Modern and Medieval Languages (French) Model Personal Statement
This is a model personal statement of a successful Oxbridge Modern and Medieval Languages (French) applicant.
An instant pathway into the hearts of people you meet. That’s what languages are. This is affirmed as, the day before submitting this, I spoke to a Columbian and through our shared Spanish, he felt an affinity with me and opened up about his whole life. The number of these encounters proves the importance of languages.
My languages and heritage are intertwined, and by teaching myself to read Gujarati, which I speak fluently, I can explore my history and religion, whilst discovering trends and dialects of Gujarati that I never knew of. This helps my analysis, noticing patterns amongst those around me in many languages. I taught myself Hindi with a friend’s help, helping me understand more about India, and benefitting me as every new language that I learn will aid those I speak now, allowing me to communicate with more of the world.
Home education was essential in forming this passion, as it meant I always spoke more than just English. We created our own curriculum, studying subjects like Latin and French, rather than being restricted to English and Maths. This relaxed attitude to study made me curious to learn and made me lean towards such a varied subject.
A rich linguistic event was a language school stay in Valencia. Organised fully in Spanish, this was a learning curve where the trip’s success depended on these skills. This week exposed me to different accents and cultural aspects like Almodóvar’s films, and experiencing an alternate culture, lifestyle and independence. This enhanced my Spanish and showed me the importance of communication with people in their language.
Maths aids my analysis, as spotting trends is key in both subjects. In A Level Maths formulae and applying them correctly are essential, which relates to subjunctive use and knowing where and why expressions are used. I also chose History to enhance my languages, helping me with essays and analysis, chiefly of language tendencies in sources. Judging the bias and validity of these gives me transferable skills, and at this level where we study literature, the course will be easier due to my analytical background.
I have begun to read target language literature, such as a short story (Micromégas) by Voltaire. This was unlike anything I’ve read in French, and taught me new lexis across many subjects. I valued the way it increased the span of my French thought, and it has urged me to look forward to the course’s literature side. In Spanish, I read a short story by García Márquez; María dos Prazeres, where I learnt much about funeral customs.
I now watch more films and TV in the target languages to increase my knowledge. A series called Kabul Kitchen captivated me as it depicts East and West and gives an insight into French humour. It also taught me more about oral trends, making my French more fluent. A French film worth noting is Untouchable, which portrayed a heart-warming story whilst tackling the Parisian divide between wealth, religion and ethnicity. These issues of demographics fascinate me, and form modules of interest.
Outside of academia, I have many pastimes advancing my languages, like coaching tennis. This has improved my communication, through differentiating between children’s varying ages and abilities. Lifeguarding has also helped me to realise that languages are used in every moment, due to the amount of non-English speaking tourists, and the language barriers my colleagues suffer. I am a concierge at Hilton, an experience improving my Spanish as the majority in my office are native speakers. Thus I use this opportunity to speak Spanish as much as possible. I am also studying for Grade 8 in drum kit, and explore world music through this.
Music plays a big part in my life and language study. I enjoy Latin Reggaeton, like J Balvin and Nicky Jam, helping me explore the differences between Castilian and other Spanish
dialects. This proves that languages are relaxing and engaging, with many ways to study them, making them truly my passion.
