Personal statement, Applying for a Master's in Linguistics (KGSP-G 2020)

motivation, education, experience, why korea, and passion for graduate

I am planning on applying for the embassy route. So it will be a bit more general. I actually have a bachelors in Psychology. After graduation I worked in research but left to teach English in South Korea. I taught for 3 years and realized that language was still the number one passion of mine. I want to be able to address that my major is different from my intended master's course but that I have the experience and capability to do well in this program.

"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."

I am applying to this program to pursue my dream of working with languages. Language to me is a lifelong passion because I view it as a study that is never ending, there is always something new to learn. Perfection is not the goal but you can be close. In the end fluency can be the goal but the journey in language learning is a fun puzzle every day. My goal is to pursue a masters in translation or linguistics. This program is unique in that it provides a year of language training if you do not have TOPIK level four or five at the beginning. For me this is a great aspect of the program. Being able to improve in Korean and even study in Korean is challenging but exciting to be given the chance to do this.

My academic background is unique and various. I graduated with a Bachelors of Science in Psychology and I have around 2 years' experience in research work. As you can see, my major is different from linguistics or translation but I believe that psychology is my foundation that has and will help me in a major such as linguistics or translation. Through psychology, I learned about seeing culture in a holistic way. This directly ties in with language. Language is a bridge between culture, human relationships, and society. The way one thinks will deepen ones understanding of a country. I see myself as someone with a strong work ethic and independent. I have done research work for my university setting my own hours and meeting the deadlines set for me. I have self-studied while working and successfully scored very high on the TOPIK I test. My past academic and work experiences have taught me to adapt well to changing situations and figure out the best solutions.

This program in Korea is a good fit for me because it would be ideal to be exposed to another culture while studying a major that has to do with the origins of language and translation. The best learning experience is hands on immersion. This program will give me the chance to learn in a completely different cultural environment and to also contribute my own experiences. I choose to study in Korea because I want to further expand my study in Korean. I want to work with the Korean language in the future in various ways. The reason I choose Korea is for the great opportunity to have a hands on approach with the language. Being in Korea will also give me the chance to network in person with the resources that a Korean university can provide. I've lived in Korea for 3 years and during that time I've come to admire many things about Korea.

Out of the many invaluable skills I have acquired from my academic education was to be an effective researcher and have a curious mind. I have worked in a variety of work settings that prepared and challenged me to think with a different perspective. I have worked in education as an English teacher in Korea for three years. My time in Korea only further solidified my love for language and how people acquire language. I learned to adapt myself to different learning styles and to be an effective problem solver. I worked in an all Korean work place where I observed the culture work practices and assimilated well by working hard to learn more Korean so that my peers could feel more comfortable in approaching me.

In conclusion, I think that I'm a great fit for this program for a few reasons. I have already gone through the life experience as an adult to go through living in Korea on my own for a professional setting. I have a researcher mindset and I am detail oriented because of my beginnings in psychology. This program would be a great opportunity for me to strengthen my language skills in the country of the language that I am passionate about.

@briscast
Welcome here. I hope that this feedback is helpful for your writing endeavors. If they are, please do not hesitate to approach us for more information. We'd be more than happy to assist you!

Firstly, work on your transitions. While I think that it is generally alright to have lapses in the usage of punctuation, it would be better if you can utilize them more effectively to show that your writing is sufficiently academic.

Content-wise, I think that, while you were able to showcase an intense passion for the field through the first paragraph, this was not properly balanced out with the professional angle. Meaning to say, you still need to flesh out your qualifications as much as possible to show that you deserve the spot in the program.

More than showing your love for Korea as a country, try to lean more on the practicality of it all.