New Ideas - New Book
As some of you might have noticed I also write academic books, usually aimed at ESL speakers, which is what I teach here in China. It makes sense to me if I am writing something for my job, then I can capitalise on that by turning it into a book.
Most recently I came across some of Year 12's attempts at writing their Personal Statements which they need to apply to UCAS for entry to a British University. They were terrible. Here is the first paragraph from one of the students.
"Each glorious era always has a batch of inherited projects with birth, they age like giants with deep visions, standing to reveal the vicissitudes of history and strength of future generations. When I first entered high school, I watched an engineering documentary by the BBC, Seven Wonders of the Industrial World, which introduced the seven brilliant engineering achievements of the Industrial Revolution, and the most amazing thing was behind the miracle of the economy and technology, there is a group of courageous, creative pioneers who with outstanding enthusiasm and perseverance, overcame all kinds of difficulties and finally realised human dreams one by one. From the oldest Bell Rock Lighthouse to the recent Hoover Dam, after years of testing, they are not only miracles of industry, but also moving stories, which contains the pride of a man who will prevail over the sky. These long-sighted engineers or architects, and many unknown heres have accomplished seemingly impossible dreams."
After reading another half dozen Personal Statements with the same quality of English, guided I am told by local consultants and the placement office in this very School I took it upon myself to help the students to re-write their current Personal Statement and write a helpful booklet to give them help and advice about what a Personal Statement should consist of.
I have re-jigged it a little for the international audience and not just Chinese students and entitled it. "HOW TO MONSTER YOUR UCAS PERSONAL STATEMENT" and of course it is now available on Amazon. Here via this link.
