Application for a Study Permit - Personal Statement

Dear Visa Officer,

I am writing this letter to your esteemed High Commissions Visa Section as an application requesting to be granted a study permit for a period of twenty-four (24) months. The permit is of utmost importance in my academic life, as it will grant me an opportunity to pursue a Masters of Arts in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (MATESOL) in Canada.

A host of reasons informs my decision to pursue further studies in Canada but the most significant one is the fact that the Canadian education system is ranked among the best in the world. Canada is known to offer excellent language education. It is a bilingual country and considered a world leader in language training which is obviously beneficial to people like me who desire to pursue studies in the field of English Teaching in near future. Developing a thriving career in the field of language requires a strong foundation, which I believe to be concretely available in the Canadian system. Moreover, Canada stands out prominently as a land of possibilities for every dynamic person like me. Under its highly dynamic and practical academic environment, I am confident to not only acquire knowledge and skills in analysis and communication, but also learn fundamental life skills such as communication and self-expression.

I have nurtured the passion of becoming a distinguished English teacher ever since I started studying bachelor of Translating English Language. Therefore, getting this permit to pursue a Masters of Arts in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (MATESOL) at the University of Saskatchewan will be a great milestone towards the achievement of this aspiration. Throughout my academic pursuit, I have envisioned a Master studies in the field of TESOL as an excellent chance towards the establishment of a thriving career in the field of languages and help in transforming the society though it since language is the predominant means of expression among humanity. All along, I have viewed the Iranian language learning system with a lot of skepticism and critique, which collectively informed me of the need to choose a Master of Arts in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (MATESOL) at the University of Saskatchewan. Unlike the system in Iran, I foresee that I will gain deep insights into new teaching methods and techniques in Canada. After obtaining master degree from Canada, I plan to come back to Iran without hesitation to put all the principles I have got into practice and attempt using new learning methods of teaching English to students desiring to gain fluency in communicating in English.

I did my Bachelor of Arts in Translating English Language at the Islamic Azad University of Shahreza (IAUSH), Esfahan in my home country Iran. This course bequeathed me with the relevant knowledge and skills in the field of languages that will afford me a head start in my Masters Program. I had preferred taking entrance test for the Master of TESOL at University of Esfahan in Iran, which is one of the best universities. Nonetheless, after conducting deeper researches into the benefits of studying in an international environment such as exposure to a different form of teaching, International connections and enhancing my language skills, I concluded that pursing my Masters abroad has multiple benefits. Furthermore, I attempted to contact some of the Iranian alumni who had studied in Canada including Dr. Saeid Taki who is the associate professor of applied linguistic and the head of language department of Islamic Azad University Shahreza branch. Actually, I obtained my bachelor degree in Azad University Shahreza where he works. All the people I consulted approved my decision on choosing Canada for my master studies over my homeland unanimously.

The experiences I have gained including teaching English to elementary and intermediate students for almost four years and freelance writing convince me that studying the English language in a recognized international university promises me with golden job opportunities. I am confident that obtaining my master degree from a well-known university in Canada will pave the way for me to land into lucrative and well-paying jobs on my return to Iran. One of the positive indicators of my marketability after pursuing the masters abroad is the fact that my undergraduate this far has already made be to be offered a job opportunity by Imam Ali institution. I was different from the other job applicants who had applied for the job hence the job offering is a clear indication that studying abroad will make me not only a better English teacher but also a productive candidate for the various work opportunities offered by English institutions like Imam Ali.

I am sure that living and studying abroad for the period pf the Masters Degree program will present me with daunting challenges. The fact that I have been acclimatized to my home environment from which I will have to live away and my family will inevitably present me with challenges. It will obviously be difficult for me to live away from my three-year-old nephew who has been my closest asset. Nonetheless, I am aware of the fact that there is no milestone that I can make without having to learn overcoming challenges and foregoing what I endear. The fact that I shall have decided to temporarily forego the physical presence of my family for the sake of academic excellence will be a constant reminder and impetus for me to achieve better results to show for it.

Despite the fact that my early education was not primarily focused on languages as a field of specialization, I have made several steps towards mainstreaming it as my career. For instance, I studied Natural Science at high school and pre-university school then before getting an admission to a Bachelor of Science in agricultural engineering (Plant Protection) at the Islamic Azad University of Shiraz which I did not finish, due to lack of interest. In the search for self-actualization and academic satisfaction, I switched to Translating English language at Islamic Azad University of Shahreza and obtained my Bachelor of Art degree in the field of Translating English Language. This success served as an adequate indication that my potential lies in the field of languages. Furthermore, I have passed some online non-credit courses related to Journalism, which is my second favorite major after TESOL. Collectively, the knowledge have effectively prepared me to take the masters in MATESOL.

My application for the masters in MATESOL is a soundly thought out endeavor which is grounded on hands on experiences I have gained from various related occupations. I have worked for Arasteh foundation as a public associate from January 2015 until January 2017 on a part time basis sisnce I was busy with my undergraduate studies at that time. I also worked as a freelance writer and an English private teacher. After I finished my undergraduate studies in January 2017, I started to work at Imam Ali institution as an English teacher. These experiences have enabled to identify the existing gaps in the field of languages, which I will undertake to bridge with this master degree.

To this end, I am confident that this application for a study permit and your subsequent favorable response will form another milestone in my search for career objective of transforming the society through the study of language. I am overly grateful to you for giving me the opportunity expresses my desired program and my future prospects in writing. I hope that I shall be awarded the chance to pursue my studies in high quality institution.