Spanish with Creative Writing Personal Statement
My adoration for the Spanish language and it’s country of origin can be described anecdotally. A Spanish teacher of mine once warned me 'Trust only what you can experience with your own senses.' Perplexed, I brushed away this pessimistic declaration; believing this view could only be shaped by a close-minded, bruised, distorted vision of the world. I was very wrong. After much thought over the political turmoil Spain has faced in the past century, I concluded that the senses are more significant and strong in Spain than anywhere else in Europe. Whilst historically they may have put up with hideously incompetent leaders, generals and captains of industry, they fail to tolerate incompetent works of literature, cooks, film directors, tailors, opera singers... the list goes on. In a corrupted world of disorder, disaster and exploitation, only artistic excellence is incorruptible, and maybe my teacher was right; only beauty can be trusted. And that's why not only do I strive to surround myself with the beauty of language and self learning, but more so the appreciation of communication and culture. Whilst fraud, natural disasters and war break out all around us, what can we do to hold onto any sense of individual human dignity? Maybe nothing. Maybe nothing except, perhaps, to pride ourselves on the fact that we always marinate our chorizo to magnificence, dance the most eye-catching Salsa, or make the greatest paella in the whole town. This passion for developing my foreign language skills was more recently fuelled by a summer school at Cambridge University where myself and a group of other linguistic enthusiasts discussed contemporary research on bilingualism, investigated biologically how and why we talk, and lastly gave presentations on the history of a variety of romance languages, including Spanish. I found the experience invaluable, as I thrived in the company of like-minded individuals. Furthermore, I actively and enthusiastically participate within my schools ‘Modern Foreign Languages’ committee, giving insight on how the teaching in my institution can be improved, in addition to discussing what can be done to advertise the benefits of learning a second language to other students. In the future, I aspire to teach English to Spanish children as I believe I have a natural flare in working with young people. On top of working in a Spanish restaurant, I have a part time job with a company called 'Explore Learning', a tuition centre in which I run a weekly creative writing class and assist children aged 4-15 with a variety of aspects from the curriculum. A proud achievement of mine was taking 2nd in the Women's British Snowboard Championships 2010, and I frequently take part in the competitive ‘freestyle’ circuit on a national level. This demonstrates my dedication and willingness to step out of my comfort zone, something I find reflects in all areas of the work I do. I also enjoy ‘longboard’ skateboarding and I am often in communication, speaking solely in Spanish, with the 'Madrid Longboard Girls Team'. I recall visiting Madrid a few years back, in the midst of my first few months of Spanish study; I had never felt so starved of comprehension as I discovered the feast of vocabulary the city had to offer. I yearned to indulge in the vast array of books, newspapers and road signs; every new word like a truffle, each new phrase a magic trick, captivating me to really push my Spanish both academically and socially, something I want to continue at undergraduate level.
Universities Applied to:
- Bangor (Spanish with creative writing) - Offer (240 pts and a C in Spanish A2) Firm
- Cardiff (Spanish) - Offer (BBB) Insurance
- Swansea (Spanish and TEFL) - Offer (BBB)
- Aberystwyth (Spanish) - Offer (280 pts grade B spanish)
- Portsmouth (Spanish and Latin American Studies) - Offer (240 pts)
Grades Achieved:
- English Language (A2) - A
- Religious Studies (A2) - A
- Spanish (A2) - C
