January 10th, 2015

Janice Lam
(801)979-9323
janicesl@go.byuh.edu
Dear Director of Admissions,
I am applying for the Linguistics M.A. as Linguistics has always been a fundamental part of who I am. I am a
polyglot fluent in four languages: Cantonese, Mandarin, English and Korean. Cantonese and Mandarin are my
native languages, English is my academic first language, and Korean is an additional language Ive acquired
through five years of study and immersion. Having the inborn gift of tongues, being admitted to the M.A.
program will allow me to actualize my full potential as a linguist.
My experience at Brigham Young University-Hawaii (BYU-H) has played a positive influence on my journey of
becoming a Linguist. The intriguing readings and coursework in Linguistics have aroused my interest and driven
me to further my education. Besides engaging actively in schoolwork, I worked at the Speech Center, where I
helped international students develop a higher level of intelligibility in spoken English. In addition, I initiated an
English program at BYU-Hafter observing that some young children from international families were unable
to enrol into pre-school because of the limited availability of spaces, I started and administrated a free English
class for them. It was later recognized by the TESOL department to become an on-going program for TESOL
students to conduct practice teaching. Through these endeavors, I developed valuable leadership skills and
phonological knowledge that prepared me to succeed in my future academics.
One of my aspirations is to return to Hong Kong to assist the government on their policies concerning languages.
In Hong Kong, there has long been a controversy between using English or Cantonese as the medium of
teaching. I hope to gain a more comprehensive understanding on language planning and policy through my M.A.
by learning from Professor William Eggington, who is an expert in this field. My other purpose is to work on
preserving and reviving minority languages in China. While I was serving a Mandarin-speaking mission, I came
across various Chinese dialects; I developed an interest in them, and hope to assist the government in making
appropriate policies to preserve these languages and cultures. My talent and motivation in learning new
languages will be valuable assets in the course of doing so.
Gaining an education in this reputable church-established institution will equip me to bring the gospel to every
nation. In the past, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has partnered with my fathers company
(Diners Professional Translation Services Limited) in several translation projects, one of which was the
localisation of educational materials of the Self-reliance Center. As the gospel prepares to enter mainland China,
it is easy to envision that more church materials will need to be made available in different Chinese dialects
through technology. Therefore, I would like to work with Professor Deryle Lonsdale, whose has a wealth of

knowledge in computational linguistics. By learning about the application of technology in linguistics, I can help
bring to pass the prophecy that ...every man shall hear the fulness of the gospel in his own tongue.
Being an international student with diverse cultural exposure and multiple language skills, my contribution to the
Linguistics M.A. program will be unique. Please feel free to contact me should you have any further questions. I
look forward to hearing back from you.
Yours truly,
Janice Lam