Three TUFS students win prizes at the Vietnamese Speech Contest
December 2, 2024
On Saturday, November 2, 2024, the 18th Vietnamese Speech Contest (hosted by Kanda University of International Studies, supported by the Embassy of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam in Japan) was held at Kanda University of International Studies. In Category A [Poetry Reading Division] (10 entrants: first-year students and high school students) Ms. SUMIOKA Ririko, a first-year student at the School of International and Area Studies, won second place, and in Category D [Speech category for 3rd and 4th year students with study abroad experience] (5 entrants), Ms. NAITO Midori, a 4th year student at the School of International and Area Studies, won first place, and Ms. IKEMOTO Hitomi, a 4th year student at the School of Language and Culture Studies, won second place.
Comment from Ms. NAITO Midori
In line with the theme of this year's contest, “Learning another language is like becoming another person”, I talked about the changes I felt in myself after studying abroad, along with my memories of the people who helped me during my time in Vietnam. Living in a foreign country is of course not always easy, but I think that all students at TUFS have experienced the joy of learning about a different culture and discovering new aspects of themselves.
I am very happy that I was able to achieve these results, and I also feel that my Vietnamese has improved through practicing for the contest. In addition, although this was the first time I had ever given a speech in a foreign language, I was able to experience the joy of being able to convey my thoughts to a large number of people in a foreign language, and this has increased my motivation to work harder in the future, not only with Vietnamese, but also with other languages.
Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the teachers in the Vietnamese language department, including Professor Hai, who accompanied me to my many practice sessions, as well as all the people who supported me during my time studying abroad, and my family and friends who gave me their support. Thank you very much.
Comment from Ms. IKEMOTO Hitomi
I gave a speech on the theme of “Learning another language is like becoming another person”. I am grateful for the opportunity to express in my own words the new ideas I have gained through learning Vietnamese.
I had studied abroad in southern Vietnam, so I decided to give a speech in the southern dialect. I was glad to be able to demonstrate the results of my studies abroad as well as my studies at this university. I would also like to express my sincere gratitude to the teachers who gave me so much support in preparing for the speech contest. Thanks to their guidance, I was able to complete my speech. Thank you very much.
Comment from Ms. SUMIOKA Ririko
This time, I was able to win second place in Category A. I read the poem “QU? H??NG N?I NH? (Nostalgic Hometown)” while wearing an áo dài, the traditional Vietnamese dress, and I put a lot of effort into expressing the emotions of the poem, using gestures and facial expressions to convey the author's feelings as well as the pronunciation. When I decided to take part, I had no confidence at all in my Vietnamese pronunciation. However, I think that gradually gaining confidence through this contest was a big step forward for me in terms of my future Vietnamese studies. I am deeply grateful to the teachers who gave me enthusiastic guidance despite their busy schedules, as well as to my friends in the Vietnamese language department who worked hard with me and supported me. I will continue to work hard on my Vietnamese studies, and next time I want to aim for first place and try again.
Reference
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