MA Masters English Literature, Korean

I am a 26-year-old woman who was born and raised mostly in South Korea and I have devoted myself throughout the course of my studies primarily to the English language and literature.  My English language skills were especially enhanced by the fact that I completed grade K through 4 in the United States. I hold a BA Degree in Foreign Studies from Hankuk University with a major in interpretation and translation and I am currently completing my Master’s Degree at the same institution in English Literature.  I am especially interested in pre Anglo-Saxon cultures and how they had an impact on medieval literature. In particular, I want very much to continue to study how the Celtic monastic tradition of martyrdom resounds throughout the literature of the period.

 My long term goal is to become a permanent faculty member of my current university in Korea. I intent to devote myself to the translation of English literature into Korean. As a teacher, I look forward to introduce students majoring in English to works of literature from the medieval period, an epoch that has not yet received much attention by the Korean academic world. Since our country is heavily influenced by western culture history and culture, I feel that students would be fascinated to learn that many of the literary issues of our times date back to this epoch. I hope to continue my studies of the Anglo-Saxon and medieval periods in your highly esteemed program and thereby build a solid base of knowledge in the area of the establishment of early English literature how it arose as a response to cultural factors and historical events.

 In addition to Korean and English, becoming proficient in Japanese has also helped me to appreciate many of the subtleties of language and linguistic issues. I am confident that I will be able to rapidly adjust and adapt to a new academic setting due to my previous experience in a western country and various volunteer projects that I have undertaken on an international level. I have served as a TA for the English Literature Department as well as a tutor for XXXX University of Foreign Studies where I taught an introductory English literature course and various other English-related classes. These experiences provided me with the opportunity to interact with a broad variety of people, including colleagues, professors and students from many different nations. I have distinguished myself by my avid curiosity and willingness to face academic challenges

 I have greatly benefitted by my study of literary works such as “Beowulf,” “Dream of the Rood,” “The Battle of Maldon,” “Sir Gawain,” “The Green Knight,” and the Canterbury Tales, in their original Old and Middle English forms, under the guidance of my advisor Prof. XXXX, perhaps the only scholar in Korea who teaches from these original texts.

 I feel strongly that I will excel in your program because I have grown up with stories of knights in shining armor, dragons and dragon slayers, wizards, the legends of King Arthur etc. I am enthralled by the study of the origins of these tales and how they represent embodiments of the cultures in which they were produced. I look forward to the  chance to study abroad as a graduate student and have a first-hand opportunity to embrace the culture and atmosphere that lies behind the literary pieces I have indulged in over the years. I thank you for considering my application to your program.