Throughout secondary school I have believed languages to be of great importance, due to their ability to bring people of different cultures together and allow the transmission of ideas and customs across societies. A course in Chinese would give me the opportunity not only to study a new language, but also to broaden my knowledge of non-European culture and history.
Recently, I completed a week’s work shadowing as a classroom assistant at an English Language summer camp for Italian students in Candriai, Italy; this required responsibility when looking after the pupils and initiative in developing spare time activities and language games for them. I have always been competent at using computers, and guiding the pupils through procedures has also helped me develop my communication skills when interacting with others. Such experiences have made me work to deadlines and rapidly address different situations.
My time in the Sixth Form has enabled me to take on a wide range of responsibilities, serving both the school community and the town as a whole. As a member of the school sound and lighting team, of which I am now joint head, I have been required to teach the necessary equipment operation skills to the year below me. Also, I have had to organise teams for each event run by the school. At the end of Year 12 I was chosen to be a Head Student for Year 9, presenting the opportunity to further improve my public speaking and organisational ability – something which I began to develop when participating in debates during Year 12.
I have been able to pursue my interests in expressive arts through acting in a production of Romeo and Juliet and also organising and participating in a number of events throughout the year. Outside of school, yet intrinsically linked with my studies of politics, I have become involved in a group who discuss a variety of humanitarian issues on the global stage. After Sixth Form, I will take a gap year, in which I intend to volunteer for TEFL work in South East Asia, as a way of experiencing what everyday life is like for people in other areas of the world while hopefully being able to make a difference.
My pursuit of languages thus far has proved to be not only fascinating, by providing insights in to foreign cultures, but also indispensable during my travels of Europe. By studying Chinese, I hope to open a door to the East of Asia, to experience life there myself and facilitate communication with a large section of the world’s population.
