KGSP Personal Statement - Learning about Other Cultures

I'm applying for the Korean Government Scholarship Program under the embassy track, so three different schools and three different majors - Korean Language and Culture Education, Korean Linguistics, and Korean-English Translation. Therefore my essays are less focused towards specific majors and more towards my aim of study (Korean Language focusing on Translation) and eventual career goals. I'm looking for any feedback on how to make my personal statement more compelling and how to add more to my statement of purpose. Thank you so much in advance!

PERSONAL STATEMENT

o Motivations with which you apply for this program
o Your education and work experience in relation to the KGSP
o Reason for studying in Korea
o Any other aspects of your background and interests which may help us evaluate your aptitude and passion for graduate study or research.

great opportunity

My name is ***** *****. For as long as I can remember, I have been passionate about learning about other cultures. At 12 years old, I made it one of my life ambitions to become a polyglot. At 13, I lived in China for two years, immersing myself in the language and learning it on my own. At 16, I enrolled at the University of D***** and spent the next four years learning about Asian history, politics, and culture as an Asian Studies major, culminating in my senior thesis on Japanese animation and its reflection of Japan's history of human progress. During college, I continued studying Chinese in a more academic environment, and also studied Japanese for three years. Though there were no Korean courses offered at my university, I always wanted to learn Korean and to travel to Korea, even after graduating college. And so, I took that burning desire to learn more and followed it all the way to Jeollanam-do, where I spent a year and a half teaching English in rural elementary schools with the Teach and Learn in Korea (TaLK) Program.

Though I had learned how to read Hangeul before coming to Korea, once I arrived at my school in Haenam, I quickly realized I needed to learn more Korean, especially since there was only one teacher there who spoke English. TaLK Program scholars only teach 15 class hours weekly and use the remaining free time for cultural activities of their choice. During my time in Haenam, I studied Korean on my own every day after school, armed with textbooks and YouTube videos since there were no Korean classes available in my town. After I moved to Gwangju, however, I was able to further my Korean studies by taking classes at the Gwangju International Center and Chonnam National University, which I attended regularly after school. Meanwhile, I continued my rigorous self-study and of course, also managed my teaching responsibilities. The fruits of my labor? Self-sufficiency in my daily life in Korea, a Level 4 score on the Test of Proficiency in Korean, and a deeper understanding and respect for the Korean language.

My time in Korea has truly changed my life and my goals. Before living in Korea, I wanted to be an online journalist. After living in Korea and falling in love with Korea, its people, and its community, I now desire to combine my past storytelling experience working as a journalist with my current passion for languages to pursue a career in translation. Since October, I have been regularly translating news articles and social media posts from Korean into English as a hobby and find the practice incredibly interesting and engaging. Translation requires cultural understanding, and therefore, to gain deeper insight into Korean culture, I seek to pursue my graduate degree in Korea. Being in Korea will offer the most opportunities, and the education I can receive at a Korean university will be the most beneficial to my career goals. While I have proven myself to be a motivated self-studier, the KGSP, with its year of Korean language study and cultural exposure, would give me the chance to focus on improving my Korean through formal education and bring me closer to my goal of achieving fluency before moving on to graduate-level studies.

I would treasure the opportunity offered through the KGSP to dedicate myself to Korean language study and translation studies. As a capable, professional translator, with the knowledge and experience gained from the KGSP, I would be able to pursue my dream to build a bridge between cultures through words, and thus, through understanding.

The essay could use more of a backstory regarding your decision to become a polyglot. Since you are focusing your studies on being a professional linguist / translator, the development of your desire to learn about languages, eventually focusing on the Korean language in particular becomes a necessary backstory for your essay. I find that your essay is lacking when it comes to describing the motivation that you have for learning about Hangeul in particular. It would help your essay if you can show the progression of your linguistic abilities and what challenged you in particular about Hangeul that led to your eventual focus on the language. What set this language apart from the more mainstream international languages such as English, Chinese, Spanish, and French? How does your interest in the Korean language explain your reasons to study in Korea? What do you hope to achieve at the end of the masters course? Since you chose 3 universities under the university track, you should take the time to explain why you chose a particular course at a particular university, thereby coming up with 3 explanations and universities. The embassy track essay is a bit more difficult to write because of the multiple representations of the universities and courses. Done properly though, you end up with a letter of self introduction that more than serves it purpose within your application document presentation.