Cover letter SOS

Hi,

I'm in need of urgent help:) I've written a cover letter but I don't know whether it's correct. Help appreciated:)

Here is the letter: (unfortunately, I don't know the addressee's name and title. I called the university to get to know them but I was said that they weren't important.)

My Name
My Address
My City, State, Zip Code
Date

Addressee's Name
Address
City, State, Zip Code

Dear Sir or Madam,

I, xy, candidate for the B.A. degree in English Language and Literature at Pázmány Péter Catholic University, would like to apply for the MA Program in Teaching English as a Foreign Language, starting in the Autumn Term of 2011/2012, at Eötvös Loránd University. The reason why I chose Family and Child Protection as my second major is that it corresponds best to my interests and personality. Empathy, social sensitivity and love for children are some of my qualities, which are considered essential when teaching.

Although I had thought of becoming an educator many times since my childhood, it was only during my secondary school years that I decided on this profession. I had to opt for a subject and I resolved on the English and Italian languages since I had been getting high marks in both subjects. A further cause of my choice was the fact that I had taken pleasure in coaching one of my primary school classmates for English with good results. In addition to him, since the age of 15, I have been helping my younger brother practise what he has learnt in the English lessons at school. My orientation towards the teaching career is also due to my relatives choosing this occupation through several generations, who sparked my interest in educating. Not only did they make me take a liking to this profession but they served as an example in many ways as well.

As far as my past experience is concerned, I have already mentioned that I have had some opportunities to impart my knowledge. Apart from the above, for a year I took part in coaching children, between the ages of 6 and 10, attending LIA Primary School in Piliscsaba. As a member of a volunteer group I helped the pupils in the course of day-care once a week. We tried to promote their making good progress at school compiling practice tests for them, extending their knowledge of each subject and paying much attention to their homework. We organized varied indoor and outdoor activities for them day after day, which also contributed to the improvement of their skills.

Last July one of my acquaintances gave me the opportunity of teaching English at his language school as a voluntary worker. With his help, I prepared students for lower and intermediate examinations in English among other things. I regularly consulted him on the structure of the periods as well as on the use of teaching tools and methods. The lessons became more colourful thanks to my individual ideas which were put into practice almost entirely. The audiovisual tools not only played a significant role in arousing the students’ interest but also served the purpose of broadening their knowledge of the language. This method proved to be quite popular among pupils. When I saw them having a sense of achievement it inspired me and gave me great pleasure. I tried to prepare for the lessons taking the individual differences into consideration.

In the future I would like to take up a job as a full-time teacher of English in a Catholic secondary school as far as possible because the values of the people working there would be close to mine. As a result, I would be able to cooperate with the other educators on the pupils’ intellectual and emotional development effectively. Besides the periods, I would willingly make students take to the language, for instance in the course of study circles or free-time activities, if there was demand for it.

The above mentioned experience encouraged me to decide on a career as a teacher and carry out my plans in the field of education with commitment. Much positive feedback and the personal contact with the pupils have also backed this up. The reason for my choice of Eötvös Loránd University is that it offers a recognized and high standard training. Considering the great past and high-quality education of the institution, I think it is the most suitable place for me to continue my studies. My goal is to become a good educator after graduation and make use of my knowledge, acquired during the MA Program, to the satisfaction of both the students and their parents.

Yours faithfully,

xy