我孫子市国際交流協会

Date: Sunday, September 27, 2009 1:00pm to 4:30pm
Place: Abiko Civic Hall
Audience: Approx. 60
Judges: Mr. Takeshi Watanabe, Deputy Mayor of Abiko City; Mr. Toshio Imazeki, Superintendent, Abiko City Board of Education; Ms. Mariko Tanibayashi, Professor of Kawamura Gakuen Woman's University; Mr. Rhys Moses, City's Assistant Language Teacher, Ms. Mary Elizabeth Adachi, AIRA English teacher, and Mr. Ichiro Shiina, President of AIRA: six judges in total.

This year's contest was attended by thirteen English speakers and six Japanese speakers, making nineteen challengers in total.
Of them, junior high students were 5, senior high students 3, university and graduate students 10, and other was 1. The oldest was in his 30s. Two males, seventeen females including five non-Japanese.

Mr. Shiina welcomed all speakers, saying "I thank you all for participation in this event. I also like to add a word that everyone of you would put in your mind the warm support and cooperation of other people."
Firstly the speech performance was made by English speakers, then followed by Japanese speaking group.
Passionate and forceful speeches lasted for two hours and forty minutes.
As the last speaker concluded her speech, the six judges left the room for evaluation work.
While the audience waited for an announcement of the results, a short lecture was held in the hall.
Mr. Noboru Noguchi, Director-General, National Federation of UNESCO Association in Japan, gave an instructive speech on interactive communication titled "Language and Culture, Japanese and English". The followings are the summary of his narration.
1. 6,000 to 7,000 kinds of languages are now confirmed to be alive, however, one of them extinguishes every two week. Language is identical with culture, so disappearance of a particular tongue means death of a culture.
2. The UN member countries are 192, while 193 nations are members of UNESCO. The languages officially recognized in the both organizations are, English, French, Spanish, Russian, Arabic and Chinese. Regrettably Japanese is yet approved as an official language.
3. Currently the world's total population is approximately 6.7billion. The meaning of Homo-sapiens, the ancestor of humankind, is "clever human being", and they originally appeared in Africa 200,000 years ago. The origin of all humankinds is all the same and only one, therefore prejudice among human beings is nothing but insignificant matter.
4. The decimal system now applied in Japan was originated in China. Some countries apply other numeric system than the decimal scale. In France, for example, 94 is composed of 4 by 20, and 14; quatre-vingt-quatorze.
5. A chairperson's phrase, "I give the floor to the delegation of Japan", stands for, "I will give a right of speech to the Japanese delegate." Floor involves a meaning of speaking right.
What he talked was so interesting that it let scales falling from my eyes. Thus time flashed by.All judges returned to the seats and the results made through strict and fair judgement were announced.
The names of prize winners are as follows:
1. AIRA President prize: Miss Liu Chen Ying
2. Mayor prize: Miss Honami Sato
3. Superintendent of Board of Education prize: Miss Shion Isooka
4. Kawamura Gakuen Woman's University President prize: Miss Kaori Yoshida
5. Chuo Gakuin University President prize: Miss Akebi Ito
6. Audience prize: Miss Haruna Yamaguchi and Miss Chen Hui Wen
7. Participants prize: All members other than above-mentioned.

The AIRA President prize winner, Miss Liu came to Japan half year ago and is freshman at a graduate school.
She talked in Japanese on cultural exchange between China and Japan, with a title "On International Exchange".
"Interactive communication between China and Japan started by an official visit of Japanese envoy to the Sui dynasty in 7th century. Meanwhile in Meiji era many Chinese students and government officials were despatched to Japan, who absorbed new knowledges and brought them back to their home country.
In recent years Chinese students are increasingly visiting Japan to study.
Coming to Japan alone was my first overseas trip, and now I feel it my happiness that I have come to Abiko since the people around me are very kind and sympathetic. I am thinking to deliver to my people in China the fabulous and excellent aspects of Japan. Likewise, I believe that Japanese people would also like my country when you visit there."
The Mayor prize winner, Miss Sato, a junior high third grade student, expressed her view on future dream as follows; titled, "Don't Give Up".
"Why do we bear the burden of much stress? I believe having a dream or a pastime would be a good relief from it.
I plan to be an air cabin attendant in future. I am now speaking in front of you today to enhance my capability in English usage. What I do for the sake of realization of my dream isn't a tiresome but a pleasant thing. I am now practicing with much energy many sorts of studies but I don't feel any fatigue, since taking lessons is my hobby. Even after I grew up to an adult, I wish I would keep my dream."
One of the judges made a comment that notwithstanding 19 of many speakers, every speech was filled with challenging contents and it was difficult to draw the line between one and the other.
After the awarding ceremony, all speakers and judges gathered on the stage for taking memorial pictures.
Then a humble party was held, where all speakers, judges, staffs, and audience enjoyed a post-contest relaxed chatting.
Taking this opportunity the speech contest committee and executives sincerely appreciate for participating speakers, honorable judges, voluntary staffs and all concerned.

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