语言学个人陈述.doc

精品文档申请专业：语言学(当代语言学方向)I have found great enjoyment in language learning for a number of years and my passion for both French and German goes much further than the A-Level syllabus. I hope that the study of Modern Languages at university can help satisfy my appetite for the particular aspects of French and German that I find the most interesting. I have been fortunate enough to be able to learn about the German Occupation of France and the literature relating to this period; a topic that has interested me all the more through the study of books such as “Le Silence de la Mer” and “Un Sac de Billes”. In German, reading the novel “Am kuerzeren Ende der Sonnenallee”, set in East Germany, has motivated me to research the change in dialects during the period of German Separation. I perceive my study of two science subjects at A-Level to be a differentiating feature between many others applicants to a Languages degree. Studying these subjects promotes a different approach to the same task; the kind of logic that it encourages is certainly useful when undertaking translation exercises. The more advanced knowledge that studying them has provided me with means that becoming a translator or interpreter in the scientific field is an achievable goal.I am very fortunate to have family who live in Germany, as I am able to spend a great deal of my holidays there. During the summer I worked in a hotel for a fortnight, which was an unforgettable experience. It gave me the opportunity to be submerged into another culture and forced me, as it were, to speak German for the entirety of my stay. It was certainly a difficult experience, albeit a rewarding one, an experience that exposed me to a different dialect of German to the one I was used. I am, at present, looking forward to the visit of a family friend from France, who is coming to stay for three months whilst she completes her work experience at a local riding school. This will provide me with the opportunity to speak a less formal and more conversational French, which is certainly a chance that I appreciate.Being chosen as a Prefect has given me many opportunities to come into contact and help younger students in the Academy. I have been part of the Paired Reading Scheme, with which I committed a small amount of time during the week in order to help a Year 7 student become more confident with reading. This year, I will be helping students to learn how to read using the Bowring Code; a system created by a teacher at the Academy which uses colours to show letter sounds. I have found using the Code a fascinating experience and seeing its effects has convinced me of its usefulness in helping people to learn to read. The Code is also a useful implement in teaching Foreign Languages and I would hope that it is adopted on a larger scale. I was also privileged enough to be able to help a group of Year 10 Leadership and Management students improve their public speaking and debate skills. I have also worked hard to raise money the Uhuru Ministries, a charity that cares for orphaned children in Kenya. This not only has meant taking part in sponsored events, but helping with the organisation of such events and wider schools events such as the Summer Fete. Progressing to become Editor of the Academy Times has, too, been a fantastic experience. It has meant that I have become well organised and has also involved me organising a team, which I find extremely rewarding, especially when one can see the finished product.In summary, I believe that my passion and enthusiasm for foreign languages give me the potential to succeed. I also believe that I have a great deal to give back to the institution that helps me to realise my linguistic potential.PERSONAL STATEMENT(语言学专业)In connection with my application for acceptance into your Ph.D. program, I am enclosing the following statement concerning my life, professional activities, and tentative future plans.I was born in Xiamen, Fujian Province in China on November 8, 1969. Later, my family moved to Beijing where I grew up. I am from a family of academics. My father is a professor of linguistics and Chief of the University Journal Agency of Beijing Language and Culture University (formerly Beijing Language Institute). My mother is a professor at the same university and teaches Chinese as a foreign language. From 1991 to 1993, my mother taught Chinese at Wittenberg University, Ohio and Indiana University at Bloomington. She encouraged me to apply for admission to advanced programs in the U.S.I graduated from high school in 1988, and received the highest scores in my school at the National Entrance Examination for Universities. This made me an “Honor Student” at the national level. Upon acceptance to Beijing Language and Culture University, my major became English, with minors in linguistics, French and computer science. I was awarded consecutive scholarships for all four years in college. During my college years, I became more and more interested in linguistics. My senior year was largely devoted to topics in linguistics, and my required thesis work focused on the influence of cultural and educational factors upon the Chinese and English languages.After college, Beijing Science & Technology University employed me. For the first year and a half I was assigned to a project aimed at creating improved computer program for idiomatic English-Chinese & Chinese-English translations. This project proved me with considerable experience linguistics, and further improved my understanding of the subtleties of both English and Chinese.Since the project completion, I have been teaching intensive English courses at Beijing Science and Technology University. Since July of 1993, I have taught English listening comprehension at Beijing Language and Culture University. The latter classes are part of a program that provides adult Chinese professionals with opportunity to improve their English.My interest in linguistics is initially based on my desire to better comprehend the English language, and, in the process, learn more about my own language. China is now opening and engaging in ever expanding cultural and financial relations with the English-speaking countries of the West. It has struck me, as it may have occurred to many of my compatriots that negotiations to bring about these new and improved relations sometimes break down because of mutual ignorance about each others languages. I am aware that this has been a popular problem for study, among Americans engaging in business and other fields, but I am not aware of any serious attempt to research this problem from a Chinese point of view.Through my work in the U.S., I would hope to contribute to a better understanding of the problems inherent in the deep differences between the two languages.I recognize that a thesis project in most graduate schools is chosen after on has studied in various programs in a department and after extensive discussion with ones professors. Nevertheless, I would hope that investigating socio-cultural differences between English and Chinese might be considered a suitable topic. Such a study would focus on the cultural, historical, traditional and educational factors, which influence the two languages, and significantly contribute to possible misinterpretations.My long-term plan is to continue working on comparative aspects of English and Chinese linguistics. I strongly desire to work in an academic environment combining teaching, research and writing.I heard that your English/Linguistics Department has a reputation for academic excellence. I am applying to your program because I desire the best education possible for my professional career.Language and Linguistics Personal Statement语言与语言学个人陈述（PS）The famous linguistic philosopher, Benjamin Lee Whorf said Language is the best show man puts on. It is what puts us ahead of other animals. I would not be typing this statement without the human ability to communicate fluently and one may go so far as to say that we would not have structured society at all. Such a major thing is taken for granted yet without it where would we be? So, in my opinion, language is possibly the most important facet intrinsic to humanity. Since arriving at secondary school, I have studied four different languages, as well as looking at my own language in more detail. For seven years, I have learnt French and Latin, and for five years, learnt Italian as well. As a student of Latin and modern Romance languages, I am interested greatly in language change as well as semantics. It is exciting when I learn a new word in French and it is instantly traceable to a Latin cognate, or even better, I suddenly understand that a word I know in English has a root in another language I have studied. I find that most students of Latin are more interested in the literature, but I feel the language has so much to offer. I am fascinated by the case system, and how there can be a complete disregard for regular sentence structure but the meaning stays the same (a contrast to the other languages I have studied, which stick piously to the base syntax.) Another learning experience which developed my interest in language was my studies of Mandarin Chinese. This was completely new for me, as it is not rooted in Latin, or indeed Greek. Because of this, it has a completely different set of linguistic rules. For example, there are no tenses, as we would define tense in a Western language. I was shocked how much importance was placed in tonality, in comparison to French, Italian or English. I feel that it opened my eyes to a new world of language beyond my own which was just as exciting and even more complex. Aside from learning foreign and classical languages I have also come across the joy of language through the other subjects I am taught. In philosophy I have enjoyed critiquing the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis, both Nativist and Empiricist views on language acquisition and Ludwig Wittgensteins language games. By doing this, I have opened up to a more theoretical side of language, which is intriguing. As a student of English Literature, I have found the Shakespearean and Chaucerian works the most captivating. One can do an in depth study of how language is formed, how it has changed and how it sounds (and no doubt both Chaucer and Shakespeare are great examples for study of English) but these remind you of the power of language. In Othello, Iago dictates the lives of all around him with his mastery of words. I plan to take a gap year, in order to further my linguistic interests. Last year I did some