Help me get to Oxford University
Donation protected
Hi, my name is Brendan Allen. I'm fundraising to help me get to the University of Oxford, in order to pursue an MSc in Applied Linguistics & 2nd Language Acquisition.
I am asking for your generous support in order to secure my place at Oxford. By July 18th 2022, in order to secure my place on the MSc programme, I need to provide financial evidence to the university that I have the funds to meet the course tuition fees. Although I'm able to apply for some financial support, unfortunately it's not enough to cover the full course tuition fees. If I cannot provide financial evidence of this, then unfortunately I will lose my place at Oxford.
University of Oxford
My academic journey to Oxford
My academic route to Oxford has been rather unconventional. Yearning for a desire for further knowledge, I began my academic studies as a mature-aged undergraduate, enrolling at the University of Bath. Now, I find myself at a crossroads, ready to be challenged and pushed academically once again. One thing that has remained persistent throughout my life, pushing me to go further academically, has been my highly inquisitive mindset. From a young age I remember having a burning curiosity, asking endless questions and always questioning the 'why'. In fact, my childlike curiosity may have gained the attention of the admission tutors at Oxford. It was during my time as an undergraduate I refined this curiosity and found a passion for academic research, dedicating myself fully to my studies, graduating with strong honours.
Japan
In 2011, I was fortunate enough to spend a semester studying abroad at Rikkyo University, Tokyo, Japan. The exchange programme at Rikkyo provided a unique opportunity to study Japanese whilst living in Japan. The language classes helped immensely with adjusting to student life in Japan. Being able to take what I had learned in class and apply it in a restaurant or convenience store was a satisfying experience, and created a desire to learn the language more deeply. I was instantly hooked. One of the most defining experiences on my route into teaching was volunteering to speak at a local elementary school in Tokyo. It was such a wonderful experience, and provided the catalyst to return to Japan as a language teacher on the government sponsored JET (Japan Exchange & Teaching) Programme.
How did I get into languages?
It was during my five years on the JET Programme (2013 - 2018) as an English teacher in the Kii Mountains of rural Wakayama, Japan, that I discovered both my love of teaching, and my passion for learning of foreign languages. As an educator, I was teaching my students English as a foreign language, and as a Japanese language student myself, developing my own language skills. Reflecting on my experience as a language teacher, I encountered many of the same problems which my students struggled with in the classroom. I saw first-hand the joys of students' progress as they engaged with English. Similarly, I experienced the happiness of being able to communicate with my co-workers and friends in a remote area, as my own Japanese language skills improved.
Teaching English to elementary school students in Japan
Why do I want to study Applied Linguistics?
My interest in studying the theory behind language learning was first sparked by encountering the educational language problems faced by my own students in the classroom when I was a teacher. In order to become a better teacher, I think it's important to delve deeper theoretically, linking practical experience with pedagogical knowledge and current academic thought.
What is Applied Linguistics all about?
Applied Linguistics is an academic discipline which helps to identify and solve some of the problems related to language and teaching in education. Additionally, the field delves into solving some of the issues related to the learning and teaching of second languages. Thus, Applied Linguistic research is complex and interdisciplinary by design, mediating between the theory of language, language use and language learning.
Why is it important to study Applied Linguistics?
As language educators, if we can better understand some of the language-related problems, then we can be more effective teachers in the classroom. Applied Linguistic research can help our understanding of contemporary issues faced by educators in the teaching of first and second languages.
"A language is not just words. It's a culture, a tradition, a unification of a community, a whole history that creates what a community is. It's all embodied in a language" - Noam Chomsky
My experience as a language teacher & language learner
When I was teaching English in classrooms in Japan, watching my students grappling with English as a foreign language, I began to think about concepts like "What is English?", "How is its writing system different to Japanese?", and "How is it processed and deciphered"? I pondered, "If English is phonetic, then why are phonics introduced so late within the Japanese national curriculum?". Subsequently, I started teaching phonics to pupils aged six (grade one, elementary), which was highly successful. Similarly, as a language learner who has struggled myself with learning Japanese - particularly the reading and comprehension of kanji characters - my curiosity often wondered from a linguistic standpoint, "Why is reading comprehension so difficult, am I a bad language learner?".
Why Oxford?
These educational problems that I encountered in the classroom provided the motivation to explore the subject at a much deeper level. The Department of Education at the University of Oxford provides an exciting opportunity to study these real-world problems in depth by faculty members who are leaders in their respective fields, within a department which boasts some of the best resources and facilities in the world. The course also offers an exciting opportunity to undertake a research dissertation in the field, which may involve the use of new technologies to help to understand some of the issues in Japanese L2 reading comprehension. The chance to study at the University of Oxford with diverse, like-minded and talented students on the MSc in Applied Linguistics programme is a truly unique opportunity indeed. Most students on the programme are bilingual or multilingual, and many have past experience in the classroom as language teachers. The small cohort come from a range of international backgrounds, representing languages such as: English, Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean, Japanese, Dutch, Turkish, Russian, Arabic, Spanish, Swedish, Finnish, Italian, Polish, German, French, and some other minority languages.
My intended research at Oxford?
As someone who has struggled with Japanese reading comprehension of kanji (漢字) myself, I'm interested in how western learners of Japanese who come from an alphabetic background, approach the reading task of Japanese kanji - a morphographic script, largely based on meaning (rather than sounds). Broadly my research aims to examine ‘the role of phonology in semantic decoding’. In other words, "Do learners of Japanese from non-morphographic (ie alphabetic) backgrounds rely more on phonological features of their first language, when reading and deciphering Japanese kanji?". There is a methodological opportunity to use new technologies at Oxford such as eye-tracking to gather 'in-context' empirical data, which would track, in real-time, where learners' eyes are looking during the reading task, and uncover whether or not they rely on any phonetic clues embedded within more complex kanji characters.
Why is reading comprehension research important?
Linguistically, the Japanese writing system is one of the most complex in the world. The Japanese script is primarily morphographic (ie based on meaning rather than sounds). The most basic components of kanji, called 'graphemes' hold not only semantic (meaning), but phonetic and abstract clues. Thus, for Applied Linguistic researchers, the Japanese writing system is of particular interest - as during the reading task - it constantly jumps between a morphographic script and phonetic script. The cognitive processes involved in L2 reading of the Japanese script for learners from phonological backgrounds presents a unique and exciting opportunity, yet surprisingly, remains largely unexplored within the field of Second Language Acquisition (SLA) research.
So what!?
Identifying how non-morphographic L2 learners (ie English speaking) derive Japanese kanji meaning from phonetic clues embedded in their component parts, could help to identify and classify more problematic kanji for western learners. The practical implications for Japanese language learners are significant for kanji learning - as it could help tailor and hone specific cognitive learning strategies by kanji type. Academically, implications of such research would contribute to the fields' overall understanding of the cognitive processes involved in Japanese SLA, and more broadly help to balance the SLA field - which is currently saturated with studies relating to English as a second language.
Offer Letter - Department of Education, University of Oxford
How will your contribution help?
Sadly, education isn't free. Your contribution will directly help to successfully matriculate at the University of Oxford. The value of your contribution lies at the heart of education. I will take the skills gained by my studies at Oxford, and use them directly in the classroom. My hope, as a teacher and shaper of young minds, is that I can inspire a future generation of language learners. To gain a place at Oxford is such a privilege and honour. My pledge in returning to the classroom as a language teacher, is to repay the knowledge gained from my education. The power of educators in nurturing the aspirations of students is limitless, bound by only by the knowledge, imagination and vision of talented educators.
Why is it important to study education?
As teachers, we have a huge amount of responsibility to nurture and to encourage, with the ability to profoundly affect our students. Yet, as teachers, we often lack the time to critically reflect upon our actions in the classroom, and more broadly from a theoretical standpoint, how teachers forge links to academic scholarship. Like our students, teachers should continually strive to learn and grow.
Why am I fundraising?
Higher education tuition fees in the UK are expensive, and although there is some government support available, sadly its not enough. Currently, UK postgraduate masters loans for 2022/23 are capped at £11,836 - this leaves me with a shortfall of more than £2k of the required £14,140 course tuition fee.
What about university scholarships?
Although there are a number of generous scholarships available at Oxford University, many are research specific, or related to STEM-based disciplines. Oxford University's Colleges are also very generous in providing support for students coming from less advantaged backgrounds, and for students coming from developing countries. Unfortunately, I was unsuccessful in securing any university or collegiate funding for my subject, and additionally as a UK applicant, I wasn't eligible for many country-specific scholarships.
Can I borrow from my family?
My sole family member is my elderly 88-year old grandmother, who is a pensioner, and is unable to support my studies.
What do I plan to do after my masters?
I hope that I'll be able to use what I've learnt from my studies at Oxford to improve my skills as a foreign language teacher for the benefit of a future generation of language students. The rapid development of English as Medium of Instruction (EMI) classes in Japanese universities provides a unique opportunity to eventually return to Japan as a university lecturer. Alternatively, I see the programme being beneficial for a role working within a larger international education institution such as the British Council or educational research institute.
Who inspired me to apply to Oxford?
First and foremost....teachers! One of the early educators who had a profound influence on me, and inspired me to go further, was Helen George, Dean of Faculty, Weston College. Second, Professor Heath Rose at Oxford, who is a wonderful teacher. I had the pleasure of working with Heath in Tokyo as a teaching assistant when I was an exchange student in Tokyo. I was also inspired by his PhD research relating to Japanese kanji learning strategies, and his book entitled "The Japanese Writing System; Challenges, Strategies and Self-regulation for Learning Kanji" (2017), which first inspired me to consider studying the Japanese writing system from an Applied Linguistics perspective. Third, my personal tutor at Bath University, Dr Alan Butt-Philip, who has always been so supportive and invaluable with writing references for me over the years. Finally, my 88-year old grandmother, Jenny - a teacher, an academic, grandmother & sole legal guardian to me. Everyone who inspired me to go further were all teachers! I want to pass that precious gift on to my future students.
May I take the opportunity to thank you for taking the time to read my story and my academic journey. I welcome any donation (even if its a small). Feel free to email me if you have any further questions, or are interested about the Oxford application process. I will keep this page updated over the next few weeks with developments on reaching my funding goal. Thank you!
St Anne's College, Oxford
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FAQs
Why can't you get a loan?
I can, but the current government postgraduate masters loans for 2022/23 are capped at £11,836, more than £2k short of the required £14,140 tuition fees.
Can't you get help from my family?
Unfortunately not, I don't have any parents in my life. My only supportive family member is my grandmother, who is 88 and is a pensioner.
What about scholarships from my college or the university?
Unfortunately, I wasn't nominated by my department for any scholarships, and I was also unsuccessful in securing any funding from my college
What do you plan to use your GoFundMe donations on?
Primarily, I plan to use the money to help fund part of £14,140 course tuition fees. Effectively, your contribution will help top-up the shortfall between the cost of the course tuition and the funds available through the UK government's student masters loan. The exact amount of shortfall is £2,304. Any amount raised above this amount would help toward general living costs.
What if you don't fundraise enough?
Hopefully I wont get to that situation, but if that were the case, I would have to seriously reconsider my financial options and contemplate withdrawing from my place at Oxford. (In such event, all donations would be refunded).
What is my academic background?
I have a BSc (Hons) in Business Administration from the University of Bath, UK. The University of Bath consistently ranks within the top-ten UK universities, producing excellent research. The School of Management is also strong academically, forging links between theory and practice, many undergraduates embark on industrial work placements during their studies.
What past research projects did you undertake?
As part of my final year undergraduate degree, I undertook a group final year project to explore "The future impact of the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster on Chinese and Japanese natural gas markets?" The multi-method study collected primary data from 16 semi-structured interviews of industry ‘elites’ in China & Japan. As this was a natural disaster, no previous literature existed in the field, thus we settled on grounded theory as our theoretical framework to study this phenomenon. Data was then triangulated using open, axial and selective coding, producing concept maps to reveal ‘areas of saturation’.
How did you get into languages and teaching?
I started taking beginner language classes during my undergraduate study abroad at Rikkyo University in Tokyo. I also worked in a paid position as a Teaching Assistant working alongside Professor Heath Rose, which exposed me to teaching for the first time. I was also so inspired to get into teaching after visiting a local elementary school.
What will you study on the course?
The MSc in Applied Linguistics programme is a taught masters programme, consisting of six taught modules in related Applied Linguistics disciplines such as; psycholinguistics, first language acquisition and bilingualism; vocabulary acquisition & individual and group differences. There is a number of non-assessed courses such as research methods and quantitative data analysis. This taught modules will be followed by a 15,000 word dissertation in Trinity term. My dissertation broadly will be focussing on 'Japanese L2 learning strategies and reading comprehension of western (ie non-morphographic) learners'.
What will you gain from this course?
I really want to develop my ESL teaching skills further by forging deep links between leading academic theory of Applied Linguistics and my practical foreign language teaching classroom experience. If I can be a better language teacher, then hopefully I can inspire future generations of language learners.
Are you bilingual?
Yes, I speak English and Japanese. I'm 'functionally fluent' in Japanese as I lived in Japan for over six years.
When does the course start?
3rd October 2022
How long is the course?
12-months
Why the University of Oxford?
I welcome the opportunity to be pushed challenged academically by faculty members who are leaders in their respective fields. I also welcome the opportunity to work with like-minded, diverse and talented students who come from all over the world. The resources and facilities available at Oxford are world-class, and would enable me to carry out modern, cutting-edge research using new technologies such as eye-tracking.
How competitive is the programme?
Very. Oxford is a very competitive university, attracting some of the brightest applicants from all over the world. The MSc Applied Linguistics programme receives almost 200 applicants for only around 25 places.
Do you have any tips on applying to Oxford?
Applying to Oxford is extremely competitive. If you have the right qualifications; a strong undergraduate degree and good academic references, then my advice would be to absolutely go for it! In addition to the necessary qualifications, you really need to show passion for your subject through your personal statement and relevant experience. At the masters level (and above), you should have clear and defined research intentions. Your research should show how it's significant to the academic body of knowledge, and how your contribution is going to take the academic field further.
How tough is the Oxford interview?
At undergraduate level, Oxford interviews are notoriously hard. Questions posed to candidates such as; "Do snails have a conscious?" may strike the fear of death into nervous potential candidates. Luckily, at least at the postgraduate level, interviews are more likely to be kind (but equally terrifying). Interviews usually involve a panel of two (or more) from your department, and is more of a confirmation of you and your research interests. It gives you a chance to briefly talk about you and showcase your academic background. As someone who has gone through the lengthy process, my advice would be to relax; most postgraduate interviews are mainly focussed on your academic record and your future potential. As the interview is typically academic in nature, make sure you are able to explain your past research activities, and be prepared to show how you are going to execute your intended research project. If you combine all of these ingredients, and sprinkle in a bit of luck, then you have a competitive chance. Above all, keep your options open. Our predisposed cognitive biases can often cloud our behaviour, which can negatively affect our performance - this is especially true during interview. So relax....if you don't get in, fine. Don't worry if you fail. Getting into Oxford is not the be-all and end-all, there are plenty of other world-class universities outside of Oxbridge.
What's the hardest thing about the Oxford application process?
The waiting; waiting for an interview, waiting for acceptance, waiting for college, waiting for accommodation, waiting for funding....
What are Oxford colleges?
All undergraduates and postgraduate students at the University of Oxford belong to one of the 39 colleges or six permanent private halls (PPH). They are located all across the city of Oxford - some are more centrally located, and others are within a short walk from the city centre. Colleges serve as a home, study area and eating place for students during their time at the university. Most students live at their respective colleges and eat within the college dining hall. Even though students at Oxford are affiliated with their respective college, there are many opportunities to mix with students from other Oxford colleges. Colleges generally have the same basic structure: a dining hall, college library, chapel, student housing, spaces for the arts and sporting facilities.
What college have you been assigned to?
St Anne's College, Oxford
What is St Anne's known for?
St Anne's is a relatively new college. Founded in 1879, it started as one of the first women's colleges at the University of Oxford, known as the 'Society of Oxford Home-Students'. Now, St Anne's is one of the larger Oxford colleges, with about 400 undergraduates and 300 postgraduates. St. Anne's is quite unlike the stereotype of what Oxford is like. St Anne's is known for its close-knit, down-to-earth, non-stuffy atmosphere (gowns are not typically worn to formal dinner). St Anne's centres its activities in supporting students to reach their highest academic potential. Its grounds sit within a leafy and quiet 5-acre site, just slightly north of Oxford city centre, combining a mix of old Victorian buildings, 1960s style student accommodation and modern library & dining hall. The two libraries are open 24/7, and hold over 110,000 volumes - the largest college collection of all Oxford's Colleges. St Anne's is one of only a few Oxford colleges without a chapel (the other is St Catherine's College). St Anne's doesn't have portraits hanging in its modern dining hall, it has windows!
Dining Hall - St Anne's College, Oxford - (no portraits)
University of Oxford
Department of Education
St Anne's College
Organizer
Brendan Allen
Organizer