KGSP scholarship application
I'm applying for a scholarship, and I've rewritten this essay three times. I'm hoping this could be the final draft with minor edits.
Here is my essay^^ Thanks in advance~
Background and Interests:
I have been interested in exercising to stay healthy since I was little. Through this interest, I have learned a lot that can help me as an educator. From elementary school to high school, I played soccer, and in high school, I was a youth summer camp soccer coach. By playing soccer, and coaching, I learned the importance of working as a team, and being clear on what is needed while under pressure. In Korea, I have continued to exercise by joining a dance academy. This has helped me to understand the pressure my students might feel when trying to understand directions in a foreign language.
As a teacher, I also believe it is important to lead by example. By leading a healthy lifestyle, and exercising, I can guide my students to do the same.
Experience:
In high school, I gained experience making PowerPoint lessons and grading quizzes as the French and Spanish teaching assistant. Later, teaching at a daycare and preschool facility helped me understand the need for listening to children's problems, and actively showing that I care. In university, as a volunteer ESL teacher, I was exposed to how great the language barrier could be, and I learned how to overcome it. Now, as a middle school EFL teacher, I am consistently learning the importance of creativity and flexibility while making lesson plans and teaching.
In university, I studied linguistics to understand how people learn a language. Now, I plan to study Education to be able to better teach English as a foreign language. I want to study EFL Education because I know I can be a better teacher for my students. Although I have learned a lot as an EFL teacher through EPIK, I also know I have a lot to learn.
Why Study in Korea?
I moved to South Korea in August of 2017, and it has been fantastic. The teachers at my school are incredible, and try their best to include me despite having a language barrier. My students are smart and witty, and they make me want to be a better teacher. The community I have lived in since coming to Korea is full of kind and caring people, and I love the fact that if people see me, they say hi, even the lady from the convenience store.
Having such a wonderful community of people around me, makes me want to stay in Korea to pursue my master's degree rather than study somewhere else. Because I also plan to continue to teach in Korea after gaining my master's degree, I believe studying Education in Korea would be the most beneficial as well.
Why KGSP?
Through this program, I can drastically improve my Korean which is really important for me and my students. Part of teaching is answering questions, and a lot of the times, students avoid asking me questions, and simply ask the Korean teacher instead. Usually, this is because the students want the teacher to translate a word for them. However, if my Korean was better, the students might think of me as a more reliable teacher. I find that as my Korean improves, the students feel more comfortable asking me questions. Also, because students see my effort in learning Korean, it encourages them to try in English even if they struggle
In Korea, I also realized that I'm not only an English teacher, but also a representative of western culture. By learning Korean, my students who don't have confidence in their English skills feel more comfortable talking to me about various topics outside the classroom. Having the ability to talk in Korean with my students gives them the opportunity to learn about my culture in a casual way. If I could formally study Korean, I would be more prepared to talk to my students and answer their questions. My students constantly motivate me to be a better teacher, and are why I am applying for this program.
