Statement of purpose - Essay Example

Having majored in English Literature from the Northern Boarder and having worked in same as an assistant, I now wish to explore the passion of teaching that I have always nourished. Teaching English in the University would allow me to help me to combine my interest towards English Literature with my aspiration of teaching. I always had a deep interest in English Literature from my school days. This interest was cultivated by my hobby of reading books. I love reading novels and my favorite author is Charles Dickens.

Throughout my school life, I was always drawn to books and English was my favorite subject. I was also interested in writing and participated in may poetry and essay writing competition. As I moved towards higher education, I did not have a tough time choosing a subject of my choice because I always wanted to study English Literature. Therefore, I pursued my bachelor’s degree in English Literature. This course nourished my deep love towards literature, as I was able to understand the subject in great detail.

I got a exposure to American Literature, Literary Theory, British Literature and Post-Colonial Literature. I enjoyed all these courses thoroughly as they helped me in improving my understanding and knowledge about literature. I love being in an academic environment. Therefore, I worked as an assistant in the University because it helped me have a good look at the way in which the entire education system works in a university. I also could take an objective look at the teaching process. This role increased the conviction that I would want to nurture my career only in an academic institution.

Being in an university has also been helpful for me because I was in close association with the English Literature department and the excellent library of the University. During the role of being an assistant, I also got the chance to audit many different courses, which not only helped me increase my knowledge and understanding, but it also provided me with a chance to understand teaching methodology and approaches. The more I got to know about these theories, the more interested I got in the avenue of teaching.

Right from the time I was in school, my ambition was always to become a teacher. My undergraduate course as well as my stint as the assistant in the university made me realize that teaching is the right career for me. I consider teaching to be a very noble profession because it helps in nurturing young minds and giving a direction to their careers as well as passions. According to me, teaching is two-way process. I do not believe in the method of teaching where the teacher just lectures during the allocated time and leaves the classroom.

I believe in interactive teaching where students also contribute to a large part of the teaching process. In my opinion, this idea is crucial especially when teaching a subject like English Literature as the attitudes and opinions of the teachers as well as the students are critical in determining the approach taken towards any particular text or theory. Here, the students can take up any opinion that they want and form their own interpretations. When I was a student, I always found interactive lectures to be much more interesting and useful.

Discussions and interaction also provide opportunities to look at diverse perspectives and new ideas. Hence, I would take that approach if given a chance to teach. I also did extensive research on teaching methodology to gain deeper understanding of the various teaching techniques to find out which approach was more suitable for which subjects. For example, detailed discusses and interaction are necessary while teaching genres like novels or poetry. However, while teaching literary theory, it is necessary to adopt a lecture mode during the initial stages before the session is opened up for interaction.

Teaching in the Northern Border University has an excellent department of English Literature with a highly qualified faculty. Joining them would help me become a good lecturer and improve my horizons of understanding of the subject. It will provide me with a good chance to both teach and learn at the same time, a unique combination that only teaching can provide. In addition, the standard of students is high and it would be a good opportunity to share knowledge with them through interactive teaching.

Therefore, I believe that a teaching assignment in this university would help me pursue my passion for English literature along with my passion of teaching.