This application cycle marks the second time I’ve applied to the Critical Language Scholarship, and through completing it i’ve learnt a lot about myself and how to formulate these types of applications.
I applied for Urdu the first time around, and this time I decided to apply for Japanese as the language fit much better into my academic and career goals which is something CLS values very deeply. Illustrating why mastery over your chosen language is necessary to achieve your career goals is crucial to success in the CLS application. Many of the questions prompted deep self-reflection I feel GEM and the introductory seminar prepared me well for. I was prompted to look at past experiences and see what illustrated my cultural competence, or how it has developed over the years.
I mentioned an experience in middle school I had almost forgotten, when my International school in Bangkok partnered with a Thai school in Chiang Mai for a community service project, and we were put in student pairs with students from the other school. I wrote about how at first I was apprehensive and communication was extremely difficult, since her knowledge of English was sparse and I could barely communicate competently in Thai. But despite communication difficulties we were able to efficiently complete the project (we became very good at charades, and learned to read each other’s facial expressions) and formed a friendship through shared non-verbal hobbies like knitting. I left that experience with great developments in my cultural competence and a renewed willingness and excitement at the prospect of forming new interpersonal cultural relationships.
The CLS application is difficult but the questions are thought provoking and often force you to dig deep in your own past experiences, and in some cases can remind you of wonderful memories you were at risk of forgetting.
