Undergraduate / Second Bachelor's Statement for Linguistics - Flow and Cohesion [3]

I have some concerns about verb tense and maintaining a clear idea, thank you for taking the time to read.

Bachelor's Statement essay

Prompt:

Submit a statement explaining the reasons you want to enroll as a candidate for a second bachelor's degree.
In this statement, explain why you are interested in the major you have chosen for your second degree.

Answer:

While my chance introduction to Linguistics happened late in my first college experience, the subject changed the course of my education and post-graduate life and continues to fascinate me. I would like to deepen my understanding of language, its relationship to culture, how it is preserved and rediscovered, and to apply myself in the field for which I have great interest; I feel there is no better way to start this path than to apply for a second bachelor's degree in Linguistics. I originally received a Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies from _______ University in 2013, graduating summa cum laude, honors earned as a direct result of the linguistics and language classes in which I was enrolled.

I first entered college with the intent to major in Biology with an English minor. I found my interests in grammar and etymology fit in well enough with English, and many analytical exercises found a home in science classes. I transferred schools for a more specialized science degree but struggled to find my place in academia and lacked a solid direction, which led me to a less specific major. With graduation in sight, I was fortunate enough to be required a linguistics class.

After being required to take only an introductory course in the subject, I managed to fit three additional Linguistics courses into my final quarters of study, and it quickly became the subject to which all others were compared. I found studying the structure of English and theories on second language acquisition most intriguing, and sharing new ideas and information with others who also had these interests was a new and encouraging experience. This rekindled my love of learning and saw my academic standing greatly rise, along with my participation on campus.

While taking these classes I began tutoring several international students through the Linguistics Club on campus. What was scheduled as a thirty-minute session often lasted several hours as my counterparts and I discussed language. I found this a wonderful opportunity to explore the structure of English and how it compared to the first languages of those I worked with.

This work led directly to my post-graduation interest in joining the Peace Corps as an English teacher. As such I was fortunate enough to be able to teach in a rural Ethiopian high school where, I was excited to learn, the students enjoyed grammar lessons. To be eligible for University in Ethiopia, my students were recommended at least an intermediate high grasp of English, so I felt great responsibility in my presentation and clarification of the topic. I created a lesson plan that tied in their preferred method of chalk-and-talk with more interactive lessons and games that I had learned in the West. My students seemed to find me entertaining, and I appreciated having a captive audience to excitedly lecture to about language.

In my last quarters of study and the work that followed, I feel I only scratched the surface of understanding and exploring Linguistics. My first degree afforded me the opportunity to develop study and work skills, and I am eager to put those skills into practice.

I would like to pursue a bachelor's degree in Linguistics to build a more solid understanding of the subject and its many specializations, while focusing on areas such as language revitalization, second-language acquisition, and comparative linguistics. I feel that the University of _____ is the perfect environment for this, given the Language Revitalization Lab and large catalogue of linguistics and language classes available. Upon completion of a bachelor's, I would like to continue my education in Linguistics at the University of ____ as well.

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