Personal Statement.

I have been working as an ESL teacher for six years in Austria. I have learned that in order to be a
successful teacher one must be creative, flexible, inspiring and hardworking. Simply, if you work hard on
class activities for the pupil's educational enrichment it is always satisfying and rewarding. I found out quickly
that you have to learn from your mistakes and being open to new ideas is always a step forward. Teaching in
Austria has taught me about cultural sensitivity in education, and the need for teachers of ESL to actually be
bridge builders in areas of cultural divide and ignorance. The fact that I am applying for the MA TESOL
displays that I am addressing my own personal desire to improve myself as an ESL professional.
I acknowledge that my previous degree grade was not the best, but that makes me even more determined to
fully concentrate on the successful completion of a MA TESOL course. I realize that the undertaking of a MA
TESOL course is a serious commitment, and that the course requires some personal sacrifices.
The MA TESOL course would give me the tools needed to further my career in the ESL teaching and
learning community. The course will help to develop my teaching skills and so in turn I would be able to fully
utilize them in practice. At the moment I have more on the job experience than actual theoretical training and
education, even though I do try to keep up to date with the latest ESL teaching methods, I still feel I am
lacking in certain areas. I have considered on line courses, but I know that I am best suited to an actual
taught post graduate course. The TESOL MA would offer me the chance to get up to date with the current
teaching practices and research in TESOL in an intense and challenging environment. Learning alongside
current and future TESOL professionals would definitely be rewarding, experience counts for a lot and I
believe the skills pool among the course participants would help all concerned. The prospect of learning in a
multi cultural environment appeals to me greatly, being able to learn about different, successful teaching
practices from other countries would be of great benefit to all.
The aspects of education I find most interesting are the different learning methods and styles implemented
throughout the ESL teaching world. Having taught in Austria and discovered different styles of language
teaching compared to my native England, I was pleasantly surprised how well they can actually work. I can
remember my old school days and the difficulties I had learning from monotone and uninspiring teachers.
Simple games and activities would have made my learning experience so much more enjoyable and
consequently fruitful. Another aspect of education that interests me is also LEP(limited English proficiency),
and its effects on society in general. With globalism the need for better LEP provision in schools is greater
than ever within the current educational framework. As most non ESL teachers have limited skills in teaching
English as a second language, an ESL teacher has an important role to play in the educational system.
After completing the MA TESOL course I will return to the teaching profession.
I have many interests and hobbies. I am a keen soccer player and have played for past schools and
university teams. Living in Austria has given me the opportunity to take advantage of the abundance of
mountains sports on offer. I regularly go hiking, climbing and snowboarding(weather permitting) in the
fantastic countryside surrounding Vienna.
I have travelled extensively throughout Europe, Canada, USA, Japan and parts of Thailand. As a member of
the Couch-surfing organization I have been able to actually meet local people and experience at first hand
local cultures and practices whilst at home and abroad. For example, I spent two months working on a goat
farm on an island in British Columbia, where I was involved in the local community by way of the local
farmers market and the practices of the indigenous population. I am also an ambassador for the Couchsurfing organization. I am responsible for organizing events for local people in Vienna and visitors too. I am
also a member of a Couch-surfing working group that meets regularly to discuss topics concerning
sustainability, the environment and how we can implement positive changes in our local communities.
Couch-surfing for me is a way of building meaningful connections across cultures enabling us to respond to
diversity with curiosity. appreciation and respect. The appreciation of diversity spreads tolerance and creates
a global community.