2025 Distinctive Educational Activities ⑥：The Bekka Speech Contest 2025 Held.

掲載日：2026年01月13日

On Thursday, December 11, the Bekka, Intensive Japanese Language Program, held a speech contest in Room E101 on the Bunkyo Campus (Tokyo, Japan). This annual event, traditionally held in December, serves as an opportunity for students to showcase their achievements in Japanese language learning for the year.

A total of 14 speakers from seven classes participated in the contest, receiving dedicated guidance from their respective "Conversation" class instructors. The judges, who were faculty members in charge of class seminars, evaluated key aspects of the speeches, namely content and delivery. The speakers received enthusiastic applause from fellow students, faculty and staff members, and student assistants (SAs) of the Bekka, making the event a great success.

■Grand Prize：Mx. YIN MOE AYE [Myanmar]

(1) Title: "You can do it tomorrow!"　
(2) Content: I gave a presentation based on my experience with my mother in Myanmar, focusing on the meaning of the words family members say when someone fails. Through this experience, I became aware of changes in my mother's words over time and noticed differences in values between Myanmar and Japan.
(3) What I Learned: In preparation for the speech contest, my Japanese language teacher provided guidance not only on the structure and expressions of the content but also on how to speak with the audience in mind. Through this instruction, I learned that it is important not simply to memorize a script, but to pay attention to intonation, pauses, and variations in voice strength at key points. This experience taught me the importance of conveying one's feelings effectively through speech.
(4) Reflection: Speaking Japanese in front of an audience was a new challenge for me. Through the process of preparing the speech, I realized how important it is to communicate my ideas clearly. Although I was nervous, the experience of speaking in public helped me gain confidence and became a valuable and memorable experience.

■Award of Excellence： Mx. YANG ZIJING [China]

(1) Title: " I want to express my thoughts clearly in Japanese."
(2) Content: Based on an experience in which I regretted not being able to express what I wanted to say in Japanese, I realized the importance of speaking ability in Japanese and chose this theme for my speech.
(3) What I Learned: From my teachers, I learned about pronunciation, how to emphasize the climax of a speech, and techniques for creating an engaging atmosphere. Their advice was clear and practical, and by following it, I was able to see noticeable improvement. What impressed me most was the encouraging atmosphere in the Bekka program, where everyone supports one another and shares a spirit of "Let's all do our best." This environment naturally motivated me to work harder.
(4) Reflection: Many friends supported me, and receiving my first award made me very happy. Through this experience, I found it important that even when feeling nervous, it is important to speak with confidence, face the audience directly, and communicate one's feelings sincerely, supported by thorough preparation.

■The Jury's Special Award：Mx. HU YU RU [Taiwan]

(1) Title: Living, Not Traveling, Shapes Who I Am
(2) Content: Through a comparison between traveling and living in Japan, I spoke about how daily life in Japan has played an important role in shaping who I am. In particular, I explained that living abroad requires not only relying on others but also developing the ability to express oneself clearly in one's own words.
(3) What I Learned: My teachers provided detailed guidance on presentation skills, including speaking speed, pronunciation, intonation, emphasis, and the use of hand gestures. Among their advice, the phrase "Use your core strength when delivering sentences you want to emphasize" left a strong impression on me. Thanks to the warm and supportive guidance from the Bekka instructors, I was able to give my speech calmly and confidently on the day of the contest.
(4) Reflection: I was very happy to participate in the speech contest and to present my own experiences in Japanese. While living in Japan, I have faced language barriers and challenges in building relationships, which taught me the importance of making efforts to communicate leading to personal growth. Although I still have much to learn, I hope to continue deepening my life in Japan using the Japanese language.

■The Jury's Special Award：Mx. PHUE ME KO [Myanmar]

(1) Title: "It's fun because we laugh!"
(2) Content: I delivered a speech aimed at people who may have forgotten to smile in their daily lives. I spoke about how a smile can brighten one's feelings, even during difficult times or moments when energy is low.
(3) What I Learned: From my Japanese language teachers, I learned about pronunciation, intonation, speaking speed, and the importance of speaking each sentence clearly so that my feelings would reach the audience. I also learned to pause at key moments. One comment from my teacher stayed with me: rather than aiming for perfect Japanese, it is more important to speak while valuing one's own feelings. Thanks to these words, I was able to speak with confidence without being afraid of making mistakes.
(4) Reflection: Through the speech contest, I realized the importance of having confidence in myself. Instead of stopping at fear or overthinking, I learned that challenging myself to try something new and seeing it through can become a meaningful memory in my life. I encourage everyone to take on new challenges.

14 speakers (S) and 4 hosts (H) in the Speech Contest:

from the left, Mx. KIKI SURAYA [Indonesia](H), Mx. CIKA NADIYA MAHARDHIKA [Indonesia](H), Mx. AYUN FAHM ADIASA DARMA [Indonesia](S), Mx. MUHAMMAD IQBAL SIGID [Indonesia](S), Mx. VU MY LINH [Vietnam] (S), Mx. NGUYEN HA TRANG LY [Vietnam] (S), Mx. PHUE ME KO [Myanmar](S), Mx. YIN MOE AYE [Myanmar](S), Mx. YANG ZIJING [China](S), Mx. HU YU RU[Taiwan](S), Mx. MUHAMMAD ZAKKI ANSHORI [Indonesia] (S), Mx. TSAI YU HAN [Taiwan](S), Mx. APRIADY PRATAMA FAJAR SAPUTRA [Indonesia](S), Mx. BOONARD NATTAWIKA [Thailand](S), Mx. TEODORO KY-XON ZEDRIC GONZALES [Phillipines](S), Mx. TRAN NGUYEN MY HANH [Vietnam](S), Mx. KIJJATANGARNON DHUJKIMHAN [Thailand](H), Mx. ZHAO YADAI [China](H)

日本語/Japanese

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• 2015年3月より前のニュース