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A pivotal moment in the author's education was taking a Japanese culture course that deepened their appreciation for Japan's community-oriented society and nature. The course explored various media and immersed the author in Japanese culture, instantly captivating them. This inspired the author to study Japanese language and culture further and pursue teaching English as a second language. They gained experience tutoring children from South Korea individually and co-teaching adults, improving their flexibility and ability to engage students. The author hopes to start a pen pal program to share this experience and get involved in local culture and festivals if selected for the JET Program.

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Aisa Flavier
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245 views1 page

Sample of SOP

A pivotal moment in the author's education was taking a Japanese culture course that deepened their appreciation for Japan's community-oriented society and nature. The course explored various media and immersed the author in Japanese culture, instantly captivating them. This inspired the author to study Japanese language and culture further and pursue teaching English as a second language. They gained experience tutoring children from South Korea individually and co-teaching adults, improving their flexibility and ability to engage students. The author hopes to start a pen pal program to share this experience and get involved in local culture and festivals if selected for the JET Program.

Uploaded by

Aisa Flavier
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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There was a pivotal moment in my education that deepened my pre-existing curiosity of Japan.

In the fall semester of 2013, I took a Japanese culture course that cultivated my appreciation for
Japan’s community-oriented society and deep reverence for nature. I was able to explore various
forms of media and take in the sights and sounds that embody Japanese culture, and I was
instantly captivated by it all. After this course, I became enamored with the idea of one day
visiting Japan and went on to take Japanese language and culture courses offered through my
university.
     
Furthermore, I strived to learn about the various issues students may face while learning English
and set out to receive ample practice working with students in order to combat these difficulties.
Since high school, I have felt a strong sense of purpose in pursuing children’s second language
education. I take pride in the mentoring that I have received from [professor who wrote letter of
recommendation], whose research focuses primarily on second language teacher development.
Under her guidance, I have had two major opportunities to refine my teaching skills. The most
significant for me was the experience that I gained while individually tutoring two children from
South Korea. I was thrown into the role quickly and without much time for preparation but have
definitely grown in my abilities as a teacher and learned a great deal about being adaptable and
creative. I have learned how to construct exciting lessons and games in order to keep children
engaged, as well as manage my time properly. Each class must be an hour and a half per child, so
I work hard to fill in that time limit effectively and have gained an intuitive sense of how lessons
should be organized and how long activities take to complete.
    
 In addition, I also had the chance to tutor adults through my TESL program internship and
through the Japanese community in Gainesville. During my internship, I worked with another
teacher in alternating weeks. I think this would allow me to work well with my JTE, as I have
experience co-teaching in a classroom and understand how to be supportive in that role.
Additionally, I tutored pronunciation to Japanese speakers both individually and in a group
setting. In both instances, I also improved my abilities to be flexible in how I work with other
teachers and how I develop practical and useful activities for students.
     
If given the opportunity, I will contribute to my school and enrich the lives of my students by
starting a pen-pal program. When I first began learning languages, I always sought after pen-pals
that I could connect with, and I would love to share this experience with my students. I am also
interested in getting involved in new aspects of Japanese culture I have yet to experience, such as
ikebana and attending local festivals. Within the field of linguistics, I have focused primarily on
sociolinguistics as well as second language acquisition. I am acutely aware of the cooperative
nature of language and culture, and through my education, I have grown fond of how both
functions simultaneously in a society. I’m interested in connecting with my community to create
a mutual understanding and improving my Japanese language skills in order to pursue a career in
Japanese linguistic research with a focus in sociolinguistics.
     
For me, the JET Program is ideal because it represents a chance to carry out a dream that I have
had since high school. I have always known that I belonged in a classroom, both as a student and
now as a teacher. I also look forward to the opportunities that lie beyond JET. The support that is
offered while in Japan is unrivaled, especially because it continues long after one has returned to
America with groups like the JET Alumni Association. I believe that my experience, interests,
ambition, and positivity combined make me a fantastic prospective ALT. I am eager to fill the
role, not only as a teacher, but also as a cultural ambassador.

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