My own experience of mastering a tongue which is unrelated to my native language of Arabic has, in addition to my formal studies and teaching experience, provided an excellent foundation on which to build expertise in linguistics to the highest level. It has also demonstrated to me how much, and how fundamentally, culture affects the ways in which we express ourselves. I marvel at the ways in which our forebears have managed to construct, through trial and error, the means to communicate concisely, precisely, and sometimes poetically and have achieved these ends in such vastly diverse ways. What subject of study could be more fascinating? Thus, I have my heart set on earning the MA Degree in Linguistics at XXXX University.
I am an ESL teacher at Bennet College and Greensboro Islamic Academy. My goal is to acquire the highest level of skill and knowledge in socio-linguistics to enable me to maximize my usefulness as a teacher, to become equipped to become an excellent researcher in order to improve the teaching of English particularly to Arabic speaking students and to fulfil my academic and personal potential to its fullest extent. I hope to pass on my passion for the teaching of English to another generation of teachers and to provide expert consultancy services to Ministries of Education, especially in African countries.
Since my undergraduate years, I have been fascinated by theoretical and sociolinguistics and especially in the areas of syntax and second language acquisition. I have worked as an English/Arabic and ESOL teacher at intermediate, secondary and college levels and this has exposed me to various specific problems that I believe to be worthy of research. I am interested in investigating the difficulties specific to Arab learners of English in grammar, speaking, reading, and writing to enable improvements in the effectiveness and speed in teaching these skills. I am also interested in establishing which cultural factors impede EFL teaching especially among Sudanese and other African students. Students from my own country, Sudan, seem to take longer to acquire English language skills than students from other countries and hope to assist in the improvement of curriculum design and teaching methods.
The traditional ‘chalk and talk’ method of teaching, with little student participation, is not particularly effective in the passing on of language skills and the outcomes seem to confirm this. However, this is still the only teaching technique in use in many countries. I want to be a catalyst in changing the language teaching environment to one in which students are enthusiastic. Rather than regarding language learning as a tiresome but necessary burden, I want students to see it as a fascinating voyage of discovery.
I have 15 years’ experience in teaching English in Africa, the USA, and the Middle East. I received my MA in the teaching of English from North Carolina Agriculture & Technical State University and immediately became a licensed ESL teacher. The program provided practical experience of teaching and particularly in selecting and applying specific and appropriate techniques for groups of students.
I have taught in vastly different educational environments, one in which the teacher is ‘king’ and one in which the student is the ‘client/consumer’ and may have to be coaxed to ‘consume’! I have adapted my approach and techniques to be effective in both situations. I employ various engagement and enrichment activities to create and maintain the interest of students and seek to allow them to ‘take ownership’ of their learning schedule as far as possible. Teaching English is challenging but highly rewarding. The shared joy of student and teacher when a difficult concept is finally grasped would be hard to match in any other profession.
I admit to a lack of formal research experience, but I see a considerable skill overlap between teaching and research. Both call for persistence, determination, creative and original thinking, the ability to formulate clear and challenging but achievable goals and to apply flexibility in reaching them. I am determined to apply all these hard-won characteristics and skills in the program.
I have carefully researched the programs available to help me achieve my goals and have concluded that your own is the ‘best fit’. I am seeking a challenging but supportive academic environment in which I shall be enabled to enhance my skills and knowledge to an expert level and to undertake incredibly useful research into the teaching of English. I am aware of the excellent work of Dr. Gloria Park and of her research and published work particularly ‘Narratives of East Asian Women Teacher of English, Where Privilege Meets Marginalization’ and would be delighted to be able to work with such an impressive educator and researcher and others like her. I also look forward to working with peers who share my passion to create a network of experts for mutual assistance and encouragement in the program and in our careers beyond.
To summarize: I am a well-qualified and highly experienced teacher who has successfully taught English in contrasting educational and cultural environments. I am academically able, ambitious, and passionately committed to improving the teaching of English. I am convinced that my background, experience, and personal characteristics will enable me to ‘add value’ to the program and I undertake to apply myself with exceptional diligence and enthusiasm to it.
Master’s Degree in Linguistics Personal Purpose Sudanese
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