Personal Statement:Japanese 1

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Japanese Personal Statement

The striking differences between Japan and the rest of the world are evident to any 'gaijin' (foreigner) who comes across them; however, they are what attracted me to this unique country. Having grown up in a rural town means I have not had access to as much cultural diversity as someone living in a city may have done, but this has only intensified my curiosity about the ways of different nations.

My particular interest for Japan developed after first encountering manga, the Japanese graphic novels, from which I then started to explore other aspects of the country's society, becoming fascinated by modern day features as well as traditional parts of Japan's identity, such as the film, technology, history, and art of the country. I even began to see the surprising similarities between Japan and the UK: their similar size and how they both seem to exert a large amount of cultural influence on the world compared to their small size.

Although whilst at school I did not have access directly to the Japanese language, my passion for languages progressed from my first year learning Spanish, and in year ten I had the opportunity, as part of a group of highly achieving students, to study a video conference Latin GCSE for one year, an hour a week, and in Year 12 I studied Law this way as well. They demonstrate my potential to dedicate myself to something requiring personal study and time management, and my ability to learn without solely relying on a tutor's guidance, as well as developing note-taking skills.

This self determination was a part of what resulted in my acceptance to the National Academy for Gifted and Talented Youths, which helped me to hone my talents whilst exploring areas such as in depth discussions about topics I found interesting; something I did not have chance to do at school.

As part of work experience, I organised my own placement at 'The Japanese Shop,' where I befriended the employees, including Japanese exchange students. This experience really clarified in my mind that Japanese was a subject I wanted to pursue. I learnt more about Japan as a whole and its customs, like not pushing your chopsticks straight down into rice, as only dead people do this. I think it is particularly important to learn cultural mannerisms as it is important to respect others' customs.

Particularly in the last few years, as my proficiency at Spanish has increased, so has my desire to learn more languages. Being able to communicate and discuss topics, with fluency, in a tongue not native to me is something I find exhilarating and something which I enjoy doing even in my spare time, in order to meet new people and practice. During year 12, I helped in Spanish classes with younger pupils, which was particularly valuable to me as I was able to give something back and help others to learn a language which I love myself.

In order to gain an insight into the language, I have recently enrolled on a short beginner's course in Japanese at the University of York, financed by my part time vacation job. My school is also running a small Mandarin class which I take part in. I am a prefect at school, which involves supervising younger pupils and ensuring that there are no problems. As part of enrichment, I will be helping at a local primary school as this will give me some valuable experience whilst being enjoyable. I have chosen to do this as I enjoy helping other members of the public learn new ideas which hopefully will inspire them to carry on learning.

Beyond school, I am enthusiastic about music, reading and computers and I enjoy socialising with friends. I love to watch films, and I am beginning to discover Japanese films which have influenced Western cinema, such as those directed by Akira Kurosawa. I enjoy embracing new experiences and look forward to the challenge of university.

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