example of korean essay

a blog about learning & translating Korean

Tips for improving Korean essay writing

After more than a year of attending advanced Korean classes and regularly writing and reviewing 500-800 character essays with my teacher, I’ve accumulated a few useful tips for improving long-form writing that I thought I’d share here.

I’ll preface this by saying few people write well in any language, even among native speakers. I’m a writer and storyteller in both my professional and personal life and I know just how hard it is to build compelling rhetoric using effective, engaging language on any topic. So, following these “quick tips” won’t make you a good writer in Korean — that will take years of practice reading and writing, just as it would in English. But it may help you get started on the road to sounding more natural.

Caveat : This is only one language learner’s experience (mine) and one language instructor (my teacher)’s advice, so take with a grain of salt.

Master written language

This means practicing and getting comfortable with plain speech. Plain-style Korean, or 해라체, is used in books, newspapers, blogs — basically any form of writing where you’re not directly addressing someone else. For example, you’d use plain style to write a blog post in Korean, but use proper politeness (i.e. -요 or -ㅂ니다) levels when responding to comments. Sentences in plain-style Korean end with -(ㄴ)다 (present/future) or -ㅆ다 (past).

There are a number of useful textbooks out there that cover Korean grammar; I’m personally a fan of 빈도별 토픽 for more advanced learners and the Integrated Korean series for beginners and intermediate learners. When going through these books, keep in mind that not all verb endings are appropriate for written Korean. Endings like -지요 and -잖아요, for example, only make sense when you’re talking to someone else.

Use inductive reasoning

Obviously not a hard and fast rule (depends on the discipline, writer’s style, etc.), but after reading a number of Korean op-eds and personal essays, the biggest difference between Korean and English essay writing that I’ve noticed is the underlying logic of the work.

Korean essays are mostly built on inductive reasoning: they start out with anecdotes, examples, and research to draw the reader step-by-step to the main point of the essay. If you’re reading a long opinion piece in Korean, you might make it through 50% or more before you realize what exactly the author’s trying to say.

This is counter to the typical “five paragraph essay” taught in American high schools, where you’re told to state a main point for each paragraph and then support it with evidence (more deductive than inductive reasoning).

Tip! I’ve found that because of this logic structure, skimming long chunks of Korean prose — especially during TOPIK — is challenging for me.  If you’re pressed for time, read the last couple sentences of every paragraph to get a decent tl;dr.

Memorize transition words and phrases

These are words like 그런데, 그리고, 게다가, 반면에, etc., that link one sentence to the next or one paragraph to the next. When you’re reading essays, news articles, or even TOPIK passages, take a second to identify and write down these transition words/phrases. Memorize them and practice using them in your own writing, so you won’t default to the boring ones I listed as examples above.

Put the most important part of the sentence first

One of my favorite things about Korean writing is the flexibility of word order within a sentence. That said, I often get told by my teacher to not be so careless about it when writing essays. A writing tic of mine, for instance, is to include every relevant detail that I possibly can into a relative clause that modifies the topic or subject of my sentence; that means my sentences are “top heavy” with the most important part usually coming near the end. In longer compositions, though, it’s important to make sure your key point shows up at the  beginning of the sentence for clarity.

For example, take a look at these two sentences. The first is what I wrote and the second is a revision.

(1) 마지막으로 직장 관련 이야기가 듣기 싫다는 대답을 선택한 여성들에 비해 2배 이상 많은 남성들이 있다는 결과가 나왔다.

(2) 마지막으로, 여성들에 비해 2배 이상 많은 남성들이 직장 관련 이야기가 듣기 싫다는 대답을 선택한 결과가 나왔다.

I was trying to describe that, according to the results of the given survey, more than twice the number of men versus women said they did not want to discuss work [with their extended families during the holiday]. In sentence (1), the key point ‘여성들에 비해 2배 이상 많은 남성’ shows up at the end of the sentence; in sentence (2), it shows up right after the transition word.

Use! The! Right! Particles!!

Believe me when I say that it is worth investing time into understanding the difference between topic particles (은/는) and subject particles (이/가). For a lot of beginners, this is one of the most difficult concepts to grasp, especially if English is your native language. If you’re only writing a couple short sentences at a time, to a limited (!) extent, you can get by mixing up the two without dire consequences.

For example:

(1) 그 남자 는 나를 좋아한다고 고백했다. (2) 그 남자 가 나를 좋아한다고 고백했다.

Both sentences have differences in nuance but more or less mean the same thing.

When sentences get long with different topics, subjects, and clauses, using the wrong particle can really mess up the meaning of your sentence. And when you’re introducing different points in an essay, mastering 은/는 and 이/가 will help direct the logical flow of your writing and lend it clarity. The best way to grasp particles? Write a lot, but don’t just write disparate sentences. Write a paragraph or two on one idea and then have your writing reviewed by a native speaker.

Synonyms are your friend

This is good writing advice no matter what language you’re writing in. No one wants to read the same adjective or verb over and over again, so it’s good to pay attention to different ways to say the same thing. This is particularly important, I think, for the analytical writing part of TOPIK, which asks you to describe the results of a survey or research study. You’ll be using a lot of phrases like “X increased by Y%” or “A decreased by B%” or things like “it was revealed that XX,” “the results showed ,” “the participants chose , ”  etc.

Tip! Compared to the longer essay in TOPIK II, the analytical essays are actually where you can improve your score the fastest, in my opinion. One easy way to do that is by diversifying your sentences with different synonyms and phrases related to analysis and trends. On one of my early practice tests, I used the word 증가하다 three sentences in a row — don’t do that.

Last but not least: read actively

An obvious one, but worth mentioning. Now, when I read non-fiction in Korean, I don’t just read for comprehension. I read for writing style. And I mean, I really break down the structure of the composition. I start out by picking out where the main idea shows up in each paragraph and then jot it down. Then I try to pay attention to how the sentences are connected to one another, noting specifically how the author shifts topics and subjects from sentence to sentence and how transition phrases/words help build the logic of the narrative. And then I try putting in any new words and sentence structures/phrases I’ve learned into practice.

In order to build your vocabulary, it’s important to read widely. But in order to become a better writer, I think it’s important to read closely .

Closing thoughts

I think being able to write naturally, using standard grammar, is an important tenet of fluency. But I don’t think you have to be a “good” writer to consider yourself fluent — though, of course, it depends on what your ambitions and/or goals are.

In English, writing is like breathing for me. So it’s important to me that I can write something that would be considered generally good writing in Korean, not just comprehensible or “good for a foreigner.” That’s what I’m working toward, at least.

To that end, I do have a ((new)) blog in Korean, up on the interwebs somewhere. I’m waiting until I write a few more posts before I officially share it here, but if keep your eyes peeled if you’re interested!

Share this:

10 responses to “tips for improving korean essay writing”.

what do you think about the hanguel-only thing as it relates to writing?? do you find it limits your writing ie changing a word because there’s a lot of homophones?

That’s an interesting perspective. I don’t think I’ve ever felt limited by Hangeul as a writer. If I’m worried about being misunderstood because of a homophone issue, I just look up the hanja and put it in parentheses. As a reader, though, I can see how Hangeul might seem limiting, e.g., looking up hanja is an extra step I have to go through to understand whatever I’m reading, or worse, if there is no hanja, I expend more mental energy trying to figure what the author means.

Like Liked by 1 person

also have you noticed bad writing in Korean in korean newspapers, articles etc now that you’re more skilled in writing?? Or are there certain things you see korean writers do that annoy you ??

I was reading the japanese internet about reading korean and of course there’s negative stuff. I would love to hear your thoughts about it. if you use rikai-chan or some pop-up dictionary i’m sure you can understand it… i’ll paste it…

漢字を無くしたから意味を文字で伝えるのが難しい なので平易な言葉で伝えないと読み手に書き手の意思を伝えられない 冗長になり論点がぼけるのはハングルの特徴だから仕方ない

書くための文字→ハングル 読むための文字→漢字

これが言語や単語にまで影響及ぼしてるだけ

++ 南朝鮮の新聞記事は長文駄文意味不明が多いよね 文章「表現力」以前に、思考回路に何かしらの障害がありそう 目の前の事象を「しあわせ回路」や「反日回路」に入力し、「願望」の粉かけて、ビビンパのようにまじぇまじぇしないとあんな文章は出力できないよ

なんかの調査で韓国人は平均ＩＱが高いと言われてホルホルしてたけど （１位香港　2位韓国　3位日本・・・・） ＩＱテストのためのテスト勉強させてる国がどこかにあるとかｗ ＩＱ高くてもあんだけ非論理的だし 自前でロケットさえ飛ばせない ノーベル賞なんか皆無だし(金で買える平和賞は除く） ああ、むしろＩＱなんて全然意味ねえじゃんて気づかせられた件でした

++ 韓国の新聞の社説を読んでると、論旨が不明瞭で様々な故事を出した後に何の論理的な展開も無く○○が悪いという結論で終ってる事が多くて何を伝えたい文章なのかさっぱり分からない事が多い。

普通の新聞記事でも、感情的な言い回しが多くて、記者はニュースを伝えたいのか、怒り嘆きを伝えたいのかよく分からない文章になってる事が多い。

そんな文章を日常的に読んでいたら、文章を読むのが苦手になっても不思議ではないし、論理思考が出来なくなっていくのも無理は無い。

++ だからなのか、韓国の新聞て論説委員からして文章力がない。ただダラダラ長いだけで何が言いたいのかさっぱり伝わらない。記事タイトルと書いてる内容がズレてることも多々ある。こんなレベルの低い文章ばかりなのに、読解力を求めらても何の意味もないから、そのままで良いと思う。

+ 韓国の新聞のコラムでも 読みたくなるような、読ませる文章ではないよね。ドヤ顔でどこかの国の引用から始まるのが ほとんど。 ++

童貞　同情　　　同志　冬至　　　史記　詐欺 紳士　神社　　　郵政　友情　　　首相　受賞 火傷　画像　　　市長　市場　　　風速　風俗 映画　栄華　　　戦死　戦士　　　歩道　報道 犬喰　見識　　　日傘　量産　　　数値　羞恥 お腹　お船　　　烈火　劣化　　　主義　注意 読者　独自　　　団扇　負債　　　停電　停戦 大使　台詞　　　諸国　帝国　　　諸島　制度 声明　姓名　　　無力　武力　　　全員　田園 定木　定規　　　全力　電力　　　代弁　大便 捕鯨　包茎　　　地図　指導　　　素数　小数 対局　大国　　　誇張　課長　　　インド　引導 初代　招待　　　朝鮮　造船　　　駅舎　歴史 発光　発狂　　　定額　精液　　　火傷　画像 反戦　反転　　　反日　半日　　　武士　無事 大便　代弁　　　無力　武力　　　電車　戦車 連覇　連敗　　　恨国　韓国　　　祈願　起源 競技　景気　　　放火　防火

ハングルでは全部同じ。 同音異義語というのみならず表記も全く同じ。 前後の文脈で区別するしかない。

例： 釣船の操船で有名な朝鮮人たちの祖先が造船した商船に率先して乗船し商戦に挑戦 ↓ チョスンのチョスンで有名なチョスン人たちのチョスンがチョスンしたチョスンにチョスンしてチョスンしチョスンにチョスン

http://u1sokuhou.ldblog.jp/archives/50389367.html

kaikaiの他所でも書いたが、 文章のプロである朝鮮日報・中央日報・等々の文章が下手で驚く。 コラムを書く役職の有る記者ですら、無駄な前振り、論点が行方不明など酷い。

さらに酷いのは新聞記者ではない何かの教授や研究員・学者の類が描く時だ、 目が回るほどに下手だ。 日本のそこいらの素人のblogの方が上手い。

他の国ではそういうことは無い、朝鮮だけの大きな特徴でとにかく文章が下手糞だ。 翻訳の問題ではない。 文章の構成能力や論理的な組み立てが出来てない性質のものだ。

一言で言うと「馬鹿」としか思えない。　いや、馬鹿なんだろう。

62名無し1年前ID:QxMDg2NTE(1/2) >>59 >>58 >>60 向こうの記事読んでそれ感じる。漢字捨てたせいか専門的な単語を使うのにためらうというか使えないというか。そのために意味を分かりやすくしようと変な例えを出してやたら文章が長くなってしまう。 その変な例えの殆どが詩的なんだが自分からすると状況が一致しないか書いた記者自身の文章酔ってるかのように感じてしまい気持ち悪い。

起承転結の起に入るまでが長かったり承が訳が分からなかったり転に至っては絶対間違ってない自信なのか存在しない、それとなぜかなんの脈絡もなく日本が出てきたりと。 ここに来る韓国人の文章は機械翻訳ではあるが変な比喩が無く言いたい事が分かる読みやすい文章なので全然記者よりも文章が優れてるように見える。

i FORGOT THIS この人の発言は、韓国人の文章（新聞記事等）に通じるものがありますね。言い訳と希望的観測を交えて、整合性のない事を平然と悪びれる事なく（息を吐くように）言う。

2018/04/02 [05:52:03] jk 一方、韓国の新聞記事は、的を得ているとは思えない故事や格言、故人の言を引いて、中身の薄い内容を難しく伝える。

Whoops your last two comments got flagged as spam so I’m seeing them just now. Hmm, I wouldn’t say that I’m skilled enough to differentiate between good and bad journalistic writing just yet. I /can/ tell the skill difference between, say, a newbie writer who publishes web novels on Naver and more experienced novelist.

In terms of annoying things Korean writers do… hm… I don’t think I’m widely read enough to make too many sweeping judgments here but I have noticed that in a lot of literary writing, Korean authors tend to use adjectives that are near synonyms of each other, one after the other in the same sentence. e.g. “her face was pale and white” or “the rain fell heavily and strongly.” Sometimes I think the slight nuance helps add atmosphere but when it happens sentence after sentence it becomes tedious to read (and translate). The other thing I personally like in my fiction is varying sentence lengths. It changes up the . cadence of the prose and keeps things interesting. I find that a lot of Korean sentences are similar in length (longggg) one after the other.

Interesting… I’ll take a look at those Japanese comments (let’s see how far I get before the Kanji kicks my ass and I need to use a dictionary lol). Thanks for sharing!

WelL theres lots of cool popup dictionaries to save you time like rikaichan and yomikun.

From my limited experience of reading Korean articles I have to agree with the Japanese people lol. They were just describing what I was thinking but wasn’t confident enough to say since reading Korean isn’t that comfortable at times. Like you I don’t think I’m good enough to decide whether someone’s writing is bad or good

here’s one of the original sites in case you were curious https://kaikai.ch/board/2377/

韓国の新聞メディアや教授のコラムって、その論文全体を通して主張したい１つの軸が不明瞭で、一貫性がなく、要点がないんだよね。 だから「韓国人の書く文章は無駄に長い」「読むだけ無駄だった（重要な事が書いてない）」という感想持つ日本人は多い。

“起承転結”あるいは“起転結” これを韓国人は文章として成立させてない。 日本だと、大学で論文の書き方は骨身に叩き込まれるんだけど、韓国は何をやってるんだろ？

this is post 60 韓国の新聞のコラムとかって 内容の核心に入るまで長くて 余計な知識披露が多い、文字スペース 考えろよ。

they were the posts that post 62 responded too.

I love this! My long term goal is also to write as well and with as much confidence in Korean as I do in English, so this was extremely helpful. Can’t wait to check out your Korean-language blog — I started one a few months ago but only have three posts so far ㅎㅎ 화이팅!

I’m just a beginner but I think these are very valuable advice even for beginners to keep in mind as they progress.

The point about plain style especially hit home for me, because for the longest time I didn’t even know it existed. Every single textbook I have only ever mentioned -이에요/예요 and -(스)ㅂ니다. This made it very difficult to search for anything online as most blogs and websites are written in plain style, and I wasn’t able to read even the simplest stories written in Korean because I was not familiar with the endings.

I wish textbooks would at least mention the existence of this style sooner.

Like Liked by 2 people

I’m so glad found the post valuable, Luna! Thanks for reading. :)

Leave a comment Cancel reply

• Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
• Subscribe Subscribed
• Copy shortlink
• Report this content
• View post in Reader
• Manage subscriptions
• Collapse this bar

• Learning Package

30 Useful Korean Transitional Phrases For Essay Writing

Are you studying for an upcoming exam in your Korean class or the TOPIK exam that includes essay writing? 

If you are at an intermediate to advanced level, you should become familiar with some Korean transitional phrases to make your paragraphs more interesting to read. A transitional phrase can be used to make your message transition smoothly from one sentence to the next.  

If you just write a string of sentences without any transitional phrases, your essay can end up sounding awkward and robotic without a natural flow.

In this article, I have compiled a list of 30 Korean transitional phrases that will prove very useful for you to have in your writing arsenal.

Korean Transitional Phrases

Below are some examples of these phrases I have found in recent articles that appeared in Woman Sense , a women’s magazine in Korea. 

I have underlined and highlighted where transitional phrases are used, but you can use the links provided to read through the rest of the articles to find more on your own:

From Woman Sense magazine article about Taiwan (2/16/2020):

이처럼 대만에서 채식이 보편화된 이유는 종교와 관련이 있다. 대만의 일류 호텔에서 채식 케이터링을 담당하는 요리사 임언보 씨는 “내가 채식에 관심을 갖게 된 이유는 종교 때문”이라며 “채식 요리를 업으로 삼고 있는 나 역시 채식을 하고 있다”고 말한다. 현재 대만에는 70%의 도교 및 불교 신자가 살고 있다. 따라서 채식 문화가 잘 정립돼 있고 더불어 채식이 트렌드가 되면서 젊은 층 사이에서 건강과 환경을 위해 채식을 하려는 움직임 또한 늘고 있다.

이처럼 대만에서 채식이 보편화된 이유는... The reason the vegetarian diet has become widespread to this extent is... 따라서 채식 문화가 잘 정립돼 있고... Therefore, the vegetarian culture is well established...

From Woman Sense magazine aricle about South Korean actor Park Jung-min (2/17/2020):

따지고 보면 그는 작품의 흥행 여부와 상관없이 스크린 속에서 한 번도 관객을 실망시킨 적이 없다. <파수꾼>(2010), <동주>(2015), <그것만이 내 세상>(2018), <사바하>(2019)를 거쳐 노랑머리 반항가가 된 영화 <시동>까지 늘 그랬다.

따지고 보면 그는 작품의 흥행 여부와 상관없이 스크린 속에서 한 번도 관객을 실망시킨 적이 없다.

It can be argued that he has never disappointed his audience on screen regardless of his films’ blockbuster status. 

특히 <시동> 은…

In particular, “Start-Up” (movie) is...

From Woman Sense magazine article about the older generation in the spotlight (2/7/2020):

이들이 최근 주목받는 이유는 기본적으로 인구 변화 추이가 한몫했기 때문. 출산율이 현저히 낮아지면서 젊은 인구가 감소하는 대신 50~60대는 전체 인구의 30%에 육박하고 있다. 게다가 최근 IT 기술에 이들이 적응하기 시작하면서 요즘 몇 년간 온라인에서 가장 성장 속도가 빠른 구매층이기도 하다.

게다가 최근 IT 기술에 이들이 적응하기 시작하면서...

In addition to that, as they started to become more skilled in the latest information technology...

From Woman Sense magazine article about the importance of breakfast (1/29/2020):

아침을 잘 챙겨 먹으면 규칙적인 생활을 유지할 확률이 높아진다. 오전에 활동량이 많으므로 아침을 먹으면 에너지를 얻어 활동적인 하루를 보내게 된다. 특히 겨울에는 체온을 높이는 데도 도움을 줘 건강을 유지하는 데 좋다. 아침을 거르고 활동하면 몸은 활동에 필요한 에너지를 얻기 위해 체내 지방을 분해하는데, 이때 포도당과 젖산이 생성된다. 젖산은 몸의 피로도를 높이고 면역력을 떨어뜨린다. 그렇다면 아침으로 무엇을 먹으면 좋을까?

Especially in winter…

이때 포도당과 젖산이 생성된다.

At this time, glucose and lactic acid are created.

This is when glucose and lactic acid are created.

그렇다면 아침으로 무엇을 먹으면 좋을까?

If that is the case, what would be the best food to eat for breakfast?

Other useful Korean words and phrases you could check out:

Basic Korean Phrases for Travelers and Beginners

Korean Words and Phrases For Food Issues

In order to become more familiar with the above Korean transitional phrases, you should practice writing a variety of different sentences using the words/phrases listed.

I also want to emphasize how important it is for you to read other people’s writing as much as possible. As with any language, the more you read, the better you will become at writing. Try to find Korean books, magazines, newspapers, or any other types of written material that are appropriate for your level.

열심히 공부하세요!  화이팅!!

About the Author  Linda McKenna

Linda was born in Seoul, South Korea, and moved to the U.S. as a teen. She previously taught at a Korean language school. She is a language enthusiast and loves learning about different languages and cultures

ideBeasiswa

4 Global Korea Scholarship Essay Examples

Your essay should include the following components and should not exceed two A4 pages:

• Motivations : Explain the reasons and motivations that led you to apply for this program.
• Family and Education Background : Briefly describe your family background and your educational history.
• Significant Experiences : Share key experiences in your life, including risks you have taken, achievements you have made, or any individuals or events that have had a significant influence on you.
• Extracurricular Activities : Discuss any extracurricular activities you have participated in, such as club activities, community service, or work experiences.
• Additional Accomplishments (if applicable) : If relevant, mention any awards you have received, publications you have authored, or specific skills you have acquired.

Art, Ambition, and Aspirations: My Quest for Cultural Unity

Passion is the driving force behind our aspirations, whether they manifest in a sport, profession, or a dream. With genuine passion, the seemingly impossible becomes attainable .

From the tender age of 10, life presented me with a series of challenges. My father’s deteriorating health, the stagnation of our family business, and fluctuating financial circumstances tested our resilience. Amidst these adversities, my mother emerged as my beacon of strength. Her unwavering spirit in the face of hardship taught me to confront my fears head-on, transforming them into stepping stones for growth.

Entering high school marked a new chapter. Inspired by my mother’s tenacity, I reminded myself, “The past is behind you. Embrace the present and chase your passions.” My mother’s journey from an artisan and tailor to an arts and crafts teacher instilled in me the belief that dreams have no expiration date.

My own dream took shape in the form of a deep-seated passion for Korean culture, design, and artistry. Discovering the GKS scholarship, I recognized an opportunity to merge my interests and alleviate financial pressures on my family. To pursue this dream, I made the difficult decision to step away from an 8-year basketball career, driven by a newfound ambition.

To gain my family’s trust in my aspirations, I immersed myself in cultural exchange programs, securing top positions in language competitions and representing my school in an ERASMUS+ project in Italy. This experience not only broadened my horizons but also solidified my belief in my capabilities.

Back in Turkey, my passion for art found a canvas on the walls of our school, where I painted portraits of iconic artists. This endeavor not only showcased our artistic talents but also earned us accolades and recognition.

As I aspire to study in Korea, I’m driven by a vision to bridge cultural gaps, especially for the deaf community. Through sign language and visual communication, I aim to foster inclusivity and mutual understanding between Turkey and Korea. Moreover, Korea’s minimalist and innovative design ethos aligns with my belief in a future that values simplicity and creativity.

In conclusion, passion is the compass that guides my journey. While challenges are inevitable, my determination, inspired by my mother’s resilience, ensures that I remain undeterred. I am committed to realizing my dreams, fueled by unwavering self-belief and ambition.

A Journey of Curiosity: Embracing Korea’s Educational Excellence

From early childhood, an insatiable curiosity drove me to relentlessly seek knowledge. Encouraged by my parents to find answers independently, I developed a habit of rigorous research, allowing me to delve into varied perspectives on subjects that intrigued me.

This quest for understanding introduced me to the Korean educational system, globally acclaimed for its role in Korea’s socio-economic ascent. Recognizing the scholarship as a gateway to immerse in Korean culture, language, and society, I envision it as a platform to nurture my passion for diplomacy and education. Studying international relations in Korea promises a comprehensive career perspective, enriched by hands-on experiences and diverse cultural exchanges. I am confident that this program will offer an unparalleled education and cultivate a holistic global perspective.

Hailing from a lower-middle-class family, I learned early on the significance of education. My parents, despite their limited educational opportunities, prioritized our academic pursuits. Their unwavering support propelled me to academic excellence, culminating in my admission to a prestigious public school and later, the military police school.

High school exposed me to simulations, lectures, and projects that sharpened my academic prowess. Collaborative endeavors and presentations on diverse topics helped me overcome stage apprehension and fostered teamwork skills. These experiences expanded my global awareness and intellectual growth.

During the recent quarantine, my affinity for Korea deepened. I embarked on learning the Korean language, complemented by online courses on Korean society and its economic evolution. This immersion sparked my interest in foreign languages, leading me to study Italian. Concurrently, I participated in the Humanities Olympics and a United Nations Simulation, both amplifying my passion for diplomacy and international relations.

The opportunity to study in Korea offers a unique blend of world-class education and cultural immersion. Engaging with a global student community promises to enhance my understanding and perspectives. I am resolute in leveraging this opportunity for personal growth and contributing to the broader sphere of international relations. With the unwavering support of my family and a deep belief in education’s transformative power, I eagerly anticipate this educational odyssey in Korea. I am profoundly thankful for the consideration of my application and the potential to embark on this enriching journey.

From Provincial Roots to Global Aspirations: My Quest for Technological Excellence

My name is XXX YYY ZZZ, but many know me affectionately as XXX, a moniker that translates to “angel” in my father’s dialect. Bestowed upon me during a tumultuous period in our family’s history, my name embodies the beacon of hope and inspiration I represent to my loved ones. Their unwavering faith in me has molded my character, fostering a spirit of exploration, resilience, and an unyielding drive to harness my innate strengths.

From my formative years, the melodic allure of the piano captivated me, guiding my path to the Secondary Professional School of Art. Here, amidst nurturing mentors and peers, I honed my craft, clinching grand-prize accolades in esteemed piano contests. This nurturing environment underscored the value of collective growth over individual competition.

Hailing from a modest provincial town, I was privileged to attend a specialized language school, laying a robust foundation in linguistic studies. This linguistic prowess proved invaluable when I embarked on my journey to master the Korean language.

Volunteerism has always been a cornerstone of my ethos. From environmental initiatives to community upliftment projects, I’ve endeavored to make a tangible difference. Concurrently, a burgeoning fascination with technology led me to immerse myself in workshops spanning robotics, game development, and web programming.

My high school tenure was marked by academic distinction, complemented by active participation in extracurricular pursuits. As a Student Council member and the founder of the Debate Club, I refined my oratory and interpersonal skills.

The pandemic’s onset brought unforeseen challenges, straining my family’s finances and compelling me to defer my academic aspirations. Undeterred, I juggled part-time work with continuous self-improvement, ever committed to community betterment.

Drawn to South Korea’s technological prowess, I am resolute that a degree in Computer Science and Engineering from this nation will empower me with unparalleled academic and practical expertise . Ajou University, with its stellar academic standing, diverse student body, and innovative ethos, emerges as my institution of choice.

My vision is to channel my expertise towards spearheading technological innovations in Armenia and beyond. I am confident that a scholarship from Ajou University will be instrumental in this endeavor, allowing me to wholly immerse in my academic pursuits and catalyze positive global change.

In summation, my journey, punctuated by tenacity, inquisitiveness, and a zeal for knowledge, has primed me for the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. I am certain that Ajou University offers the quintessential milieu to amplify my potential, expand my worldview, and leave an indelible mark on the technological landscape. I eagerly await the prospect of joining the Ajou community and embarking on this transformative odyssey.

I extend my heartfelt gratitude for considering my application.

Bridging Cultures Through Biological Research: My Korean-Polish Vision

From the hallowed halls of Jagiellonian University, I was introduced to the microscopic marvels of fucoidans. These high-molecular compounds, diminutive in size, boast profound capabilities—from reducing blood pressure to combating cancer. This revelation ignited a fervor for biological sciences within me, further fueled by the professor’s evident passion. It was in that moment, I envisioned myself as a scientist, driven by curiosity and dedication.

My journey into the realm of biology was complemented by diverse experiences. As a distinguished volleyball player, I learned discipline and accountability, attributes that later proved invaluable. Balancing rigorous training with academic pursuits, I emerged as a top student, earning accolades and scholarships. My involvement in the school volunteer club and the school council further honed my organizational and leadership skills.

Throughout high school, I delved deeper into biochemistry, collaborating on our school’s inaugural newspaper and taking on leadership roles. My linguistic prowess in English, nurtured by Dr. Skowrońska, placed me among Poland’s top students. My insatiable curiosity often led me beyond standard curricula, prompting me to explore advanced topics in biochemistry and biology.

My family’s unwavering support has been my bedrock. My mother’s dedication to my education and my father’s commitment to continuous learning instilled in me the belief that growth is an unending journey.

My intrigue with Korea began with the mesmerizing piano renditions of Lee Hyuk and deepened with my exploration of the shared histories between Korea and Poland. A transformative visit to Seoul further solidified my desire to study in this vibrant nation. The Korean ethos—balancing relentless dedication with moments of joy—resonated deeply with me.

South Korea’s prominence in biotechnological research makes it the perfect destination for my academic pursuits. The Global Korea Scholarship (GKS) program offers a beacon of hope, enabling me to access world-class education without the financial constraints that have long shadowed my dreams. Institutions like Seoul National University, Pusan University, and Kyungpook University offer unparalleled opportunities in biological research.

By awarding me the GKS scholarship, you will be investing in a future that bridges Korean and Polish scientific communities. I am committed to fostering collaborations, sharing knowledge, and contributing to the global tapestry of biological research. With the GKS program’s support, I am poised to excel academically, drive scientific innovation, and build enduring international relationships.

Similar Posts

Motivation letter for MSc in Material Science Engineering

Under 500 words motivation letter for MSc in Material Science Engineering.

Panduan Memilih Program Studi Beasiswa AAS

Pelamar Beasiswa AAS wajib memilih prodi yang termasuk dalam bidang yang diprioritaskan.

Commonwealth Scholarship: Proposed Study Essay Sample

Examining the Primary Epidemiological Factors and Evaluating the Efficacy of Interventions on Coronary Heart Disease

Motivation Letter for Master in Urban Studies (4Cities)

I am confident that my skills can contribute to the development of meaningful academic projects.

Equity Target Groups Beasiswa AAS

Ada tiga kelompok yang mendapatkan perhatian khusus untuk beasiswa AAS.

2 Questbridge Essay Samples: How have the influences in your life shaped you?

I was fortunate to be mentored by professors and lecturers whose contributions to the social and economic fabric of our country were monumental.

Home Essay Examples Sociology Race and Ethnicity

Essays on Korean

Violence in korean cinema, korean convenient food, etiquette and manners, korean language planning, korean alphabet as a tool in awakening the korean national identity, analysis of korean migration.

We guarantee complete confidentiality, you will receive a plagiarism-free paper!

Korean Culture And History

The influence of korean drama in korean language learning, what reflects korean folklore, the role of hallyu in the south korean government's pursuit of soft power: a case study of bts, pansori as a relic of korean tradition, top similar topics.

• Ethnic Identity
• African American
• Indigenous People
• Race and Gender
• Asian American

We use cookies to give you the best experience possible. By continuing we’ll assume you board with our cookie policy .

Korean Essays

Use our extensive ready Korean essay samples database to write your own paper. Get access to more than 50,000 essays and 70,000 college test answers by buying a subscription to it. Our collection of essays on Korean on all subjects gets replenished every day, so just keep checking it out!

Railroads were once regarded as a reminder of a bygone era, before the advent of modern airplanes and widespread automobile ownership. Today, however, rising energy prices and environmental concerns have encouraged a railroad comeback around the world. Railway transport consumes 20 percent less energy than passenger and cargo ships and 60 percent less than automobiles, […]

The pervasive influence of social media has led many people to feel dissatisfied with their appearance and seek drastic changes at any cost. Society’s implicit message is that one must conform to certain ideals of beauty or risk failure in both career and love. South Korean dramas, while depicting daily life, also shape the audience’s […]

Having an understanding of the customs and traditions of a culture is crucial when starting a career or receiving foreign guests. This is particularly important in Korea, where individuals from Europe or America who are unprepared may be surprised by its unique cultural and social context. Knowing Korean business practices and behavioral norms provides valuable […]

The objective of this article is to analyze the Pacific and Korean War’s foreign security strategy of the United States. It primarily concentrates on the rationale behind America’s involvement in a war that caused 50,000 deaths and incurred $50 billion expenses. Additionally, it explores the determinants responsible for this choice. Throughout its course, American foreign […]

A. Study plans to improve foreign languages(Korean, English, etc) required for taking a bachelor’s degree course BEFORE and AFTER you come to Korea. Before coming to Korea I’ve always been interested in foreign languages such as Japanese and Korean aside from English. I taught myself a good amount of Korean and basic Japanese , too. […]

Movies, soap operas, TV shows, sitcoms and even animes, these are some of things that Filipinos love to watch. We cannot deny the fact that watching is already a part of Filipino lifestyle. We can’t imagine a life without television, without cinemas and even internets which are the sources of those we want to watch. […]

I have grown up in Korea since I was born but I have never been to Korea traditional music concert in my life. It was my very first time to try to listen Korean music. I didn’t expect that much how much it would to be interesting for me. My first thought about the Korean […]

Thirteen to twenty-two, many of them have to take sasaeng taxis that cost hundreds to thousands of dollars for hours in order to chase down their idols. “In January 2011, K-pop idols Super Junior were involved in a seven-car collision as they were leaving Changi Airport for their hotel. ” For them to think that […]

Amanda Evanston Immediate and Long-Term Effects of the Korean War University of Phoenix The Korean War started with communist North Korea invading anti-communist South Korea. The United States, who were already in North Korea to some extent Joined forces with South Korea to help them against the North Korean invasion. They saw the Korean War […]

Popular Questions About Korean

Haven't found what you were looking for, search for samples, answers to your questions and flashcards.

• Enter your topic/question
• Receive an explanation
• Ask one question at a time
• Enter a specific assignment topic
• Aim at least 500 characters
• a topic sentence that states the main or controlling idea
• supporting sentences to explain and develop the point you’re making
• evidence from your reading or an example from the subject area that supports your point
• analysis of the implication/significance/impact of the evidence finished off with a critical conclusion you have drawn from the evidence.

Korean Popular Culture: Attractiveness and Popularity Proposal Essay

Introduction, topic for investigation, research questions, rationale for research, works cited.

Korean popular culture can be discussed as a strong tool of soft power because of the high attractiveness and popularity of this culture in the world. Thus, the topic selected for further close examination and research is Soft Power: Korean Pop Culture. The purpose of this proposal is to introduce the topic of the project, present central questions to research, discuss the reasons for choosing the topic, and describe methods for studying the phenomenon.

Modern Korean popular culture is a product of combining national features and the impacts of other cultures, including both regional and Western ones. As a result of this hybridity, Korean culture is viewed as less nationally specific but more adapted to attract the representatives of other cultures (Jung 3). Therefore, being discussed in the context of soft power, Korean popular culture succeeded in spreading its values regarding music, media, cinema, and food. K-pop was developed as a genre of Korean popular music that became interesting to the world audience because of mixing Asian and Western elements (Shim 40). Thus, transcultural and transnationalization in relation to Korean pop culture became the result of globalization.

Media also played a significant role in spreading Korean popular culture in Hong Kong, China, Vietnam, and Taiwan and then in winning fans in the United States, the United Kingdom, and other Western countries. This sharing of Korean cultural products became possible by means of YouTube and other social media, as well as the spread of television dramas (Jung 3; Shim 26). Food is another cultural aspect that attracted young Westerners because of the active promotion of Korean cuisine abroad (Cwiertka 364). All these points need to be investigated in detail to determine how Korean popular culture is used within the soft power strategy of South Korea.

The following research questions need to be addressed in the context of studying the discussed topic:

• How did globalization and transcultural flows influence the development and spread of Korean music, media, and food in Asian and Western countries?
• What is the role of Korean popular culture in affecting the views of young Asians and Westerns?
• What is the role of modern Korean popular culture as a soft power tool in influencing the global audience’s attitudes toward and perceptions of South Korea?
• What are the advantages and disadvantages of the Korean Wave and the popularity of Korean culture worldwide for social, economic, and international courses of South Korea?

Recently, Korean popular culture has become recognized as a specific sociocultural phenomenon that affected not only Asian countries but also the Western world. The unique spread of values and elements of Korean culture has become known as the Korean Wave (Joo 490). The current popularity of Korean music, television dramas and shows, and food are so high in Asian and Western countries that this phenomenon requires further investigation.

Thus, Korean pop culture seems to have a significant impact on young generations all over the globe (Jung 6). Consequently, there is a need to investigate how this popularity of Korean culture developed and what effects it has on the public attitude toward South Korea in the world. The spread of Asian values mixed with Western ones in the context of Korean culture has positive effects on increasing the country’s status and attracting tourists, but there are also risks associated with this situation. All these aspects need to be studied in detail in the context of this project.

To investigate the topic and answer the research questions, it is necessary to apply for a literature review as a research method in this project. The review, synthesis, analysis, and interpretation of recent studies on the topic of Korean popular culture and the idea of soft power are important steps to examine available data on the problem. Synthesis, analysis, and interpretation of the gathered data allow for responding to the research questions. It is also possible to conclude about the role of Korean popular culture in forming public attitudes toward South Korea in the context of the popularity of its media, food, and music.

Such sources as peer-reviewed articles, scholarly books, and articles representing experts’ opinions will be used for collecting required data for further review and analysis. The example of a source to review includes the work by Kim and Nye, in which they discuss how South Korea can use the Korean Wave to increase the attractiveness of the country (4). One more important article to read is the study by Joo, who examined the concepts of transnationalization and pop nationalism with reference to the culture in South Korea.

Additionally, the study by Yoon and Jin examines how Korean popular culture is perceived in the Western world, referring to the example of Canada. The other works also provide important details regarding the spread of Korean culture globally (Cwiertka 364; Jung 3). The application of a literature review approach allows for investigating the topic with reference to the most credible sources in the field.

Korean popular culture attracting both Asians and Westerners is a phenomenon that requires further investigation. This proposal has represented the topic of the planned research with a focus on its importance. The research questions guiding the investigation of Korean popular culture and the reasons for this study have also been provided. Finally, the discussion of the methods and literature appropriate for analyzing the topic has also been included in this proposal.

Cwiertka, Katarzyna J. “The Global Hansik Campaign and the Commodification of Korean Cuisine.” The Korean Popular Culture Reader , edited by Kyung Hyun Kim and Youngmin Choe, Duke University Press Books, 2014, pp. 363-384.

Joo, Jeongsuk. “Transnationalization of Korean Popular Culture and the Rise of ‘Pop Nationalism’ in Korea.” The Journal of Popular Culture , vol. 44, no. 3, 2011, pp. 489-504.

Jung, Sun. “Korean Popular Culture and Transcultural Consumption: Globalized Desires between ‘Ours and Others’.” Korean Masculinities and Transcultural Consumption: Yonsama, Rain, Oldboy, K-Pop Idols , edited by Sun Jung, Hong Kong University Press, 2010, pp. 1-34.

Kim, Youna, and Joseph Nye. “Soft Power and the Korean Wave.” South Korean Popular Culture and North Korea , edited by Youna Kim, Routledge, 2019, pp. 1-20.

Shim, Doobo. “Hybridity and the Rise of Korean Popular Culture in Asia.” Media, Culture & Society , vol. 28, no. 1, 2006, pp. 25-44.

Yoon, Kyong, and Dal Yong Jin. “The Korean Wave Phenomenon in Asian Diasporas in Canada.” Journal of Intercultural Studies , vol. 37, no. 1, 2016, pp. 69-83.

• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2022, May 11). Korean Popular Culture: Attractiveness and Popularity. https://ivypanda.com/essays/korean-popular-culture/

"Korean Popular Culture: Attractiveness and Popularity." IvyPanda , 11 May 2022, ivypanda.com/essays/korean-popular-culture/.

IvyPanda . (2022) 'Korean Popular Culture: Attractiveness and Popularity'. 11 May.

IvyPanda . 2022. "Korean Popular Culture: Attractiveness and Popularity." May 11, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/korean-popular-culture/.

1. IvyPanda . "Korean Popular Culture: Attractiveness and Popularity." May 11, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/korean-popular-culture/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Korean Popular Culture: Attractiveness and Popularity." May 11, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/korean-popular-culture/.

• Korean Popular Culture: Problem Statement
• Korean Popular Culture and the Selling of Place by Youjeong Oh
• Studying K-Pop: The Cultural Meaning
• The Impact of Korean Popular Music
• Soft Power of South Korean Culture
• Asian Studies: K-Pop in Japan and in the World
• Korean Popular Culture and Western Influences
• Gender Bias in K-Pop: Gender Bias in Korean Society
• Korean Popular Culture and National Identity
• The Future of the Korean Wave Study by Jin & Yoon
• Japanese Society: Factors Affecting the Cultural Development
• Diet and Lifestyle of Italians
• Classical Music: Cultural Consumption and Cultural Diversity
• How Italy Protects Its Identity
• Culture and Self-Expression: Traditional Clothing of Muslims

Have a language expert improve your writing

Run a free plagiarism check in 10 minutes, generate accurate citations for free.

• Knowledge Base
• Example of a great essay | Explanations, tips & tricks

Example of a Great Essay | Explanations, Tips & Tricks

Published on February 9, 2015 by Shane Bryson . Revised on July 23, 2023 by Shona McCombes.

This example guides you through the structure of an essay. It shows how to build an effective introduction , focused paragraphs , clear transitions between ideas, and a strong conclusion .

Each paragraph addresses a single central point, introduced by a topic sentence , and each point is directly related to the thesis statement .

As you read, hover over the highlighted parts to learn what they do and why they work.

Instantly correct all language mistakes in your text

Upload your document to correct all your mistakes in minutes

Table of contents

Other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about writing an essay, an appeal to the senses: the development of the braille system in nineteenth-century france.

The invention of Braille was a major turning point in the history of disability. The writing system of raised dots used by visually impaired people was developed by Louis Braille in nineteenth-century France. In a society that did not value disabled people in general, blindness was particularly stigmatized, and lack of access to reading and writing was a significant barrier to social participation. The idea of tactile reading was not entirely new, but existing methods based on sighted systems were difficult to learn and use. As the first writing system designed for blind people’s needs, Braille was a groundbreaking new accessibility tool. It not only provided practical benefits, but also helped change the cultural status of blindness. This essay begins by discussing the situation of blind people in nineteenth-century Europe. It then describes the invention of Braille and the gradual process of its acceptance within blind education. Subsequently, it explores the wide-ranging effects of this invention on blind people’s social and cultural lives.

Lack of access to reading and writing put blind people at a serious disadvantage in nineteenth-century society. Text was one of the primary methods through which people engaged with culture, communicated with others, and accessed information; without a well-developed reading system that did not rely on sight, blind people were excluded from social participation (Weygand, 2009). While disabled people in general suffered from discrimination, blindness was widely viewed as the worst disability, and it was commonly believed that blind people were incapable of pursuing a profession or improving themselves through culture (Weygand, 2009). This demonstrates the importance of reading and writing to social status at the time: without access to text, it was considered impossible to fully participate in society. Blind people were excluded from the sighted world, but also entirely dependent on sighted people for information and education.

In France, debates about how to deal with disability led to the adoption of different strategies over time. While people with temporary difficulties were able to access public welfare, the most common response to people with long-term disabilities, such as hearing or vision loss, was to group them together in institutions (Tombs, 1996). At first, a joint institute for the blind and deaf was created, and although the partnership was motivated more by financial considerations than by the well-being of the residents, the institute aimed to help people develop skills valuable to society (Weygand, 2009). Eventually blind institutions were separated from deaf institutions, and the focus shifted towards education of the blind, as was the case for the Royal Institute for Blind Youth, which Louis Braille attended (Jimenez et al, 2009). The growing acknowledgement of the uniqueness of different disabilities led to more targeted education strategies, fostering an environment in which the benefits of a specifically blind education could be more widely recognized.

Several different systems of tactile reading can be seen as forerunners to the method Louis Braille developed, but these systems were all developed based on the sighted system. The Royal Institute for Blind Youth in Paris taught the students to read embossed roman letters, a method created by the school’s founder, Valentin Hauy (Jimenez et al., 2009). Reading this way proved to be a rather arduous task, as the letters were difficult to distinguish by touch. The embossed letter method was based on the reading system of sighted people, with minimal adaptation for those with vision loss. As a result, this method did not gain significant success among blind students.

Louis Braille was bound to be influenced by his school’s founder, but the most influential pre-Braille tactile reading system was Charles Barbier’s night writing. A soldier in Napoleon’s army, Barbier developed a system in 1819 that used 12 dots with a five line musical staff (Kersten, 1997). His intention was to develop a system that would allow the military to communicate at night without the need for light (Herron, 2009). The code developed by Barbier was phonetic (Jimenez et al., 2009); in other words, the code was designed for sighted people and was based on the sounds of words, not on an actual alphabet. Barbier discovered that variants of raised dots within a square were the easiest method of reading by touch (Jimenez et al., 2009). This system proved effective for the transmission of short messages between military personnel, but the symbols were too large for the fingertip, greatly reducing the speed at which a message could be read (Herron, 2009). For this reason, it was unsuitable for daily use and was not widely adopted in the blind community.

Nevertheless, Barbier’s military dot system was more efficient than Hauy’s embossed letters, and it provided the framework within which Louis Braille developed his method. Barbier’s system, with its dashes and dots, could form over 4000 combinations (Jimenez et al., 2009). Compared to the 26 letters of the Latin alphabet, this was an absurdly high number. Braille kept the raised dot form, but developed a more manageable system that would reflect the sighted alphabet. He replaced Barbier’s dashes and dots with just six dots in a rectangular configuration (Jimenez et al., 2009). The result was that the blind population in France had a tactile reading system using dots (like Barbier’s) that was based on the structure of the sighted alphabet (like Hauy’s); crucially, this system was the first developed specifically for the purposes of the blind.

While the Braille system gained immediate popularity with the blind students at the Institute in Paris, it had to gain acceptance among the sighted before its adoption throughout France. This support was necessary because sighted teachers and leaders had ultimate control over the propagation of Braille resources. Many of the teachers at the Royal Institute for Blind Youth resisted learning Braille’s system because they found the tactile method of reading difficult to learn (Bullock & Galst, 2009). This resistance was symptomatic of the prevalent attitude that the blind population had to adapt to the sighted world rather than develop their own tools and methods. Over time, however, with the increasing impetus to make social contribution possible for all, teachers began to appreciate the usefulness of Braille’s system (Bullock & Galst, 2009), realizing that access to reading could help improve the productivity and integration of people with vision loss. It took approximately 30 years, but the French government eventually approved the Braille system, and it was established throughout the country (Bullock & Galst, 2009).

Although Blind people remained marginalized throughout the nineteenth century, the Braille system granted them growing opportunities for social participation. Most obviously, Braille allowed people with vision loss to read the same alphabet used by sighted people (Bullock & Galst, 2009), allowing them to participate in certain cultural experiences previously unavailable to them. Written works, such as books and poetry, had previously been inaccessible to the blind population without the aid of a reader, limiting their autonomy. As books began to be distributed in Braille, this barrier was reduced, enabling people with vision loss to access information autonomously. The closing of the gap between the abilities of blind and the sighted contributed to a gradual shift in blind people’s status, lessening the cultural perception of the blind as essentially different and facilitating greater social integration.

The Braille system also had important cultural effects beyond the sphere of written culture. Its invention later led to the development of a music notation system for the blind, although Louis Braille did not develop this system himself (Jimenez, et al., 2009). This development helped remove a cultural obstacle that had been introduced by the popularization of written musical notation in the early 1500s. While music had previously been an arena in which the blind could participate on equal footing, the transition from memory-based performance to notation-based performance meant that blind musicians were no longer able to compete with sighted musicians (Kersten, 1997). As a result, a tactile musical notation system became necessary for professional equality between blind and sighted musicians (Kersten, 1997).

Braille paved the way for dramatic cultural changes in the way blind people were treated and the opportunities available to them. Louis Braille’s innovation was to reimagine existing reading systems from a blind perspective, and the success of this invention required sighted teachers to adapt to their students’ reality instead of the other way around. In this sense, Braille helped drive broader social changes in the status of blindness. New accessibility tools provide practical advantages to those who need them, but they can also change the perspectives and attitudes of those who do not.

Bullock, J. D., & Galst, J. M. (2009). The Story of Louis Braille. Archives of Ophthalmology , 127(11), 1532. https://​doi.org/10.1001/​archophthalmol.2009.286.

Herron, M. (2009, May 6). Blind visionary. Retrieved from https://​eandt.theiet.org/​content/​articles/2009/05/​blind-visionary/.

Jiménez, J., Olea, J., Torres, J., Alonso, I., Harder, D., & Fischer, K. (2009). Biography of Louis Braille and Invention of the Braille Alphabet. Survey of Ophthalmology , 54(1), 142–149. https://​doi.org/10.1016/​j.survophthal.2008.10.006.

Kersten, F.G. (1997). The history and development of Braille music methodology. The Bulletin of Historical Research in Music Education , 18(2). Retrieved from https://​www.jstor.org/​stable/40214926.

Mellor, C.M. (2006). Louis Braille: A touch of genius . Boston: National Braille Press.

Tombs, R. (1996). France: 1814-1914 . London: Pearson Education Ltd.

Weygand, Z. (2009). The blind in French society from the Middle Ages to the century of Louis Braille . Stanford: Stanford University Press.

If you want to know more about AI tools , college essays , or fallacies make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!

• Ad hominem fallacy
• Post hoc fallacy
• Appeal to authority fallacy
• False cause fallacy
• Sunk cost fallacy

College essays

• Choosing Essay Topic
• Write a College Essay
• Write a Diversity Essay
• College Essay Format & Structure
• Comparing and Contrasting in an Essay

 (AI) Tools

• Grammar Checker
• Paraphrasing Tool
• Text Summarizer
• AI Detector
• Plagiarism Checker
• Citation Generator

Here's why students love Scribbr's proofreading services

Discover proofreading & editing

An essay is a focused piece of writing that explains, argues, describes, or narrates.

In high school, you may have to write many different types of essays to develop your writing skills.

Academic essays at college level are usually argumentative : you develop a clear thesis about your topic and make a case for your position using evidence, analysis and interpretation.

The structure of an essay is divided into an introduction that presents your topic and thesis statement , a body containing your in-depth analysis and arguments, and a conclusion wrapping up your ideas.

The structure of the body is flexible, but you should always spend some time thinking about how you can organize your essay to best serve your ideas.

Your essay introduction should include three main things, in this order:

• An opening hook to catch the reader’s attention.
• Relevant background information that the reader needs to know.
• A thesis statement that presents your main point or argument.

The length of each part depends on the length and complexity of your essay .

A thesis statement is a sentence that sums up the central point of your paper or essay . Everything else you write should relate to this key idea.

A topic sentence is a sentence that expresses the main point of a paragraph . Everything else in the paragraph should relate to the topic sentence.

At college level, you must properly cite your sources in all essays , research papers , and other academic texts (except exams and in-class exercises).

Add a citation whenever you quote , paraphrase , or summarize information or ideas from a source. You should also give full source details in a bibliography or reference list at the end of your text.

The exact format of your citations depends on which citation style you are instructed to use. The most common styles are APA , MLA , and Chicago .

Cite this Scribbr article

If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.

Bryson, S. (2023, July 23). Example of a Great Essay | Explanations, Tips & Tricks. Scribbr. Retrieved March 20, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/academic-essay/example-essay-structure/

Is this article helpful?

Shane Bryson

Shane finished his master's degree in English literature in 2013 and has been working as a writing tutor and editor since 2009. He began proofreading and editing essays with Scribbr in early summer, 2014.

Other students also liked

How to write an essay introduction | 4 steps & examples, academic paragraph structure | step-by-step guide & examples, how to write topic sentences | 4 steps, examples & purpose, "i thought ai proofreading was useless but..".

I've been using Scribbr for years now and I know it's a service that won't disappoint. It does a good job spotting mistakes”

Tips for Writing an Effective Application Essay

How to Write an Effective Essay

Writing an essay for college admission gives you a chance to use your authentic voice and show your personality. It's an excellent opportunity to personalize your application beyond your academic credentials, and a well-written essay can have a positive influence come decision time.

Want to know how to draft an essay for your college application ? Here are some tips to keep in mind when writing.

Tips for Essay Writing

A typical college application essay, also known as a personal statement, is 400-600 words. Although that may seem short, writing about yourself can be challenging. It's not something you want to rush or put off at the last moment. Think of it as a critical piece of the application process. Follow these tips to write an impactful essay that can work in your favor.

1. Start Early.

Few people write well under pressure. Try to complete your first draft a few weeks before you have to turn it in. Many advisers recommend starting as early as the summer before your senior year in high school. That way, you have ample time to think about the prompt and craft the best personal statement possible.

You don't have to work on your essay every day, but you'll want to give yourself time to revise and edit. You may discover that you want to change your topic or think of a better way to frame it. Either way, the sooner you start, the better.

2. Understand the Prompt and Instructions.

Before you begin the writing process, take time to understand what the college wants from you. The worst thing you can do is skim through the instructions and submit a piece that doesn't even fit the bare minimum requirements or address the essay topic. Look at the prompt, consider the required word count, and note any unique details each school wants.

3. Create a Strong Opener.

Students seeking help for their application essays often have trouble getting things started. It's a challenging writing process. Finding the right words to start can be the hardest part.

Spending more time working on your opener is always a good idea. The opening sentence sets the stage for the rest of your piece. The introductory paragraph is what piques the interest of the reader, and it can immediately set your essay apart from the others.

4. Stay on Topic.

One of the most important things to remember is to keep to the essay topic. If you're applying to 10 or more colleges, it's easy to veer off course with so many application essays.

A common mistake many students make is trying to fit previously written essays into the mold of another college's requirements. This seems like a time-saving way to avoid writing new pieces entirely, but it often backfires. The result is usually a final piece that's generic, unfocused, or confusing. Always write a new essay for every application, no matter how long it takes.

5. Think About Your Response.

Don't try to guess what the admissions officials want to read. Your essay will be easier to write─and more exciting to read─if you’re genuinely enthusiastic about your subject. Here’s an example: If all your friends are writing application essays about covid-19, it may be a good idea to avoid that topic, unless during the pandemic you had a vivid, life-changing experience you're burning to share. Whatever topic you choose, avoid canned responses. Be creative.

6. Focus on You.

Essay prompts typically give you plenty of latitude, but panel members expect you to focus on a subject that is personal (although not overly intimate) and particular to you. Admissions counselors say the best essays help them learn something about the candidate that they would never know from reading the rest of the application.

7. Stay True to Your Voice.

Use your usual vocabulary. Avoid fancy language you wouldn't use in real life. Imagine yourself reading this essay aloud to a classroom full of people who have never met you. Keep a confident tone. Be wary of words and phrases that undercut that tone.

8. Be Specific and Factual.

Capitalize on real-life experiences. Your essay may give you the time and space to explain why a particular achievement meant so much to you. But resist the urge to exaggerate and embellish. Admissions counselors read thousands of essays each year. They can easily spot a fake.

9. Edit and Proofread.

When you finish the final draft, run it through the spell checker on your computer. Then don’t read your essay for a few days. You'll be more apt to spot typos and awkward grammar when you reread it. After that, ask a teacher, parent, or college student (preferably an English or communications major) to give it a quick read. While you're at it, double-check your word count.

Writing essays for college admission can be daunting, but it doesn't have to be. A well-crafted essay could be the deciding factor─in your favor. Keep these tips in mind, and you'll have no problem creating memorable pieces for every application.

What is the format of a college application essay?

Generally, essays for college admission follow a simple format that includes an opening paragraph, a lengthier body section, and a closing paragraph. You don't need to include a title, which will only take up extra space. Keep in mind that the exact format can vary from one college application to the next. Read the instructions and prompt for more guidance.

Most online applications will include a text box for your essay. If you're attaching it as a document, however, be sure to use a standard, 12-point font and use 1.5-spaced or double-spaced lines, unless the application specifies different font and spacing.

How do you start an essay?

The goal here is to use an attention grabber. Think of it as a way to reel the reader in and interest an admissions officer in what you have to say. There's no trick on how to start a college application essay. The best way you can approach this task is to flex your creative muscles and think outside the box.

You can start with openers such as relevant quotes, exciting anecdotes, or questions. Either way, the first sentence should be unique and intrigue the reader.

What should an essay include?

Every application essay you write should include details about yourself and past experiences. It's another opportunity to make yourself look like a fantastic applicant. Leverage your experiences. Tell a riveting story that fulfills the prompt.

What shouldn’t be included in an essay?

When writing a college application essay, it's usually best to avoid overly personal details and controversial topics. Although these topics might make for an intriguing essay, they can be tricky to express well. If you’re unsure if a topic is appropriate for your essay, check with your school counselor. An essay for college admission shouldn't include a list of achievements or academic accolades either. Your essay isn’t meant to be a rehashing of information the admissions panel can find elsewhere in your application.

How can you make your essay personal and interesting?

The best way to make your essay interesting is to write about something genuinely important to you. That could be an experience that changed your life or a valuable lesson that had an enormous impact on you. Whatever the case, speak from the heart, and be honest.

Is it OK to discuss mental health in an essay?

Mental health struggles can create challenges you must overcome during your education and could be an opportunity for you to show how you’ve handled challenges and overcome obstacles. If you’re considering writing your essay for college admission on this topic, consider talking to your school counselor or with an English teacher on how to frame the essay.

Related Articles

• Share full article

Advertisement

Supported by

Guest Essay

Jack Smith and Robert Hur Are the Latest Examples of a Failed Institution

By Jack Goldsmith

Mr. Goldsmith was an assistant attorney general in the George W. Bush administration and is a co-author of “After Trump: Reconstructing the Presidency.”

On Tuesday, when the special counsel Robert Hur testifies before Congress, it will be high presidential-year political theater. This is just the latest example of the inversion of the aims of the special counsel office.

A special counsel is supposed to ensure that the Justice Department can credibly conduct sensitive investigations that are and that appear to be fair and apolitical. Yet special counsels (and their precursors) have for decades failed to achieve this goal — a failure that has now reached a peak with two special counsels having an extraordinary impact on a presidential election.

It is time to kill the special counsel institution.

Special counsels have had different labels over the years. They were first institutionalized when a post-Watergate statute created what came to be called an “independent counsel” appointed by a federal court upon application of the attorney general and removable by the attorney general or Congress only in extreme cases. This was the statute under which Lawrence Walsh investigated the Iran-contra scandal and Kenneth Starr investigated Whitewater and President Bill Clinton’s affair with Monica Lewinsky.

Both men — in calmer political times than today — drew sharp partisan attacks because of the political stakes and in response to what some said was norm-breaking behavior. Their principal decisions were perceived by different parts of the country to be wildly unfair for (in the case of Mr. Walsh) giving credence to unproven facts and allegations against people not charged or for (in the case of Mr. Starr) including salacious and politically damaging but legally irrelevant details in a referral to Congress that laid out grounds for Mr. Clinton’s possible impeachment.

Neither party shed a tear when the independent counsel statute lapsed in 1999. One consensus point at the time was that prosecutorial independence from the attorney general did nothing to arrest the perceived partisanship of the investigation but often did lead to over-investigation, undue commentary about targets and other instances of prosecutorial zeal. The supposed virtue of prosecutorial independence was viewed as a debilitating lack of political accountability.

The main aim of the 1999 regulations that govern special counsels today was to center accountability for sensitive investigations more firmly with the attorney general. The regulations gave the attorney general power to reverse a special counsel decision “so inappropriate or unwarranted under established departmental practices that it should not be pursued” and contemplated special counsel explanations of prosecutorial or declination decisions in a confidential report that the attorney general had discretion to disclose if in the “public interest.”

As Attorney General Janet Reno testified a few months before her department issued the regulations, centralizing accountability in the attorney general for high-profile decisions “goes to the very heart of our constitutional scheme” and is vital so that the blame for prosecutorial decisions can be assigned to someone who can be punished — the attorney general.

But the regulations have failed to accomplish this goal. They deny the attorney general “ day-to-day supervision ” of a special counsel. And attorneys general tend not to want the ultimate responsibility that Ms. Reno envisioned because it puts them more centrally in political cross hairs, which is contrary to the department’s ethos to appear apolitical. Checking special counsels’ excesses or failing to publish their reports invariably seems like political meddling or cover-up.

Attorney General William Barr, for example, believed that Robert Mueller’s report on Donald Trump departed from the department’s policy and legal views (part of their disagreement was about the special counsel’s need to make a “prosecution or declination decision”). But though he was not shy about taking politically controversial actions, he did not exercise his power to alter Mr. Mueller’s actions or keep the report confidential (with exceptions for redactions required by law and by continuing law enforcement interests).

Special counsels hold the real power in the relationship. This power — along with their singular focus on one matter, the extraordinary resources they are given and the special need to justify the intense investigation — leads them to make highly controversial decisions, often at the edges of propriety.

In a report after his investigation of Mr. Trump, Mr. Mueller drew justified criticism when he departed from the special counsel regulations by refusing to decide whether Mr. Trump had committed prosecutable crimes while commenting that his report did not “exonerate” him. The special counsel John Durham, appointed by Mr. Barr to investigate the origins of the Trump-Russia inquiry, drew justified condemnation when his final report contained wide-ranging criticism of former officials beyond his remit to determine criminality.

The excesses in the Mueller and Durham reports deepened the perceived politicization of the Justice Department by different halves of the country — again, the opposite of the goal of the special counsel regulations. And then Congress churned the politics of the investigations when each party used testimonial appearances by Mr. Mueller and Mr. Durham to further its political narratives.

The same pattern with a potentially even bigger political impact is unfolding with two special counsels appointed by Mr. Garland — Jack Smith, to investigate Mr. Trump in connection with the events of Jan. 6 and classified documents found at Mar-a-Lago, and Robert Hur, to investigate Mr. Biden’s possible mishandling of classified documents. Mr. Smith and Mr. Hur have both made controversial decisions that, once again, different halves of the country believe, with some basis, violate department norms.

Mr. Smith has sought to fast-track Mr. Trump’s trial related to the events of Jan. 6 in ways that Mr. Trump’s lawyers and others view as having a purpose of affecting the presidential election in violation of Justice Department rules .

Mr. Hur’s final report concluded that Mr. Biden did not commit a crime, but it made pejorative comments about uncharged conduct and the president’s “poor memory” and “diminished faculties” that the president’s attorneys, among many others, said “violate Department of Justice policy and practice.”

Perhaps public confidence in these investigations would have been no different, or perhaps worse, if the department through normal channels and under the direct supervision of Mr. Garland had handled them.

But we must consider the view that Mr. Garland most likely would have taken a more temperate approach to both matters. Political accountability in this context helps to ensure that a wide range of interests and values are considered. If Mr. Garland were fully and transparently in charge, he may have been less likely to have publicly justified Mr. Biden’s nonculpability in the harsh, unflattering terms that Mr. Hur used. And he may have been less likely to have rushed a trial of Mr. Trump that so clearly appears to help his boss, Mr. Biden, politically.

Law enforcement against current and former senior public officials should not be removed from politics in this sense. Political accountability and political judgment, as Janet Reno realized, are crucial to the vindication of the rule of law and the Justice Department’s integrity in high-profile investigations.

Ms. Reno’s proposition is about to be further tested under great pressure. The Supreme Court has delayed Mr. Trump’s trial for the events of Jan. 6 until it decides his claim to presidential immunity. If the court denies that claim, as most commentators predict, Mr. Smith can proceed to trial, perhaps even in the fall, in the heat of the presidential campaign.

Should the Biden Justice Department subject Mr. Biden’s opponent in the presidential race to a lengthy and damning trial just before the election?

Some will argue yes, on the grounds that the allegations against Mr. Trump go to the heart of American democracy and should be resolved in due course, regardless of the political implications.

Others will argue no, on the grounds that it is an irreversible catastrophe for American democracy, as well as the Justice Department, for one presidential administration to use criminal law to attack the president’s opponent in a campaign. That’s especially true since the president’s central campaign theme (Mr. Trump’s threat to democracy) will dovetail with and find everyday support in Mr. Smith’s courtroom presentation.

Whether to allow Mr. Trump’s trial to proceed during the campaign, should the Supreme Court deny Mr. Trump’s immunity, is a decision with grave, crosscutting, long-term but hard-to-fathom consequences for the election, for the norm of prosecutorial noninterference in elections, for our broader politics, for the possibility of evenhanded justice and for the reputation of the Justice Department.

This monumental decision turns in part on the proper application of the Justice Department norm about avoiding prosecutorial interference in elections. The department’s inspector general has described this norm as “not written or described in any Department policy or regulation” and has indicated that its contours are uncertain. But the special counsel’s lawyers recently claimed, in the classified documents case, that the norm did not apply to the selection of a trial date in the shadow of the election.

The decision about the proper interpretation of this obscure rule, especially its application to a presidential election, can and should be made openly and with express responsibility by Mr. Garland, the person nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate, and not by Mr. Smith, an attorney who lacks democratic pedigree. On this call, Mr. Garland should not hide behind his special counsel. He needs to own it, one way or the other.

Jack Goldsmith ( @jacklgoldsmith ) is a law professor at Harvard, a nonresident senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and a former assistant attorney general. He is a co-author of “After Trump: Reconstructing the Presidency.”

The Times is committed to publishing a diversity of letters to the editor. We’d like to hear what you think about this or any of our articles. Here are some tips . And here’s our email: [email protected] .

Follow the New York Times Opinion section on Facebook , Instagram , TikTok , X and Threads .