Job Discussion Forums

[jen_blue]

Hello,

I'm applying for a course with The University of Manchester and am concerned that the personal statement I have written is rubbish. I've tried to follow the prescribed prospects applying for teacher training but I am struggling to find enough to say.

This is what I have so far, any advice would be great.

My motivation to teach has come from personal experience of wanting to make a difference in the lives of others. Whilst at university, I witnessed first-hand how knowledge of English is vital to learning and integrating through having lived with a number of foreign students. I am very interested in culture, language and how people�s experiences develop them as a person. Furthermore, since English is the 4th most common spoken language and often the language of choice for those from different language backgrounds I feel I am very fortunate to be a native speaker and would like to offer this to others.
I have excellent communication skills and patience for others something I have particularly demonstrated in my role as a Support Worker at Deafway; a rehabilitation unit for Deaf/deaf people who have additional needs. As part of my role, I am involved in organising a wide range of day-to-day activities to encourage and empower clients to become more independent. This role often requires that I am extremely resourceful, creative and enthusiastic in my approach as clients in this arena, often suffer with great difficulties in terms of personal issues or motivation. Furthermore, I am always looking for new ways to interact and inspire; offering regular praise on small achievements in order to build confidence and self esteem.
Furthermore, during the summer holidays from University I worked as a Group Leader in a summer camp for children aged 5-13 years which I found extremely rewarding. In this role, I facilitated arts, crafts and sport sessions; this taught me a lot about communication in working with different ages of children and across a variety of levels of understanding. I also learnt to convey my expectations clearly and check understanding regularly.
I have a long-standing passion for English as a language and enjoy writing short stories and journalistic pieces of writing for a local online magazine. Furthermore, I have undertaken a period of self-study to familiarise myself with the basic principles of English language and prior to embarking upon a TESOL course as I am aware that this course is intense and increased knowledge is likely to be hugely beneficial to my overall experience.

Thanks
Jenny

[nomad soul]

Overall, it's rather predictable and impersonal with too many clich�s. You need to delve deeper about what it is to be a language learner as well as an EFL teacher-in-training by reflecting on challenges and successes and asking yourself the hows and the whys. This is easier said than done for some. A friend of mine found the opening paragraphs presented on this site rather useful for ideas and inspiration when she started writing her personal statement: http://www.admissionsessays.com/free_essays/graduate_school.html.

[jen_blue]

I followed the prescribed format offered by Prospects who you would hope know their stuff.

[nomad soul]

[Dedicated]

I have to mostly agree with nomad soul, and I work at a top-ranking university in London, where I advise students on their personal statements.

First of all, check your punctuation (use of commas/semi-colons) and capital letters.

Possibly start with a rhetorical question or quotation to catch the eye of the reader. They have hundreds of applications, and if the first paragraph does not attract, then the admissions officers probably don't read further.

Why should they accept you? Sell yourself.
What have you achieved in life so far? Any prizes/awards? CELTA/DELTA
Are you a good team player / can you work individually and unsupervised? Meet deadlines?

What can you bring to the course?
What methodology do you use in class?
Favourite author/coursebook. Why?

Try to personalise it a lot more. Good luck!

[nomad soul]

Dedicated and I have offered you advice based on our own experiences. However, be sure to carefully read the requirements and guidelines for the personal statement specific to your target university. What is required for one uni may not be pertinent for another.