At NILS Ogori School, senior students held a speech contest.
The Journey to the Speech Contest: Preparation and Selection
The students made their speeches, had them checked by their teachers, and polished them to make the content even better. Once the content was finalized after consulting with the teachers, they began practicing. As you may know, speaking in a foreign language, especially in front of a large audience without looking at notes, is no easy task. However, every student worked hard, putting in the effort to create their speeches and practicing diligently to deliver them with better pronunciation and intonation.
At the end of July, the selection round finally took place. The selection was held at the school, and 2-3 representatives were chosen from each class.
After the selection, there was about a month-long summer vacation. The selected representatives practiced occasionally during the break.
The Grand Finale: Speech Contest Day
And today, the speech contest held at a large venue was truly remarkable. The judges consisted of student judges and trainer judges, while the audience was made up of all NILS students. The representatives were likely very nervous. They practiced hard until the last minute. Each of the 15 representatives carried out their speeches confidently and completed them to the end. Whether they had been at NILS for a year and a half or a year, I was impressed at how proficient they had become in Japanese.
Here, I’d like to introduce the speech given by a Vietnamese student, Tran, which moved the teachers to tears. Since Tran worked hard to write it in Japanese, I will include the Japanese text as well.
大切な人 “My Special Person” ~the speech given by a Vietnamese student~
「生まれてから今まで、わたしにとって一番大切な人は母です。母の仕事は農業（のうぎょう）です。背があまり高くなくて、細いです。
”Since I was born, the most important person to me has been my mother. My mother is a farmer. She is not very tall and is quite slim.
母について好きなところが３つあります。１つ目は性格（せいかく）です。母の性格はやさしくて、親切でまじめです。母の仕事は朝の２時から始まってとても大変です。でも子どものためにあきらめません。しゅみはカラオケです。ひまなとき友達に会っておしゃべりをします。私がかなしくて疲れたとき、最初に思い出す人は母です。そのとき母は「がんばってください」と言ってくれます。私はがんばろうと思います。
There are three things I love about my mother. The first is her personality. My mother is kind, considerate, and serious. Her work starts at 2 a.m. and is very tough. But she never gives up for the sake of her children. Her hobby is karaoke, and she enjoys meeting up with friends to chat in her free time. When I’m sad or tired, the first person I think of is my mother. At those times, she says, ‘Try your best!’ and I feel motivated to try harder.
２つ目は手です。私の母は農業をしているので、手がきれいじゃありません。他の人にとってそんな手はきれいじゃないと思います。でも私はそんな手に育てられました。料理を作ってくれて、子どものときは家のことを全部やってくれて、いいことを教えてくれて、一生懸命働いて日本に来させてくれました。私にとって特別な手です。ですから私は成功するようにします。
The second thing I love is her hands. Because she works in agriculture, her hands aren’t what most people would call beautiful, but to me, these hands raised me. These hands cooked my meals, taught me the difference between right and wrong, and worked tirelessly so that I could come to Japan. These are special hands to me. So, I will strive to succeed for her.
３つ目は人気があるところです。親切な性格ですから、周りの人から人気があります。よく近所の人と一緒にカラオケに行きます。ときどき私の家族と近所の人はパーティーを行います。とても楽しいです。私の母はおいしい食べ物があればすぐみんなにあげます。母は仕事がたくさんあっても笑っています。それで年（とし）をとっても母はきれいな人です。
The third thing I love is her popularity. She’s so kind that she’s loved by the people around her. She often goes to karaoke with the neighbors. Sometimes, my family and the neighbors hold parties together. It’s always a lot of fun. Whenever there is delicious food, my mother is quick to share it with everyone. Despite having so much work, she always has a smile on her face. That’s why, even as she ages, she remains beautiful to me.
私は母が大好きです。母みたいな人になりたいです。母のために毎日がんばって勉強しています。これで終わります。」
I love my mother. I want to become a person like her. I study hard every day for her. That’s the end of my speech.”
Some of the teachers were moved to tears after hearing this. It was truly a wonderful speech.
Celebrating Success and Inspiring the Future
At the end of the speech contest, the teachers gave their overall feedback, and the winners from 1st to 3rd place were announced and awarded. Finally, everyone gathered for a group photo. Among the junior students who were listening, some seemed to have become motivated, already eager to stand on that stage next year.
When you join NILS, we have contests like this to help you improve your Japanese and become confident speaking in front of others. Aim for 1st place and do your best!
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https://www.nilsjapan.com/programs
