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MA Linguistics Personal Statement
Throughout the course of my degree, I have found my study of Latin and Ancient Greek to be the most rewarding elements as well as being those about which I am most passionate. Consequently, I would very much like to further continue this interest and develop my knowledge of linguistics, particularly in the area of gender assignation in the Romance languages (is it arbitrary or is there some sort of semantic reasoning behind it?). I have always enjoyed the intellectual stimulation provided by grammatical concepts throughout my experiences with foreign languages, and challenging myself further in terms of the theory and history of language seems the next logical step, particularly due to being prevented from taking the culture and criticism modules at Exeter due to timetabling difficulties. I also have a profound interest in French and Italian, my experience of the former stretching back to my childhood.
I have always tried to take an active interest in the world of academic research – this has involved two of my articles being published (in ‘The Use of English’, summer 2004 and in ‘Pegasus’, summer 2005, published by Exeter University annually) and my regular attendance at academic conferences from the age of 17, principally at Oxford and in Exeter, although I am scheduled to attend a conference in May 2007 at Cambridge that is more specifically related to linguistics (‘Language and Music as Cognitive Systems’ ). I also count meeting Catherine Belsey as one of the highlights of my undergraduate life, having taken a great interest in her writings on language and semantics as detailed in ‘Critical Practice’ since my years in the sixth form. Consequently, I feel that my regular interaction with the higher echelons of the academic world will help to facilitate my personal and academic adaptation to a more research-based course.
While I feel that a bachelor’s degree provides a sound basis for serious academic and career interests, I am hoping in the future to work with the British Council and with similar organisations in terms of promotion and teaching of the English language - consequently I believe that knowledge and experience of as many languages and linguistics spheres as possible can only be beneficial in the development of my intellect, my personality and my career.
Universities Applied to:
- Oxford - Accepted
- UCL - Accepted
- York - Accepted
- Cambridge - Rejected
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