linguistics masters personal statement

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Linguistics Personal Statement Guide

A personal statement forms a necessary part of your application to institutions of higher education and is one of the most important bases on which admissions decisions are made.

The personal statement represents a unique opportunity to tell universities about your passion for linguistics and why you’d like to spend at least the next three years studying this challenging and rewarding subject. Moreover, it allows you to convey an idea of who you are as a person to someone you’ve never met.

Of course, this isn’t a straightforward task. It’s likely you’ve been interested in language and how it works for a while, and people usually find self-reflection difficult at the best of times, so writing a good personal statement takes considerable effort.

That’s where this guide comes in. It will take you through the writing process step-by-step from beginning to end, and provide you some helpful tips along the way, including:

• Why are Personal Statements Important?
• What Should I Include in a Linguistics Personal Statement?  
• What Should I Avoid in a Linguistics Personal Statement?  

Advice on How to Start a Linguistics Personal Statement  

Advice on how to finish a linguistics personal statement  .

What Should I Avoid in a Linguistics Personal Statement ?  

No personal statement should be tailored to any one university , unless you’re only applying to one. That means you need to keep it general enough but also relevant enough for universities to accept it as valid for their degree course. You shouldn’t , therefore, talk about how you’ve always dreamed of studying at one institution – even if you have!

Personal statements should also be direct and written in simple language to communicate your point as clearly as possible; this shouldn’t be a problem for you if you want to study linguistics.

Avoid clichés and pretentious language as these not only don’t impress, they also detract from the quality of your statement and distract the reader. Your statement should contain only what is relevant to you and to linguistics , so every time you think of mentioning something, ask yourself if this is the case; if it isn’t, don’t include it.

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Beginning any piece of writing is difficult, but this is especially the case for personal statements as they form such an integral part of your university application. As such , don’t be scared to begin somewhere in the middle; writing about your interests and your research can help slowly shape the introduction in your mind.

When you’re ready to start the beginning, make it direct and attention-grabbing , but not clichéd . It should convey your desire to study linguistics and/or your general interest in how language works , and leave the reader in no doubt what it is you’re proposing to study and why.

It can also sometimes help to make notes around the points you wish to include and keep a list of these, even if you don’t yet know where to put them, just so you don’t forget any. Remember: you only have 4000 characters (including spaces) to work with, so you won’t be able to include everything .

When you finish reading something, your lasting impression is often formed by the ending. For this reason, it pays to conclude your statement well . You want to leave the reader in no doubt of your passion for linguistics , your motivation to study it to a higher level, and how capable a student you will be.

An effective way to do this is link the ending back to the start so you recapitulate (without repeating!) points in your introduction. This will reinforce to the reader why you’d be a good student to have on the course and one who will derive the maximum benefit from it.

Remember that your intention is to receive an offer of an interview or a place on the course, so your final words should be convincing and make the reader want to meet you to find out more.

• What are some Tips for Writing a Strong Linguistics Personal Statement?
• How Long Should my Linguistics Personal Statement Be?
• What Kind of Extracurricular Activities Should I Include in my Linguistics Personal Statement?
• How Can I Tailor my Linguistics Personal Statement to the Oxford/Cambridge Course?

Linguistics admissions tutors are likely the ones who will end up teaching you the subject, so they want to know you’ve thought deeply about it. Whatever your personal thoughts and insights, you should incorporate these into your statement; a good place is in the section on motivation and interest. After all, language is a fundamental part of being human, so you are already in a great position to reflect on it already.

As linguistics isn’t taught at school, the only way you could have delved into it is by yourself, in your own time. That already shows a pro-active and self-directed approach to learning, which should come out in your statement.

Needless to say, your wider reading should feature, but be selective; don’t list all books you’ve read on language and don’t turn it into a book review. Chances are, the person reading the statement has also read what you have.

The personal statement has a low character-limit (4000 including spaces or 47 lines of the form, whichever is reached first), so you should aim to use all that you’re given. Obviously don’t keep writing for the sake of it, as fewer words of quality will always be better than more of nonsense, but to do justice to yourself it’s advisable to make use of as much of the character-limit as possible.

When considering including activities, ask yourself how they relate to linguistics or advanced academic study. If you struggle to answer, then it’s likely not worth including as you have so few words at your disposal. It goes without saying that your relevant reading should be mentioned, but other activities like volunteering or work experience could be relevant if you want to make a point about time-management or a pro-active attitude.

Whilst you cannot make your statement to specific to any one university, there are certain things you can do to ensure Oxbridge tutors know you are thinking of them.

Linguistics at Oxford and Cambridge is interdisciplinary, so you’d have the chance to study everything from syntax and dialect to psycholinguistics and phonetics. With so much on offer, it’s a good idea to see what you’d like to study in particular, and to mention one or two areas, but make sure other universities offer them too.

Moreover, as Oxford and Cambridge have very strong historical linguistics departments looking at how languages have changed over time, so this may be an area to delve into further, if that’s your thing.

Book your Linguistics Personal Statement Package

You can contact our Oxbridge-graduate Consultants on +44 (0) 20 7499 2394 or email [email protected] to discuss our personal statement packages.  

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MA Linguistics Personal Purpose Statement Sample

Updated: Aug 26

I love languages, learning, sharing, and exploring culture through the written word. Thus, graduating in Linguistics is t most natural choice for me. XXXX University is my first choice among master's degree programs in this area for several reasons, from your program's sheer excellence to the intellectual and cultural resources of the surrounding area. I hope to earn the MA Degree in Linguistics at UXX because I am the best fit for your program.

I enjoy listening to the lines of characters in a film in a completely unknown language. The study of languages has always attracted me like a magnet, especially its logic and order, resembling the aesthetics of mathematics in the rules of grammar and syntax. Throughout my studies for graduate and undergraduate degrees, I was drawn to the universities that offered courses in ancient languages to feed my passion in this area. The study of language has always been central to my academic life, and this will enable me to excel in Linguistics at the UX.

Studying History has helped to enhance my writing abilities and frame my value system, allowing me to think creatively about the relationship between linguistic and social realities. Studying History alongside Linguistics gives one a glimpse of the glamour of diverse historical events and languages of the world. I graduated with a dual degree in the French language with a certificate of DELF and a dissertation “Les études sur la relation interactive entre la reformed et la revolution-----une comparison entre la Revolution française et la Revolution de 1911”. Another highlight was my participation in academic competition with my classmates, for which we wrote a project: Between History and Reality: British Historians' Political "Ideals" in Athenian Democracy in the Victorian Era: centering on George Grote . I proactively took part in the research tasks of collecting and classifying documents and decoding the text content. We were presented with the third prize for scientific research achievement.

I completed intensive courses in Latin and Old Greek courses every academic year throughout my undergraduate and graduate studies; one major highlight in 2013 was my participation in the Beijing Latin Intensive Summer Course. During my master's program, after attending the one-year Elementary Greek course at Renmin University and struggling with Xenophon’s Anabasis, I spent three semesters learning Ancient Greek at Peking University. Despite being a bit discouraged by Plato’s Apology, I was surprised to enjoy translating the extracts from Xenophon’s Symposium. I could adequately use Herbert Weir Smyth’s Greek Grammar by the end of the course. I also completed one semester of extracurricular German and hoped to return to my studies in German at the Goethe Institute.

I have always been puzzled over the concurrence of “avoid, are” and “tree” in French auxiliaries. It turned out that Michael Allan Jones presented a plausible argument that those who pick “tree” as auxiliaries are mostly “Un accusative intransitive” verbs in Foundations of French Syntax . This is one of the times that my inquiry into linguistic elements compelled me to resort to linguistics spheres.

I studied and taught for one month as a volunteer at the Linguistics Institute of China. The course included four parts: Phonetics, Phonology, Syntax, and Semantics, and gave me a complete understanding of general linguistics. I studied classic linguistic textbooks, enhanced my knowledge of the broad gambit of aspects and issues in linguistics theory, and became involved in innovative issues and debates in theoretical linguistics. Studying the “notoriously” difficult K&K is tough. Still, I managed to work out simple deductions following the professor’s instructions and master some of the basic phonological concepts such as “underlying representation and surface representations” and “distinctive features.” A further understanding of semantics corresponds to my innermost desire for logic and reasoning. I was thrilled to have translated an English sentence for the first time with the logical notation ∀x ( (WIZARD(x) ∧¬x=V) → MORTAL(x) ). This experience has deepened my understanding of linguistics studies and helped to facilitate my personal and academic adaptation to a more advanced course,

I look forward to a complete immersion in theoretical linguistic studies with keen anticipation. I hope to conduct research projects relating to Chinese minority languages, donate myself to their preservation and linguistic diversity, and record miracles in the history of human civilization.

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English language and linguistics personal statement example 1.

Language is common to all people. By its nature, it is something that links us all together, yet our use of language is a major factor in defining us all as individuals. For something that comes so naturally to all of us, language can hold great power and influence. Even this personal statement is a perfect example of how language can be constructed in order to influence the opinion of others. My decision to study English Language is based on my desire to further my understanding of the language that I and the people around me use and encounter on a daily basis, and through this, understand our society a little better. The study of Linguistics will complement this, giving me the chance to apply precise analysis to language data. As something I have never directly studied before, I see this area as a new way for me to look at language, with a more precise and scientific approach.

Within school, I am part of the editorial team for the school magazine. I really enjoy the chance this gives me to write for an audience, and it has greatly improved the confidence I have in my own work. It has been a learning experience in other ways too, as I have gained valuable experience in working both as part of a team and as an individual in order to produce the finished piece. Due to my role in the presentation of the magazine, my ICT skills have also improved. Last year, I volunteered as a library assistant within the school library. Again, this was something I greatly enjoyed, as I was able learn more about how a small library is run, as well as working closely with students of all years.

Outside of school, I have a part time job as a sales assistant for a busy branch of Claire’s Accessories. Through this, I have gained more confidence in myself and more independence. This has also given me a working knowledge of money management, albeit on a very small scale, which can be built on to help me during university and in later life. In my spare time, I listen to music to help me relax, and I attend concerts wherever possible. Reading a wide variety of newspapers helps me keep up with current affairs and politics, something important to me, as the everyday lives of all people are directly affected by this. It also gives me an insight into how different news institutions can use language to present a different viewpoint on the same event. I am also interested in film, particularly British cinema and the work of Tarantino.

I feel that university is the perfect environment for me to develop as a person. The choices open to me will be increased, and the level of independence that I will enjoy will be much greater. I feel that this, as well as the chance to meet new people and experience new environments, will be something that I will gain something from and enjoy. English Language will give me an excellent platform for a career in journalism, something that I am very interested in pursuing after my studies. However, the knowledge and skills that I gain from my degree will be of great benefit to me in any career path that I choose to follow. I look forward to experiencing university life and the chance to explore language in much greater detail.

Profile info

This personal statement was written by dogtanian for application in 2004.

dogtanian's university choices The University of Edinburgh The University of Essex University of Newcastle Upon Tyne The University of Reading University of Sussex The University of York

Green : offer made Red : no offer made

Degree English Language & Linguistics at University of Sussex

dogtanian's Comments

I'm faily proud of this. I try not to look at it too much because I'll just find fault, but I think it's written well enough to flow and make sense, and I think I come across quite well, rather than seeming like part of a form.

I'll wait to see if it does the job; I think I've sent it later than I should have done for a fighting chance...

Related Personal Statements

This really helped me with my.

Tue, 10/05/2005 - 00:00

This really helped me with my statement. Thanks

Excellent...

Wed, 08/11/2006 - 11:36

I know some people who copied this and do english at uni of hull

The new UCAS form on-line

Wed, 08/11/2006 - 11:37

The new UCAS form on-line looks really nice

This is a really good

Fri, 06/07/2007 - 12:44

This is a really good personal statement but i think they could have done better... like me. haha :P

some people really need to

Tue, 14/08/2007 - 11:13

some people really need to learn a thing or two about being humble. I think your personal statment is really well written!! From the first paragrapg I was immiediately drawn in to read on!! well done!

just starting the scary

Fri, 19/09/2008 - 19:26

just starting the scary process of personal statement for uni, british sign language. Thank you for letting us look at your statement this has given me a starting point - the blank page is not quite so daunting now!

Fantastic!!!!!!!!!!

Sat, 11/10/2008 - 10:24

This personal statement is fantastic!! I loved the first and last paragraph! It really helped me to make a start on my personal statement for Speech and Language Therapy aswell so thanks:D

This PS helped me a lot and

Mon, 05/01/2009 - 20:28

This PS helped me a lot and is the best one I found!

Really helpful for speech and

Thu, 07/05/2009 - 21:47

Really helpful for speech and language therapy - thanks! especially liked the first few lines

Language is common to all

Thu, 02/09/2010 - 15:07

That is all.

Mon, 13/02/2012 - 17:43

Left on my site a link to this post. I think many people will be interested in it..!!

This is really good personal

Tue, 27/08/2013 - 15:02

This is really good personal statement, and i am also interested at doing English language and linguistics at university. What subjects did you take in your A levels?

Follows generic P.S. formula but bleeds cheese

Thu, 20/02/2014 - 02:25

Sounds like you read the articles on how to write a good Personal Statement, and used what you learned in crafting it. Unfortunately, it bleeds cheese. If a statement is a PERSONAL statement, and you're applying for an ENGLISH course, then why the utter lack of creativity? You sound very much like the a-typical applicant- something to avoid. Congratulations on your offers, though.

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PERSONAL STATEMENT EXAMPLE English Language and Linguistics Personal Statement

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Choose English at ULAW, dive into analysing literature and cultures, and gain the tools to become an original and discerning literature critic!

English Language and Linguistics Personal Statement

Further study of the English language would fuel my interest and genuine curiosity of language and assist my reflection on the vital part it plays in society. When it comes to language so many do not stop to question, what? How? And why? When I start thinking about language and immerse myself in it, I truly appreciate the intricate complexities that appear when you start to unpick it.

I am fascinated by child language acquisition as this is something so different to what I have studied previously. Through guided reading and supporting younger students I have been able to observe different aged children and assess their reading abilities and the way in which they use language. Spending time in both Infant and secondary school environments made it possible to contrast how key stage one and three students read. This highlighted an alarming number of key stage three students with reading ages considerably lower than their chronological age. Leading me to wonder if a number parents rely on the national curriculum for the entire reading development of their children rather than introducing reading routines at the optimum age prior to entering the education system.

As a logically inclined individual ‘The Infinite Gift’ by Charles Yang inspired me, giving a scientific understanding of language acquisition and presenting the concept in a formulaic way. Yang explains how language acts as the pivotal reason why humanity is unique. Only humans acquire language, separating us from the rest of nature. Charles Darwin expressed that “Man has an instinctive tendency to speak, as we see in the babble of young children, whilst no child has an instinctive tendency to bake, brew or write.” This further expands the idea of language being encoded in our biology and Chomsky’s revolutionary linguistic theory of innateness.

Out of school I train in contemporary dance and recently took part in the Commonwealth Dance Festival in Glasgow where I was able to work with artists from around the world. Interestingly the majority of dancers spoke English, a language described as ‘Language of opportunity’. This makes me feel both privileged and embarrassed as here in Britain, literacy is something most take for granted. The English language undeniably creates a sense of global unity, although there is evidence that the rapid increase of English speakers results in an extinction of community languages. We should be questioning whether the advancements of English are worth the loss of traditional languages.

I am a dedicated individual who has always been involved with music and dance including; mentoring, playing with ensembles and orchestras and performing at every opportunity. Having recently achieved my grade seven flute, I am proud of the technicality, creativity and resilience I have acquired in my ten years of learning an instrument. My commitment has been recognised by school through numerous house awards for attendance, role model and most outstanding female. In addition I have been awarded by the parish council for my musical and dance achievements and involvement in the local community.

Organisation and responsibility is something I pride myself in, being head of both prom and sixth form ball committees has allowed me to delegate roles in and work collaboratively at a range of fundraising tasks. I have held a range of positions within school for example; dance ambassador, music concerts manager and currently house captain. These roles have involved my work closely with teachers and representing the school. Participating in the National Citizen Service programme allowed me to work with variety of people on projects to improve the local community. I took part in a high achievers’ mentoring programme with Price Waterhouse Coopers that involved a group presentation to panel of professionals in an industry environment.

To me it seems obvious to explore the ability to communicate and the way we do so. Language is always evolving, it will always be relevant and there will always be something new, something interesting to discover.

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How to write a personal statement

How to approach writing your personal statement for graduate applications.

If you’re applying for a grad course that requires a personal statement (sometimes also called a ‘statement of purpose’), it can be difficult to know where to start and what to include. Read on for tips from some of our masters’ students about their process and what they found helpful.

1. Before you start

The academic work is the most important reason why we’re here, but that also translates into work experiences, internships, volunteering. I think a big part of the personal statement is crafting that narrative of academic self that fits alongside your professional experiences, to give that greater picture of who you are as an academic. Lauren (MSc Modern Middle Eastern Studies)

Start by thinking about the skills, knowledge and interests you’ve acquired over time and how the course at Oxford will take them forward.

Your statement is the story you want to tell about yourself and your academic work to the department you are applying to.

Most of your application and its supporting documents communicate plain facts about your academic career so far. Your personal statement is your best opportunity to put these facts into context and show assessors how you’ve progressed and excelled.

Make sure you highlight evidence of your achievements (a high grade in a relevant area, an award or scholarship, a research internship).

Presenting yourself

When I was writing my personal statement, I went onto my course website. I looked at what they emphasised and what kind of students they were looking for, and I wrote about my experiences based on that. Kayla (MSc in Clinical Embryology)

Make it easy for an assessor to see how you meet the entry requirements for the course (you can find these on each course page ).

Don’t make any assumptions about what Oxford is looking for!

Get to know your department

You want to study this particular subject and you want to study at Oxford (you’re applying here, so we know that!) but why is Oxford the right place for you to study this subject? What interests or qualities of the academic department and its staff make it attractive to you?

Use your academic department’s website for an overview of their research, academic staff and course information (you'll find a link to the department's own website on each course page ).

I said, ‘why do I actually want to be here? What is it about being at Oxford that’s going to get me to what I want to do? Sarah (Bachelor of Civil Law)

Talk it out

Talking to others about your statement can be a great way to gather your ideas and decide how you’d like to approach it. Sarah even managed to get benefit out of this approach by herself:

“I spent a lot of time talking out loud. My written process was actually very vocal, so I did a lot of talking about myself in my room.”

2. The writing process

Know your format.

Make sure you’ve read all the guidance on the How to Apply section of your course page , so you know what’s needed in terms of the word count of the final statement, what it should cover and what it will be assessed for. This should help you to visualise roughly what you want to end up with at the end of the process.

Make a start

When it comes to writing your personal statement, just getting started can be the hardest part.

One good way to get around writer’s block is to just put it all down on the page, like Mayur.

First - write down anything and everything. In the first round, I was just dumping everything - whatever I’ve done, anything close to computer science, that was on my personal statement. Mayur (MSc Computer Science)

You’ll be editing later anyway so don’t let the blank page intimidate you - try writing a little under each of the following headings to get started:

• areas of the course at Oxford that are the most interesting to you
• which areas you’ve already studied or had some experience in
• what you hope to use your Oxford course experience for afterwards.

3. Finishing up

Get some feedback.

Once you’ve got a draft of about the right length, ask for feedback on what you’ve written. It might take several drafts to get it right.

This could involve getting in touch with some of your undergraduate professors to ask them to read your draft and find any areas which needed strengthening.

You could also show it to people who know you well, like family or friends.

Because they’re the first people to say, ‘Who is that person?’ You want the people around you to recognise that it really sounds like you. It can be scary telling family and friends you’re applying for Oxford, because it makes it real, but be brave enough to share it and get feedback on it. Sarah (Bachelor of Law)

Be yourself

Finally - be genuine and be yourself. Make sure your personal statement represents you, not your idea about what Oxford might be looking for.

We have thousands of students arriving every year from a huge range of subjects, backgrounds, institutions and countries (you can hear from a few more of them in our My Oxford interviews).

Get moving on your application today

To find out more about supporting documents and everything else you need to apply, read your course page and visit our Application Guide .

• Application Guide: Statement of purpose

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