MA Translation, Volunteer Teacher, Chinese

I have my heart set on attending your distinguished MA Program in Translation at XXXX University because I see your program as the optimal preparation for a long professional lifetime working as a conference interpreter. Conference interpretation is one of the most difficult and rigorous of translation functions and while I still have a long way to go in my studies at 21 years old, I am most confident that my high degree of motivation and dedication to my classes in particular, and language in general, will propel me to excellence.

I look forward to learning everything that I can about both simultaneous and consecutive translation for business and meeting as a graduate student at XXXX. My studies so far into the theoretical foundations of literary translation have helped to make me a better translator. I am a gregarious, outgoing person, however, who much prefers to be working in active engagement with other human beings rather than alone. I thrive on communicating with others; hence my intense drive to someday serve as an interpreter for international conferences and meetings on global issues and topics of the day.

I am extremely thankful to have been accepted into XXXX University’s special program with the first two years of undergraduate studies at XXXX’s Ningbo Campus in China and the final two years of study at the XXXX Main Campus in the UK, where I will be graduating with my BA in English and Applied Linguistics in July of next year, 2016. I feel strongly that my undergraduate studies and my intensive language experience over the course of two years in the UK will enable me to excel in your Translation Master’s Program at the University of XXXX and propel me forward into a successful career as a professional translator for international meetings.  

It pleases me greatly that I have already enjoyed a broad variety of professional and volunteer experiences in my field in business, education and cross-cultural communication, my three principal areas of interest.  I have already worked with several companies back in China with respect to their translation needs, especially while on vacations back home. I am experienced in teamwork building and group presentations. I have also been very involved in several activities of our Chinese Student Association at XXXX, our English Corner, football matches, and especially our Spring Festival for which I helped to translate our dragon dancing performance list and other materials.

During my experience as a volunteer teacher in Indonesia for one full month, July, 2014, I learned a great deal about challenges in education, especially for younger students like the ones that I was working with, whose English skills were quite limited. I found pictures and relevant cartoons that they could engage with and also taught them to sing songs in English, playing “Hey Jude” and other easy songs on my guitar got them to sing along with a little coaxing, helping to open up the shy students.

My work in the Oxfam Charity shop in the UK where I attend to customers from all over the world also has me excited about the fascinatng challenges presented to our field in the area of simultaneous translation, in particular, and I thank you for considering my application to your competitive program at XXXX University.