Linguistics SOP

[Garyon]

Hi all,

 

I hope you will forgive me for introducing some degree of redundancy in the forum. 

 

I have some questions about the Statement of Purpose. Being Italian, I'm not really used to the idea and I understand that it is an essential part of the application, so I really want to get it right.

 

I've read the SOP topic in the "general" application section. I found it incredibly useful, but I also understand (please correct me if I'm wrong) that each field has its different perks and requirements. So, I thought it could be useful to ask you guys for some help.

 

I spent the last couple of months researching the departments I'm interested in, looking at their courses, reading their faculty research etc. So now I (more or less) know why I am applying to said department, which Professors I'm interested in, which labs I'd like to join .

I also made several sessions of self-analysis (ok, sounds terrible but you know what I mean) to help me write down what my strengths are, why I really want to go to the other side of the globe to spend 5 years studying syntactic theories, and why they should really really really pay me to do it.

 

And now, writing time, and I am kind of lost. So:

• I understand that using personal anecdotes is Bad. But I have an unusual academic background (I have a degree in Computer Science and mathematical modelling. Since in Italy we don't have major and minor choices during our degrees, most of my linguistics courses are all "extra"  with no grade attached). I really feel I should spend a paragraph to explain how I came into linguistics, how do I know i want to get a Ph.D in Linguistics, why I do think I am ready for it and how I have eventually filled the probable knowledge gap. I don't have a story such as " I always loved languages". A couple of years ago I went to a conference about "Possible and Impossible grammars" (the speaker was Andrea Moro) and I fell in love. I've studied so hard since then to get to understand if linguistics was really what I wanted to do. I feel an explanation is needed, and it is sort of academic related. Would it be a bad idea to start with it and then move to explain my research interests and actual plans for the phd?
• What kind of style should I use? Personal? Academic? A bit of both?
• This one could sound strange. Can I use citations (such as a mini-bibliography)? For example can I say something like: " I'm interested in the analysis of overt vs covert movement as done by X in [x]" or even " I find particularly interesting how Y[y] used data from aphasia patients to get informations about said syntactic structure memory load and processing time". Or should I drop the citations?  I have this doubt because if I was writing a research project for an italian fellowship I would definitely do it in this way.

Finally, I'm a bit embarrassed in asking this but whatever. Is there the chance that I could send my SOP (once done) to any of you to have some feedback? Also, anyone would feel comfortable enough to let me read their old SOP in order to get a feeling of how it should be done? I've found some examples online but they all feel a bit "artificial" to me.

I understand I may be asking for too much, so please don't feel obliged in anyway! I just thought it was worth asking. I'd be grateful for any degree of help you can provide (even you just getting to the end of this post will be much appreciated ).

 

Thank you everyone for reading this long babble! And sorry for my English, I'm usually way better that this!

 

[mncz]

I don't have an answer for your questions as I'm not nearly as far along in the process as you seem to be.

Still, I'd like to contribute that your written English is excellent and you should refrain from apologizing for its quality in the future.

Cheers.

[moody]

"I understand that using personal anecdotes is Bad. But I have an unusual academic background (I have a degree in Computer Science and mathematical modelling. Since in Italy we don't have major and minor choices during our degrees, most of my linguistics courses are all "extra"  with no grade attached). I really feel I should spend a paragraph to explain how I came into linguistics, how do I know i want to get a Ph.D in Linguistics, why I do think I am ready for it and how I have eventually filled the probable knowledge gap. I don't have a story such as " I always loved languages". A couple of years ago I went to a conference about "Possible and Impossible grammars" (the speaker was Andrea Moro) and I fell in love. I've studied so hard since then to get to understand if linguistics was really what I wanted to do. I feel an explanation is needed, and it is sort of academic related. Would it be a bad idea to start with it and then move to explain my research interests and actual plans for the phd?"

 

-->  You can start with this, but keep it short.  You don't need to explain the whole structure of Italian universities, for instance.

 

"What kind of style should I use? Personal? Academic? A bit of both?"

 

-->  A bit of both.  You can certainly use the first person, but the focus should be on the academic.

 

"This one could sound strange. Can I use citations (such as a mini-bibliography)? For example can I say something like: " I'm interested in the analysis of overt vs covert movement as done by X in [x]" or even " I find particularly interesting how Y[y] used data from aphasia patients to get informations about said syntactic structure memory load and processing time". Or should I drop the citations?  I have this doubt because if I was writing a research project for an italian fellowship I would definitely do it in this way."

 

--> Yes, you can definitely do this.  It can be very useful in conveying that you have a concrete research agenda and are well versed in the literature.  

[onzeheures30]

I understand that using personal anecdotes is Bad. But I have an unusual academic background (I have a degree in Computer Science and mathematical modelling. Since in Italy we don't have major and minor choices during our degrees, most of my linguistics courses are all "extra"  with no grade attached). I really feel I should spend a paragraph to explain how I came into linguistics, how do I know i want to get a Ph.D in Linguistics, why I do think I am ready for it and how I have eventually filled the probable knowledge gap. I don't have a story such as " I always loved languages". A couple of years ago I went to a conference about "Possible and Impossible grammars" (the speaker was Andrea Moro) and I fell in love. I've studied so hard since then to get to understand if linguistics was really what I wanted to do. I feel an explanation is needed, and it is sort of academic related. Would it be a bad idea to start with it and then move to explain my research interests and actual plans for the phd?

 

I believe there is a difference between using personal anecdotes and telling your own story. I have an undergraduate background in a field other than (theoretical) linguistics; in addition, I started a graduate program in my home country in a seemingly related but essentially different field. So I did tell my story in my SOP (how I got interested in linguistics, how my specific interests developed, what kind of exposure to theoretical linguistics I obtained from various sources, etc.). While I don't feel the SOP was the strongest part of my application, I don't think telling my story hurt in any way.

 

This one could sound strange. Can I use citations (such as a mini-bibliography)? For example can I say something like: " I'm interested in the analysis of overt vs covert movement as done by X in [x]" or even " I find particularly interesting how Y[y] used data from aphasia patients to get informations about said syntactic structure memory load and processing time". Or should I drop the citations?  I have this doubt because if I was writing a research project for an italian fellowship I would definitely do it in this way.

 

I wouldn't create a bona fide bibliography at the end of a SOP but rather simply refer to the relevant works in the text. However, I do not know what the existing conventions are (if any).

 

You can certainly send your SOP to me when you have a draft, and I will provide the feedback (within the limits of my experience). But most importantly, get feedback from your professors and/or other people from the field you know (e.g. your recommenders).

Edited September 16, 2014 by onzeheures30

[fuzzylogician]

I understand that using personal anecdotes is Bad. But I have an unusual academic background (I have a degree in Computer Science and mathematical modelling. Since in Italy we don't have major and minor choices during our degrees, most of my linguistics courses are all "extra"  with no grade attached). I really feel I should spend a paragraph to explain how I came into linguistics, how do I know i want to get a Ph.D in Linguistics, why I do think I am ready for it and how I have eventually filled the probable knowledge gap. I don't have a story such as " I always loved languages". A couple of years ago I went to a conference about "Possible and Impossible grammars" (the speaker was Andrea Moro) and I fell in love. I've studied so hard since then to get to understand if linguistics was really what I wanted to do. I feel an explanation is needed, and it is sort of academic related. Would it be a bad idea to start with it and then move to explain my research interests and actual plans for the phd?

 

There is actually a fair amount of linguistics PhD students with backgrounds other than in theoretical linguistics, so your situation may be less unusual than you think. I think it's fine to tell the story of the conference that got you interested in linguistics and how you've worked since then to study as much linguistics as possible. I don't think it's necessary to explain the structure of Italian degrees or grades. I don't think this alone would merit a whole paragraph. It should be just a short few sentences, and although it could be a fine opening paragraph, I can imagine it coming somewhere later in the essay. You might start with what your interests and future plans are, then circle around to your background and preparation, and how you got into linguistics, then explain why the school you are applying to is a good fit. (Alternatively, background - development of interests - current/future plans - fit - also works.)

 

 

What kind of style should I use? Personal? Academic? A bit of both?

 

I'm not sure what you mean by personal style. This should be a polished serious document. It's the main place where you get to show yourself and address the admissions committee, and they take it seriously. Treat it as your professional calling card, but you can inject yourself into it and make it personal by talking about your interests and background, which will be unique to you. Essays and articles in linguistics are often written using 1st person pronouns, so that's a fine choice.

 

 

This one could sound strange. Can I use citations (such as a mini-bibliography)? For example can I say something like: " I'm interested in the analysis of overt vs covert movement as done by X in [x]" or even " I find particularly interesting how Y[y] used data from aphasia patients to get informations about said syntactic structure memory load and processing time". Or should I drop the citations?  I have this doubt because if I was writing a research project for an italian fellowship I would definitely do it in this way.

 

I think it's fine to mention theories or streams of thought that interest you. If you are applying to a school where X teaches, you could mention more specifically works or ideas by X that you find exciting. I would not do too much of that, though, and I would try and find ways to connect these detailed ideas to a more general interest of yours - e.g. an interest in bringing new sources of information to bear on traditional theoretical research, such as data from aphasia patients (and other examples, if there are any that are relevant), which can teach us new things about [blah] that theoretical research alone has not been able to solve, or an interest in studying and comparing overt and covert movement [in whatever type of construction/language]. I don't know how much an adcom would like references to papers by researchers who are at other schools; I think it would show better fit if you could tie the kind of work you are interested in to something that researchers at the school you are applying to are engaged in. Presumably you will choose schools that fit your interests and can support your research plans, so this should not be an impossible task.

[Garyon]

Thank you all guys!

Your answers helped me clear out my mind a lot!

 

I won't mention the Italian College structure and I'll keep my background story short, both if I start with it or if I use it later on in the SOP. I'll use t just to point out how my interest was born and why it developed in a specific direction.

 

@mncz  thanks! you are very kind

 

@onzeheures30 thanks! of course I should (I will!) ask my advisor to read my SOP!

 

@fuzzylogician your last comment is very helpful! I will definitely focus on the faculty's works of the department I'll be writing to, but your comment was helpful in making me understand how to do it in a smooth way.

 

Thanks again to you all!