Exposure to a Foreign Language and Educational System - Personal Statement Example

When one has to learn for a degree in a language which is not her/his mother tongue, there can be a few advantages as well as disadvantages. It couldbe turned into the person’s advantage, depending on the students’ outlook to life and approach to the situation. However, there will definitely be some practical difficulties which they will have to overcome in the process. I am basically from Qatar, where my studies had been in the medium of my mother tongue, Arabic. Moreover, the education system there had been remarkably different from that in the United Kingdom, where I intend to pursue my degree. I take the situation realistically, foreseeing many obstacles that I will have to overcome in order to complete the degree successfully and make the most of my exposure to a foreign language and educational system. Each student will be faced with certain personal problems regarding a degree course that has to be completed within the stipulated time. The language problem that I will have to face will be just one such problem, and what would matter the most would be my proper motivation and determination to stick on to my decision. I believe the best way to understand the gravity of the situation is to differentiate the positive and negative effects the situation may have upon me. If I start with the analysis on a positive note that a degree will increase my job and life opportunities at any cost, the basic decision is already justified. There should not be any dire difficulty that would stop me from pursuing a degree in my present life situation in another country; but, at the same time, I should be aware of the extent to which I should work to overcome the possible difficulties. When I have to deal with entire course works in a language that is not my own, I should expect a lot of difficulty in understanding the study materials properly. When my classmates have the advantage of reading the materials in their mother tongue, my performance may not rise up to their standards. The basic knowledge in English language may not be sufficient to deal with the difficult terms that will be present in the study materials. For a person like me who use English as a second language, it may take a lot more time to pick up those words. Their dictionary meanings in English will also demand more work my part to understand them. This will surely lead to problems in the beginning to the extent that I may even think of dropping out of the course. I may even feel that I do not belong to the group of students who are at ease with the medium of instruction. I will have to work very hard to understand all the terms which are related to my field of study and be as competent as my classmates who learn for the degree in their mother tongue. If a student approaches this issue in a positive manner, it could be turned into an advantageous one. With the proper use of dictionaries and language practice sessions, one could overcome it in no time. In a country where there is a lot of opportunity to learn the target language, one has to make the maximum use of it. Instead of shying away from others, one could take a lot of time to interact with them and learn the language in its day to day use. Moreover, reading newspapers on a regular basis, with special focus on building vocabulary, can be a very good exercise. One can also be in touch with the various cultural and artistic products of the country where the course is done. This will help towards a better understanding on the language in all its subtle nuances. A judicious use of audio-visual and electronic aids will help one learn the language very fast. Therefore, the necessity to perform well for the degree course could lead to more learning experiences in the socio-cultural level. Friendship and talking with the classmates may be adversely affected in the beginning if one has to deal with people who speak a language different from her/his mother tongue. The grades secured for proficiency tests may not help one deal with real life situations. This may lead to insufficient, or strained relationships with friends and teachers. It is never a good idea to be cut off from the classmates. A very good deal of learning can take place only with the help of proper interaction and understanding with classmates. If there are some group tasks that the students will have to do, the lack of good relationship with classmates may affect their performance seriously. Similarly, if the guidelines by teachers are not clearly conveyed to the students, they will have a real touch time rising up to the expectations and utilizing one’s potential to the maximum. There is nothing which is impossible for a truly motivated student. This situation could be seen in a different light if one could see in it an opportunity to improve communication skills and build meaningful personal relations. The communicational aspect of it could in fact have many advantages. It could in itself be considered an adamantine. It is always better to be bilingual or multilingual in the changing world scenario. A person who is comfortable in more than one language will have an upper hand in the job markets. If the student utilizes the situation well, it may be possible to persuade friends and teachers to help them through it. If a student shows enthusiasm to have practice in conversations, the peers and teachers will always be useful. Instead of being worried constantly, the various skills of the language can be acquired through proper practice. The biggest problem regarding the situation is to perform reasonably well in the written final exams. For those who are ambitious in the fields of interest, the inability to express well in the written form could be quite frustrating and destructive. It is possible to learn the language in its theoretical way, complete with grammar, vocabulary and syntactical patterns, but it is doubtful whether all these will be of any use when it comes to expressing very well in the written for of the target language, within the limited time. In public exams, there will not be any understanding from the part of the evaluator if they do not know the student. Therefore, one could never take chances with the written exams. Any bad or inadequate use of the language in a written exam may be considered a sign of laziness from the part of the student. This will lead top lower grades than what the student deserves. In a situation where the student knows the answers but is unable to express them in the target language, the possible outcomes can indeed be disheartening. Here too, it is possible to see the positive side of the issue. Like in the other issues, this could also be turned into an advantageous situation. With constant practice, students could gain maximum proficiency in the medium of instruction in their course. It will be a good idea to start correspondence with friends, teachers and anyone who could help you learn more of the new language. It is very important to take all written assignments during the course seriously. If students spend sufficient time and energy to do complete justice to their assignments, it will have very good long term effects. During written examination, all the extra work they dedicated for learning the language of instruction will pay off. All the experience students had gained in their practice with others to enhance their listening, speaking and reading skills could be incorporated to the written skill as well. No matter whether you are good at creative writing or not, it is always good to try a hand at it in the target language. Constant practice in translation may also prove highly beneficial. The most important factor that would decide on whether one will finish the course successfully or not is proper motivation. If there are not sufficient reasons to take the pains to pursue a degree course in a language which not one’s mother tongue, the entire endeavor may not result in anything good. In many cases, the choice may not have come in the first place by the students. They may just have landed up in such a situation where their parents have to stay in a different country. In such cases, the motivational elements may not be sufficient to prepare the students for the possible obstacles. But there are instances where meritorious students are self-motivated to take up the challenge of continuing their education in another nation where they may get better exposure in academics and career. In some instances, students may grow up in a bilingual environment. This would be the most advantageous situation in cases where they learn the degree in their second language in which they have some competency from childhood onwards. Such students may not have too much difficulty to get used to the new learning environment. But for those who are forced to learn a new language out of necessity, the situation can pose a lot of challenges. However, students have to ask themselves whether the experience could be rewarding in the personal and professional level. In my case, gaining proficiency in English will make a great difference in my career opportunities and objectives. Along with that, the horizons of my knowledge will increase simultaneously. The ability to handle an international language will help me make quick progress in my career. Moreover, I could make use of my bilingual abilities for interpretive purposes. If I could fulfill my dream of passing the course with very good results, it will open a whole lot of new avenues to me. There won’t be any restriction to the extent to which I could pursue my education, and to gain valuable experience in the career of my choice. At the same time, I could do justice to my mother tongue and nation as well, with the help of the knowledge and experience I have gained to lead my contemporaries and future generations to better educational and career possibilities. I could thereby have more advantages at the end of the day if I overcome all possible obstructions in the way I hope. Instead of just learning a new course, I hope to be able to gain more analytical skills, develop my linguistic abilities and communicative skills and learn more about my own culture and other cultures of the world through the valuable experience I get out of this opportunity. Read More