Scribd
Upload
14 views2 pages

Insights from the 38th Nihongo Speech Contest

1) The document summarizes the author's experience watching the 38th Nihongo Speech Contest, where Japanese language speakers give speeches and are evaluated. 2) The author notes some of the contestants seemed very fluent and confident speaking Japanese, including Ms. Kim M. Hernandez from De La Salle University who spoke about anime, and Mr. Tom Jan A. Salavia from Ateneo de Davao University who spoke fluidly during the question and answer portion. 3) The contest had three divisions and included a question and answer portion to further demonstrate the contestants' Japanese fluency.

Uploaded by

Jonelyn Bacerra
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as RTF, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
14 views2 pages

Insights from the 38th Nihongo Speech Contest

1) The document summarizes the author's experience watching the 38th Nihongo Speech Contest, where Japanese language speakers give speeches and are evaluated. 2) The author notes some of the contestants seemed very fluent and confident speaking Japanese, including Ms. Kim M. Hernandez from De La Salle University who spoke about anime, and Mr. Tom Jan A. Salavia from Ateneo de Davao University who spoke fluidly during the question and answer portion. 3) The contest had three divisions and included a question and answer portion to further demonstrate the contestants' Japanese fluency.

Uploaded by

Jonelyn Bacerra
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as RTF, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

-1Jonelyn G.

Bacerra
BSA II-3D

The “38th Nihongo Speech Contest” was the first time I have watched a speech
contest, a strange language that I learned for a very short period of time and still studying
it to become fluent in this language. As we entered inside Cinema 4, Level 6, Shangri-La
Plaza Mall, I have a feeling that we were not going to understand everything, but the
thing was, the place was friendly, I like it. We came there so early, that we waited so long
outside the mall with my classmates.
We saw first, at the corner of the cinema were contestants. Most of them were
quiet, it seems to me they were concentrating, to get rid of the tension inside them. As we
seated in the middle of the cinema, we saw some Japanese seated in front of us. They
spoke fluently, that even listening to them to figure out what they were talking was
impossible to understand because of there quickness to speak.
While waiting to start the program, the seats were beginning to filled by the
audience. We yellow men, wearing yellow shirt. They were old and we thought that they
were not student as we looked at them, so I thought that maybe they were applying for a
job in Japan and one of their requirements was this program.
Exactly 10:30 in the morning, two people, standing in front of the stage, saying
that the program would be starting by national anthem of the Philippines and Japan. First
to national anthem was Lupang Hinirang, Philippines. Second one was from Japan. In
Japan was just like instrumental but you would feel that there was greatness, braveness
of the country hearing their national anthem.
After that, the assistant director opened the Nihongo Speech Contest. Then
introduced the panel of judges. The judges were, Mr. Kiyoshi Takeuchi, Director of Japan
Information and Cultural Center, Embassy of Japan, Mr. Katsuaki Ogawa, President of
the Japanese Association, Manila, Inc., Mr. Keiichi Tanaka, Bureau Chief of Japan
Broadcasting Corporation, NHK Manila Bureau, Mr. Antonio L. Fernandez, D. Eng.,
Disaster Risk Reduction Specialist, Ms. Chisato Ofune, Japanese Language Education
Adviser of The Japan Foundation, Manila and lastly, Mr. Shuji Takatori, Director of The
Japan Foundation, Manila. After that, Mr. Yasuyuki Niimi explained the mechanics of the
contest.
The contest have three different divisions, namely Student Division, Non-Student
Division and Open Division. Honestly, as they started their speech, I was waiting for
words that I already knew to get what the point was. Most of them were calm, confident
and fluent but then, there was a question and answer portion that made the contestants
show their fluency in Nihongo. The most fluent were Ms. Kim M. Hernandez from De La
Salle University and made some voice over pertaining to anime. Even though I didn’t
understand what she was saying, as she spoke continuously with confident I know she’s
fluent enough than the other contestants. Mr. Louie Justine M. Severo from Philippine
Institute of Japanese Language and Culture brought some of his works as part of learning
Kanji. He learned from watching anime, remembering some Kanji alphabets and drawing
it as part of his collection. Mr. Tom Jan A. Salavia from Ateneo de Davao University
wore his uniform, I guessed. He got the confidence, especially while answering the
question and answer portion, he spoke continuously as if he was speaking like a Japanese.
All in all, it was a bit boring but then we found ways of to entertain ourselves with
my seatmates by criticizing their fluency, laughing with the others when they laugh, and
commenting on how they stood in front of the stage.

You might also like