulyof1993,IhavetaughtEnglishlistening\ncomprehensionatBeijingLanguageandCultureUniversity.ThelatterclassesarepartofaprogramthatprovidesadultChineseprofessionalswithopportunitytoimprovetheirEnglish.MyinterestinlinguisticsisinitiallybasedonmydesiretobettercomprehendtheEnglishlanguage,and,intheprocess,learnmoreaboutmyownlanguage.ChinaisnowopeningandengagingineverexpandingculturalandfinancialrelationswiththeEnglish-speakingcountriesoftheWest.Ithasstruckme,asitmayhaveoccurredtomanyofmycompatriotsthatnegotiationstobringaboutthesenewandimprovedrelationssometimesbreakdownbecauseofmutualignoranceabouteachother’slanguages.Iamawarethatthishasbeenapopularproblemforstudy,amongAmericansengaginginbusinessandotherfields,butIamnotawareofanyseriousattempttoresearchthisproblemfromaChinesepointofview.ThroughmyworkintheU.S.,Iwouldhopetocontributetoabetterunderstandingoftheproblemsinherentinthedeepdifferencesbetweenthetwolanguages.Irecognizethatathesisprojectinmostgraduateschoolsischosenafteronhasstudiedinvariousprogramsinadepartmentandafterextensivediscussionwithone’sprofessors.Nevertheless,Iwouldhopethatinvestigatingsocio-culturaldifferencesbetweenEnglishandChinesemightbeconsideredasuitabletopic.Suchastudywouldfocusonthecultural,historical,traditionalandeducationalfactors,whichinfluencethetwolanguages,andsignificantlycontributetopossiblemisinterpretations.Mylong-termplanistocontinueworkingoncomparativeaspectsofEnglishandChineselinguistics.Istronglydesiretoworkinanacademicenvironmentcombiningteaching,researchandwriting.IheardthatyourEnglish/LinguisticsDepartmenthasareputationforacademicexcellence.IamapplyingtoyourprogrambecauseIdesirethebesteducationpossibleformyprofessionalcareer.LanguageandLinguisticsPersonalStatement语言与语言学个人陈述（PS） Thefamouslinguisticphilosopher,BenjaminLeeWhorfsaid‘Languageisthebestshowmanputson.’Itiswhatputsusaheadofotheranimals.Iwouldnotbetypingthisstatementwithoutthehumanabilitytocommunicatefluentlyandonemaygosofarastosaythatwewouldnothavestructuredsocietyatall.Suchamajorthingistakenforgrantedyetwithoutitwherewouldwebe?So,inmyopinion,languageispossiblythemostimportantfacetintrinsictohumanity. Sincearrivingatsecondaryschool,Ihavestudiedfourdifferentlanguages,aswellaslookingatmyownlanguageinmoredetail.Forsevenyears,IhavelearntFrenchandLatin,andforfiveyears,learntItalianaswell.AsastudentofLatinandmodernRomancelanguages,Iaminterestedgreatly\ninlanguagechangeaswellassemantics.ItisexcitingwhenIlearnanewwordinFrenchanditisinstantlytraceabletoaLatincognate,orevenbetter,IsuddenlyunderstandthatawordIknowinEnglishhasarootinanotherlanguageIhavestudied.IfindthatmoststudentsofLatinaremoreinterestedintheliterature,butIfeelthelanguagehassomuchtooffer.Iamfascinatedbythecasesystem,andhowtherecanbeacompletedisregardforregularsentencestructurebutthemeaningstaysthesame(acontrasttotheotherlanguagesIhavestudied,whichstickpiouslytothebasesyntax.) AnotherlearningexperiencewhichdevelopedmyinterestinlanguagewasmystudiesofMandarinChinese.Thiswascompletelynewforme,asitisnotrootedinLatin,orindeedGreek.Becauseofthis,ithasacompletelydifferentsetoflinguisticrules.Forexample,therearenotenses,aswewoulddefine‘tense’inaWesternlanguage.Iwasshockedhowmuchimportancewasplacedintonality,incomparisontoFrench,ItalianorEnglish.Ifeelthatitopenedmyeyestoanewworldoflanguagebeyondmyownwhichwasjustasexcitingandevenmorecomplex. AsidefromlearningforeignandclassicallanguagesIhavealsocomeacrossthejoyoflanguagethroughtheothersubjectsIamtaught.InphilosophyIhaveenjoyedcritiquingtheSapir-WhorfHypothesis,bothNativistandEmpiricistviewsonlanguageacquisitionandLudwigWittgenstein’slanguagegames.Bydoingthis,Ihaveopeneduptoamoretheoreticalsideoflanguage,whichisintriguing.AsastudentofEnglishLiterature,IhavefoundtheShakespeareanandChaucerianworksthemostcaptivating.Onecandoanindepthstudyofhowlanguageisformed,howithaschangedandhowitsounds(andnodoubtbothChaucerandShakespearearegreatexamplesforstudyofEnglish)buttheseremindyouofthepoweroflanguage.In‘Othello’,Iagodictatesthelivesofallaroundhimwithhismasteryofwords. Iplantotakeagapyear,inordertofurthermylinguisticinterests.LastyearIdidsomevoluntaryworkasaFrenchassistanttutorinaprimaryschool.Ifounditextremelyrewarding,butalsoagreatnewchallenge,usingthelanguageskillswhichIhavelearntinapracticalsituationbyhelpingothers.IintendtotakeacourseinteachingEnglishasaforeignlanguage,withtheaimofvisitingaFrench-speakingcountryandbecominganEnglishassistant. Overthepastfewyears,Ihavematuredasaperson.Outsidemyacademicmatters,Iaminvolvedwithmylocalcricketteam.Icaptainedalltheyouthteams;anexperiencewhichhasdevelopedmyleadershipandcriticaldecisionmakingskills.Recently,IpassedaLevel1CricketCoachingCourse,andhavebeenhelpingoutwithtwodifferentclubs’youthsections.ThishashelpedmyconfidencesinceIhadtolearntocooperatewithcompletestrangersandalso,byplanningtrainingsessions,myorganisationalabilityhasimproved. IfeelthatstudyingLinguisticsatuniversitywouldbeperfectforme.Itwouldgivemeachancetopursuemyloveofthecomplexityanddiversityoflanguagewhilstgivingmeskillswhichwillbeusefulinsociety.