I am a highly motivated, award-winning Egyptian TV producer and social media strategist; my first and central love is Linguistics. I have earned most of my living as far as a seasoned journalist and a quality control linguist, yet it is academic research that I most enjoy. Linguistics is the center of my intellectual and academic worlds and the area in which I feel most capable of making significant contributions to society, helping to foster the advancement of language arts and education. Thus, I could not be more passionate about and highly motivated to earn a terminal degree in my field.
It was a profound disappointment for me not to be selected to study for the Ph.D. Degree in Linguistics at XXXX University this past year. This year, I am applying again and hope to be chosen based on greater clarification of my goals and professional vision for my future as a Linguistics professional. A dedicated husband and family person, I do my best to be a father to our three small children. My wife works at George Mason University in the Communications and Marketing Department, and the University is a 10-minute drive from our home. I cannot afford out-of-state tuition as a young couple just beginning our professional lives. Classes starting after 3 pm are ideal for our schedule as they do at XXXX.
I completed my undergraduate and master's degrees in Egypt, spanning the areas of Linguistics and Communications; I next went to Qatar to study for one year towards an additional MA in Audiovisual Translation Studies. I could not finish this program even though I had a scholarship to do so, however, I chose to accept a professional opportunity in the USA. I am confident that if it were not for my studies in Linguistics, I would not have become a well-known editor at Al Jazeera English and the Middle East Broadcasting Networks. My professors in Qatar used to scold me that I was addicted to linguistics because I would go to great lengths to relate the subject of a research project to linguistics in one way or another. Linguistics is my favorite window to gaze at my surroundings, as it mirrors my thinking and that of everyone else.
At some point in my career, after earning my Ph.D., I hope to return to Egypt to become a leader in creating new and exciting programs in Applied Linguistics and language education for public universities across Egypt. I will seek to provide my students with the best opportunities to learn effectively through creative and interactive curriculums developed in a way that is tailored to the linguistic challenges that they face as Arab speakers in a Middle Eastern educational environment. I consider myself extremely fortunate to have been able to come to the United States to complete a total immersion experience in English, and I hope very much to combine this with a world-class education in Linguistics at George Mason. I spoke with the Program Director at XXXX University on the telephone in December of 2018, which finalized my decision to seek admission to the Ph.D. Program in Linguistics. Professor XXXX was most encouraging, and I appreciated his suggestion that I find a co-chair - from outside if not inside the university - to guide me on the part of the dissertation about Media. I look forward to learning from the vast experience of Dr. XXXX. I also appreciate how XXXX University prioritizes best-prepared creativity and diversity, graduating some of the best-prepared students in the world. Earning my Preliminary master's degree in Linguistics in Egypt represented some of the best days of my life, and I am most keen to return to academics and throw myself in again, headfirst, this time delving much deeper into the challenges that I look forward to confronting in Linguistics.
I started with Egyptian TV, gaining some modest experience before leaving for Qatar, where I spent more than two years serving as a Translator at the As Saliyah U.S. Army Base. I stayed in my next position with Al Jazeera English for another nine years. I work at the Middle East Broadcasting Networks based in Springfield, VA. I spoke at length with a Mass Communication Professor from the University of Maryland, Dr. XXXX, who showed a willingness to serve as a co-chair for my dissertation project. I am convinced that XXXX University’s Linguistics program is the best platform to realize my long-term goal of becoming the most OK linguistics professor I can be. By obtaining a Ph.D. Degree, I will have the wisdom and knowledge that I will need to become an educational reformer in Egypt, helping many new generations of students achieve their personal and professional goals and not settle for less. I look forward to teaching Media Linguistics to students of Mass Communication. I have also toyed with serving in the intelligence community for several years since this is a deep secondary interest of mine in linguistics. There is a great need for creative thinkers in security who are also linguists and native speakers of Arabic.
Most of all, I look forward to teaching Semantics. I also hope to publish in this area and to continue with the kinds of research efforts that I look forward to at the beginning of my doctoral dissertation at XXXX University, with a particular focus on visual semantics, most precisely emojis; described by some as the fastest-growing language in history; with others referring to it as the first, truly global form of visual communication. I have tons of important questions that I want to answer as a student at XXXX University. Are the semantic and semiotic norms governing emojis on social media platforms applicable to English and Arabic users? To what extent can the semantic interpretation of emojis vary widely, causing/rendering cultural and linguistic gaps? To what extent can people build shared meaning through visual communication and interaction over time? Does the use of emojis among youth in their interpersonal communications on social media differ according to class, age, gender, race, and ethnicity patterns? How are media technologies shaping the future of language?
I am proud of my volunteer service as a simultaneous translator for the Arab League and teaching English to students with special needs in Egypt. These days, I am diligent in my volunteer efforts as a continually active member of the Parking and Landscaping Committees of the Homeowner’s Association at XXXX Community. I currently live only a few minutes away from XXXX University.
Thank you sincerely for considering my application.
PHD Linguistics Personal Purpose Statement, Journalist