Mr Kyusang Lee (Category II winner) and Ms Katherine Wilde (Category I winner)

The Second Japanese Speech Contest for University Students took place at the School of Oriental & African Studies (SOAS), University of London, on 3 February. The contest was established by the British Association for Teaching Japanese as a Foreign Language (BATJ) and the Japan Foundation with the purposes of promoting Japanese language learning at Higher Education level in the UK and of deepening mutual understanding between Japan and the UK. It has two categories: one for students taking Japanese as their main degree subject and the other for people studying Japanese as an elective/optional course.

In Category I, this year's contest winner was Ms Katherine Wilde, a fourth-year student at Cambridge University preparing for her BA Hons Oriental Studies Tripos. She had spent her third year in Japan on a Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarship for people engaged in Japanese Studies. Her speech was entitled ¡ÈReform of the Japanese education system in the 21st century: Focusing on the Individual¡É.

Ms Wilde dealt with the issue of education reform in Japan. She highlighted what she saw as the need for the Japanese education system to focus on the individual rather than on national testing and school inspections. In particular, she underlined the importance of respecting children¡Çs individuality and of nurturing creative thinking in Japanese schools. Ms Wilde also felt the entrance examination system would benefit from reform.

The runner-up in Category I was Jonathan Barnes, a fourth-year student at Durham University. His topic was ¡ÈThe problem of bullying in Japanese schools, how should it be dealt with¡É.

The Category II winner was Mr Kyusang Lee, a second-year student at the University of Birmingham, whose speech was entitled ¡ÈBeyond the Cultural differences by Understanding¡É. The runner-up in this category was Mr Andrew Davies, in his third year at the University of Bath, who spoke about ¡ÈThe Truth behind Modern Agriculture¡É.

Furthermore, a special prize for the most impressive speech from the remaining participants was presented to Mr Andrew Harding, a fourth-year student at SOAS taking a BA Japanese Studies/Advanced Practical Studies course. His speech was entitled ¡ÈWhat exactly is International Exchange?¡É

The following is a summary of an interview conducted with Category I winner Ms Wilde:

When did you start studying Japanese?

I first started learning Japanese for fun with a friend. Then I had the opportunity to attend lunchtime classes held at my school (Croydon High School). I later became more serious about studying Japanese so I began studying with a private Japanese tutor. By the time I entered Cambridge University I had obtained an ¡ÆAS¡Ç level in Japanese. I also spent my third year (the year abroad) at Tohoku University on a MEXT scholarship.

What does your course consist of?

The first and second years of the Japanese Studies course focus on language teaching. I also took modern literature and classical Japanese options in my second year. Now in my fourth and final year, I am writing a dissertation on the literature of Enchi Fumiko while continuing to study the Japanese language. My specialised subject this year is the History of Shinto.

Is this the first time you have taken part in this speech contest?

Yes, it is. However, when I was in Japan last year I was a finallist in the 47th Japanese Speech Contest for Foreigners, an annual event which is broadcast on NHK.

How do you feel about wining the contest?

I was very pleased to be judged the winner given the high standard of the other competitors, and I would like to thank all those who have helped me with my Japanese studies here at Cambridge and prior to entering University. I was grateful for the opportunity to put forward some of my own ideas on education reform, based on my experience of studying in Japan. I very much enjoyed hearing the other speeches and felt that the speakers¡Ç prowess was a reflection of the high standards of Japanese language teaching at British universities. I believe that events such as this are very important for encouraging those who are studying Japanese and also for raising awareness of, and promoting, Japanese culture in the UK.