Personal Statement - French and Russian 2

French and Russian Personal Statement 2

I feel that languages are the most fulfilling and exciting areas of study. I am attracted to Russian for many reasons; one, the country itself has a phenomenal history, culture and array of literature; secondly, it is a unique and beautiful language and thirdly; I would thrive on the challenge. I find French a fantastic language to learn and would love to further immerse myself in French culture, history and literature. For my coursework I am researching the student revolution of May 1968 and the feminist aftermath, a period in French history I feel to be important and relevant to French society today. Interestingly President Sarkozy denies May 1968 ever had any significance, whereas I would argue it had massive repercussions (such as the feminist movement), both long and short term!

Having studied English Literature I would be compelled to study foreign literature of any sort, particularly novels and poetry. I read extensively for pleasure and am currently reading 'Miss Harriet' by Guy de Maupassant. The short story 'The Legacy' I found very satirical in a humorous manner of French traditional views on marriage and children in the 19th century, and depicted an unhappy life as a civil servant; something Maupassant experienced. Ironically, although Lesable is unable to have children for much of the story, it is the civil servants themselves who act much like children!

I love travelling and recently went to Taiwan with my school for three weeks. I am now able to speak a few words of Mandarin, and even recognise a few symbols. France is however my preferred destination and I have been offered a bursary by my town's Twinning Association to stay with a French family in October and will use the opportunity to speak French as much as possible! I also recently visited Auschwitz, as part of the Holocaust Educational Trust's Lessons from Auschwitz Project. This was truly moving and has given me a heightened respect for not only the Jews but other, different cultures to my own. I have spoken about the experience in assemblies and as a result I have enhanced public speaking skills.

Over the past two years I have taken part in five Model United Nations conferences, representing a wide range of countries and debating a variety of both true and hypothetical issues, such as the conflict in the Middle East and one particularly memorable debate concerning the Pope's abduction of the Hamas leader. I have gained a lot of confidence in doing this, particularly in public speaking which has helped my oral language skills. I was also commended at the last conference I attended, which was a fantastic personal achievement. Furthermore I have volunteered every Saturday for the last three and a half years in my local Cancer Research shop. I always look forward to this, and even after getting a paid job in my local Morrisons Cafe in June 2007 I continued to volunteer on a regular basis. Inside school I have held the post of House Captain, a role that required organisation and cooperation with other house captains and it has greatly improved my interpersonal skills.

Overall, I am a highly motivated and hardworking person and am looking forward to continuing my study of French and learning a language from scratch. The cultures of both countries are unique and I am excited at the prospect of studying them. I would be committed to the work involved and above all, I would thoroughly enjoy it.

Universities Applied to:

  • University of Birmingham (Modern Languages - French and Russian) - Offer (ABB) Firm
  • University of Leeds (French and Russian) - Offer (ABB) Insurance
  • University of Bristol (French and Russian) - Offer (AAB) Declined
  • Durham University (French and Russian) - Offer (AAB) Declined
  • University of Cambridge (Modern and Medieval Languages - French and Russian) - Rejection

Grades Achieved:

  • French A2 - A
  • English Literature A2 - A
  • History A2 - A
  • German A2 - B