The Japanese Language Scholarship Foundation will present the 21st annual All-USA High School Japanese Speech Contest on Sunday, May 24, at 12:30 p.m. at the Miyako Hotel Los Angeles, 328 First St. in Little Tokyo.
This contest aims to provide non-native high school students studying Japanese in the U.S. with a valuable opportunity to present their Japanese-language speeches at the national level.
Through this experience, the contest encourages mutual learning among participants, fosters greater motivation for Japanese language study, and deepens students’ understanding of Japan and Japanese culture.
The contest has been held continuously for over two decades in support of these educational and cultural goals.
Participants are selected through a rigorous screening process from among students who have achieved outstanding results in regional competitions across the U.S. and have received recommendations from their respective organizers.
Contestants and topics:
Qi Chen, 12th-grader at Canyon Crest Academy in San Diego, “The Language That Has Changed My Perspective on the World” (世界の見方を変えてくれた言語)
Isaac William Fallin, 12th-grader at Richardson High School in Richardson, Texas, “Ki Ken Tai no Icchi as a Way of Life” (気剣体の一致)
Jeongwon Huh, 9th-grader at Sunset High School in Portland, Ore., “A Wish That Could Protect the World” (私の願いが 世界を守れるなら)
Onyoo Jung, 11th-grader at Claudia Taylor “Lady Bird” Johnson High School in San Antonio, Texas, “A World Opened Through Languages” (言語によって広がる世界)
Minjun Kim, 12th-grader at Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts in New York City, “What J-Pop Taught Me About Japanese Language and Culture” (J-Pop が私に教えてくれた日本語と文化)
Landen Carbonel Lague, 12th-grader at Everett Alvarez High School in Salinas, “A Butterfly’s First Flight” (飛び立つ蝶々)
Ziling Liu, 12th-grader at Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, “The World Beyond Words” (言葉の外にある世界)
Amelie Jane Rennie, 11th-grader at Deer-Creek Mackinaw High School in Mackinaw, Ill., “The Meaning of ‘Ganbaru’” (「頑張る」とは)
Emma Yoo Reznik, 11th-grder at Saint Ann’s School in Brooklyn Heights, N.Y., “The Ache of Transience” (儚さの痛み)
Farishta Saeedy, 9th-grader at International School of Beaverton in Beaverton, Ore., “The Meaning of Peace” (平和のいみ)
To RSVP: www.jlsf-aurora.org/eng/page/speech-rsvp
The Aurora Foundation (Japanese Language Scholarship Foundation), a U.S.-based nonprofit organization established in 1998 by Dr. Akiko Agishi, provides scholarships to U.S. citizens who are Japanese language teachers or graduate students in Japanese language education, offering them opportunities to live and study in Japan. Through these programs, the foundation aims to enhance Japanese language education and promote a deeper understanding of Japanese culture.
For more information, email aurorafoundation@usa.net or visit www.jlsf-aurora.org.