Scholarship /
Aiming to be a Professional Translator, a Personal Statement to the AAS [7]
I still have two days left before submitting the documents while I am waiting for the referee reports from my skripsi advisor.
Proposed Study: Master of Interpreting and Translating (RMIT University), Master of Interpreting and Translation Studies (Monash University)1. Please describe the efforts you have undertaken so far to obtain information on your study options in Australia?I have known the Australia Award Scholarship or AAS in short from my lecturers in the English Department, Universitas Negeri Gorontalo, which are the alumni of AAS. I was mesmerized by their experience during studying in Australia and inspired me to study there. Unlike the other provinces such as Manado and Makasar, getting sufficient details of the scholarship in my area needs extra efforts considering the education fair is still limited. Hence, I manage my time in learning the scholarship from the guidebook, official websites, several blogs of the AAS recipients, asked my lecturers and the centre of language and overseas study in my campus. Moreover, I conducted an initial research about the offered courses in Australia and its components such as the overview, program structure, program objectives, and admission through the university websites and correlate it to my future aims as well.
2. How did you choose your proposed course and institution?I am applying a master course in translating and interpreting because the roles of translation that overlaps in every sector of humanity and culture. Currently, there are no certified translators in Gorontalo while the demands in translation are rapidly growing. People who are in need of translated certified documents are difficult to find a certified translator in my area. Most of them are working in Makasar which takes one and a half hour by plane and almost a week through bus from Gorontalo. Therefore, I would like to dedicate myself as a certified translator.
Studying at English Department for my bachelor degree expands the understanding of language skills and its application. I partake myself as the speaker at international students' conference on ELT, linguistics, and literature during the seminar on language project. Furthermore, I successfully completed my study as one of the best graduates. Two-years work experience as a freelance translator and proofreader grants me awards of 62 best essays in LPDP Essay competition. I believed that translation is another way in educating people through converting information from one language to another. For instance, I could disseminate my knowledge by facilitating future translators in Gorontalo as well as giving academic writing workshops by initiating private institution, and probably becoming a lecturer. Therefore, I am positive that these considerations provide me to be well prepared to continue my future study.
I conducted an initial research about possible master in interpreting and translation courses offered in Australia. Considering the goal to be a certified translator as well as pursuing a career in proofreading, I need to find a university that involves some elective courses in relation to my aims which I believed that both RMIT and Monash University are the right options since they offers Indonesian language in its course structure.
3. How will the proposed study contribute to your career?I would like to contribute myself in embracing the ASEAN Economic Community by working as a, probably the first, certified and translator in my area and joining the Indonesian Association of Translator. My previous major, my achievements, as well as my work experiences provide me the initial knowledge and practice of translation. With this, the proposed study will be the facets which help me to be professional in the world of translating and interpreting, theoretically and practically.
4. How have you contributed to solving a challenge and to implementing change or reform?My senior said that the personal statement should be in-line with my proposed study. Since I would like to apply for a master degree in translation studies, is it appropriate to write that I was successfully helping my friends to improve their writing (expanding the insights of how to transfer their Indonesian-English writing into the truly-English writing) as well as their comprehension regarding the plagiarism issue in responding the question of my efforts in implementing change or reform? Mind to share some ideas? 