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Sample Personal Statement for MA in Conference Interpretation
As early as I was 6 years old, my father took me to visit XX State
Guesthouse, a place that has witnessed all the major diplomatic events
in China over the past 50 years ranging from the establishment of
Sino-U.S. Diplomatic Relations to the recent six-party talks on North
Korea Nuclear Crisis. When asked how people from different countries
and speaking different languages understand each other, my father said
they rely on conference interpretation or simultaneous interpretation.
It is by no means a pure coincidence that now, on the verge of
completing my undergraduate program in Diplomacy at the School of
International Studies, XX University, I file this application to your
Graduate School of XX for a Master’s program in Conference
Interpretation. A number of motives underlie my application and those
motives can truly make me stand out as a most worthy candidate for
your program.
China’s accession into the WTO marked China’s comprehensive
integration into the international community. Apart from that, XX’s
hosting of 2008 Olympic Games has turned XX into an international
metropolis. The rapid increase in international events means equally
rapid increase in international conferences. According to an
authoritative XX. organization, Chinese translation market totals a 20
billion RMB business volume, of which 20% is related to conference
interpretation. In sharp contrast with this overwhelming market
demand, there are only 30 conference interpreters with AIIC
certification in China.
Conference interpretation is notorious for its challenging requirement
on the practicing interpreter regarding the ken of knowledge. I
believe that my undergraduate program, with its broad curriculum, has
made me well equipped, as the subject of International Relations
itself is all-encompassing. Moreover, I have familiarized myself
through extracurricular readings with Western Art History,
Environmental Ecology, Mass Communication, Christianity and Chinese
Culture, General Psychology, History of Sino-Japanese Cultural
Exchanges. As a member of XX University’s Computer Association and
Network Association, I am proficient in computer applications. Among
many of my extracurricular activities, my participation in “PKU Model
XX.” held my our School’s Cross-Century Association has been most
important, in which I made presentations in English in strict
accordance with the procedures of the General Assembly concerning
disarmament, human rights, environmental protection, etc.
With a GPA of 3.64 and a top 13th ranking in my grade, I have devoted
special attention to developing my English proficiency. In my senior
middle school, as Outstanding Student of XX of my school, I went on
two exchange programs, one with Colonel By School of XX (in 1998) and
another with XX College of English. In my undergraduate program, most
of the courses are delivered in English, many by British and American
professors. I achieved top scores in Special Oral English, Theory and
Practice of Translation, and Intensive Readings of Specialized
English. In the Translation course I received a 6-month training in
conference interpretation from a Chinese conference interpreter who
works at the XX Headquarters in XX.
My internship since early 2003 at the XX consists of offering
reception and interpretation services to the visiting delegates. As a
sophomore, I worked part-time at XX Oriental Singularity Science and
Technology Development Co. Ltd. Where I did a large quantity of
translation.
My educational objective is to receive a MACI from your program
through a two-year period in which I hope to be educated in the theory
and practice of conference interpretation. My language combination is
Chinese-English. By receiving the most rigorous trainings, I expect
that your 1:10 teacher-student ratio, high-tech classroom and
auditorium, and your sequential, modular curriculum can help me meet
the exceptional challenges of a demanding profession.
On completing your program and becoming a well-trained interpreter, I
will return to China to work at a government diplomatic organization,
or at an international organization based in XX, or on a freelance
basis. I will concentrate on the interpretation in the fields of
economics, trade, international politics, and culture. XX will offer
me unlimited opportunities to perfect my interpretation skills. After
gaining several years of professional experience, I hope to set up a
small company of my own, perhaps the first of its kind in China, that
can offer unparalleled conference interpretation. Whether in my
educational or in my career objective, XX ’s MACI will play a vital
role. |
