外国語コーススピーチコンテスト 受賞者全文 2026
2025/26 Topics 外国語コース 英語スピーチコンテスト 受賞者全文
1st place
「The Power of Applause」
外国語コース１年 菊地さん
Have you ever thought about the sound of applause?
(Clap once)
It's just the sound of two hands.
And yet, sometimes, that small sound can change someone's heart.
It changed mine.
This summer, I traveled alone to France.
In the corner of a train station, there was a piano that anyone could play. People of all ages young and old took turns sitting down to perform.
They looked so confident, so full of joy.
Unlike in Japan, people there didn't seem shy at all.
They played as if to say, "I'm a real performer!" Then they stood up proudly and walked away toward the platforms.
I had played the piano since I was three years old.
So, you might think it was the perfect chance for me.
But, as I watched those confident people, I started to feel nervous.
What if they looked at me coldly?
What if I wasn't as cool as they were?
I just stood there, frozen, watching from a distance.
But, then I thought,
"I came all the way here... it would be such a waste to just watch."
So I sat down at the piano.
My hands were shaking.
My heart was pounding.
But, the moment I started to play, everything disappeared.
When the final note faded away, there was silence.
And then applause.
That moment changed me.
The applause told me something.
It said, "Well done."
But, it also said something more.
Somewhere in that sound, I felt that someone had been moved by my music.
I had never imagined that I could touch someone's heart.
Even though we didn't share a language, that applause spoke directly to me.
Since that day, I've begun to take on challenges.
I still feel afraid, but I try anyway.
Even standing here today, giving this speech, is one of those challenges.
Because I've learned something: Courage is not the absence of fear. It's doing something despite fear. And I know that somewhere out there, there will always be applause waiting for me for the version of me who dares to try.
So, what power does a single clap hold? It can give courage. It can connect hearts. And it can speak without words. Applause is the purest language we all share.
And now, as I finish this speech, I know you will soon clap for me. And that applause will tell me something that words never could. It will give me courage and confidence once again. That is the power of applause a language without words.
2nd place
「A Country That Abandoned Its Military」
外国語コース２年 菊地さん
"$2,443 billion" - what do you think this figure is? This huge amount of money, in fact, was the world's military spending in 2023. Every country says that all military spending is necessary to "win the battle" or "defend the country," but I have my doubts about that. I think there are other things we should be doing more of. There are many challenges in the world that need to be solved. However, global military spending continues to increase year after year. In such a situation, do you know that there is a country that has achieved a zero military budget? Today, I would like to talk about one of those few countries, Costa Rica, which was the first country in the world to abolish its military.
Costa Rica is located in Central America between the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean. The population is about 5.15 million, and it is also called "the happiest country in the world. Costa Rica always maintains a high ranking in the World Happiness Index published by the NEF in the U.K. It abolished its military because so many people lost their lives in the I qs4 civil war. It then decided to use 30% of the national budget, which had previously been devoted to the military, for education, health care, and environmental protection. Under the slogan "More teachers than soldiers." the government offered free education from kindergarten through high school. Pride in being unarmed, respect for life, and the importance of peace are actively fostered in the welldeveloped educational system. Costa Rica is also known for its rich biodiversity. It is also committed to environmental conservation, and surprisingly, almost all of their electricity comes from renewable energy sources. Instead of having no military, Costa Rica has built trusting relationships with other countries through trade and diplomacy. In other words, they "do not make enemies. It has been 76 years since it abolished their military, and not once have they resorted to force. It has maintained peaceful solutions through discussions, the law, and the help of other countries. The people of Costa Rica also support such a policy and believe that not resorting to force should be the basis of the world. It has proven that it is possible. This is why Costa Rica is called "the happiest country" in the world.
While the recent economic downturn and the increase in immigration have prompted a review of the country's finances, I think the international community has much to learn from Costa Rica's choice to abolish its military, and to allocate its military budget to social welfare, and take steps to achieve "happiness" for its people and the global environment. There are children in the world who do not have access to education. There are people who cannot lead a satisfactory life due to poverty. The earth cries as its natural environments are rapidly being lost. And yet, the world still does not stop fighting? Don't you think this is wrong? I am just one high school student living in Japan, and although I do not have any great power to change the world, I am still. a member of the global community that wishes for world peace. I think it is necessary for the countries and people of the world to join forces and act for the 'happiness' of all children and all lives around the world. I hope that what you have learned about one country through this speech will be a step forward in your thinking about peace.
3rd place
「Two Pictures」
外国語コース２年 児玉さん
"I really cannot draw pictures." These are words that many adults often say. I think it tends to be especially common among Japanese people.
Today, I would like to talk about “picture."
I have a question about that sentence. Why can't you draw pictures even though you can write letters?"
Everyone knows that children draw "pictures" before they can write words and letters. So, there must be pictures in the background of letters. But, when adults say "we can write letters "naturally" but cannot draw pictures." I find it very odd.
There are so many adults who write or type so much and they have forgotten how to draw pictures. Then, let's think about what would happen if we let adults draw pictures. Please imagine two simple “apple drawings" from now. One is drawn by a small child. And the other is drawn by an adult. What do you think they look like? I'll give you a few seconds ……．All right, could you imagine them? Maybe most people have thought of them this way. The features of a child's picture have large, bright colors, and thick crayon lines. On the other hand, the features of an adult's picture are smaller in size, subdued colors, and delicate lines. The result, both pictures are different, not perfect but they could draw. No matter how big or small, and no matter how strange it is. If the person who drew it says "it's a picture.", then it becomes a picture. In other words, it is impossible for them to say that they cannot draw pictures.
A good example of this is the Nazca Lines in Peru. If you stand on the ground and look at it, it looks like strange white lines. But, if you look at it from the sky above, you can see the big images. Literally, if you change your point of view, you can see something new.
Speaking of a-changing perspectives, why is there differences between the two paintings of a child and adult? "Painting is the language of the soul," These are words said by the Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh. Young children cannot write, but can draw strong pictures instead of writing. For children, pictures are letters. Therefore, children will draw pictures larger, with bright colors to express what they are feeling.
However, unfortunately, no matter how much we try to change our point of view, there seems to be a tendency to divide pictures into categories based on whether they are realistic or not. Of course, I think that pictures such as cartoons need realism to look natural. But, are pictures only for that purpose? Do these have to look realistic? To sum up, I think that is not the case. For example, Picasso's artworks. His paintings are very unique, as he painted faces from two different directions in his cubism stage. But his drawings are not so realistic. For this reason, we don't often see his paintings on designs such as stationary but we often see Van Gogh's works. In this way, people may unknowingly think that a realistic picture is good artwork. Perhaps it was because there is a fear of being ridiculed for art that is not realistic. I feel that the world's sense of good and bad is determined by such subconscious and opinions. However, I believe that a painting is just a painting, and. has meaning even if it's not realistic.
Finally, how would you feel if all the paintings in museum were painted like photographs? At first, you would enjoy it, but as you looked at them, you soon realize that they are all the same, repetitive, and it would become boring. To avoid this situation, I think it is important to draw pictures without anyone interfering to develop yourself, your identity and art making style.
Find your own picture by freely painting and creating anything. Create your own art from one pen or pencil. In the end, I want to ask you.
"Can you draw your own pictures?"
Thank you.