Modern and Medieval Languages (German and Spanish) Model Personal Statement
This is a model personal statement of a successful Oxbridge Modern and Medieval Languages (German and Spanish) applicant.
My first exposure to foreign languages came from taking up piano. On one level, I was learning a new vocabulary of Italian adjectives and present participles (‘adagio’, ‘meno mosso’, ‘crescendo’); on another, I was learning to read a new script - to recognise symbols and translate them into where, when and how my fingers press the keys. Getting to grips with scripted notation and musical theory early on has stimulated my interest in learning new grammar rules and systems ever since.
When I took up German, I was excited by the contrast it made to French. The case system, agglutination, verb placement and preposition stranding were all new concepts I enjoyed grappling with. It was interesting to see how German related to English in an equally fundamental but totally different way to French. A visit to Köln gave me my first taste of German culture. Visiting the country led to a crucial realisation: learning a language need not be just an academic exercise. It is a discipline which requires, and most importantly enables, an interaction with a different culture and people.
My knowledge of Latin aided my understanding of the German case system, but also gave me the confidence to self-study Polish GCSE in Year 11. With its own fiendish case system and verb aspects, my initiation into the more alien Slavic language family was a welcome challenge. Afterwards I continued to be engrossed by self-study. Picking up García Márquez’ ‘One Hundred Years of Solitude’ last year, I grew frustrated that I could not pronounce the myriad family members’ names in my head as I read them. I searched the internet for a page on Spanish phonetics, which began my journey into Spanish. Six months later I gained an A* at IGCSE.
Alongside exploring other languages, I have continued absorbing German culture through frequent visits to German-speaking countries and regular enjoyment of Deutsch Perfekt and the Süddeutsche Zeitung. Reading Bernhard Schlink’s ‘Der Vorleser’ sparked my engagement with the concept of Vergangenheitsbewältigung and how modern Germany is shaped by it. I was one of two pupils from my school chosen to go to Auschwitz with the Holocaust Educational Trust. We considered, as does the book, how justice can be applied in the context of the Holocaust: who qualifies as a perpetrator and by what means can they be brought to justice?
This summer I took part in a language course in Berlin. I was thrilled to be taught entirely in German, and also to be guided around the city by our inspirational Betreuerin. I returned to Libeskind’s Jüdisches Museum and Eisenman’s Stelenfeld, both impressive examples of how comprehensively and conspicuously modern Germany has gone about coming to terms with the legacy of its past(s). These experiences evolved into my IB Extended Essay, which I chose to write in German, where I explore how these ‘sites’ contribute to Germany’s overcoming their Nazi Past. While Neil MacGregor presents a view of a self-assured Germany, I would like to delve deeper into the problems the nation is still facing and faces anew. Having recently read about the Rostock race riots of 25 years ago, and considered the ideas and problems posed in films such as ‘Die Welle’ and ‘Er Ist Wieder Da’, I want to get a greater insight into how the German sociopolitical tide is shifting, especially in light of reunification and the recent election results.
Last year I debated at the Perse School. A fellow pupil and I discussed the topics of Brexit and marriage in German, and we were the victors for our age group in the Eastern region. My musical life continues to facilitate new connections with language; more recently I have uncovered the exuberant poems of Rückert and Heine through my singing studies. I have gone on to gain grade 8 distinctions in piano and singing and I won The Ludlow Young Composers’ Competition 2015 and The Bishop of Norwich’s Prize for Composition 2016. I look forward to carrying on my choral commitments at university.
