外国語コーススピーチコンテスト 受賞者全文
2018/19 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 story my great grandfather told」
外国語コース１年 佐藤さん
"The truth is that I was a mechanic of the special attack corps for planes." This was the first time that my mother, my grandmother and I heard his story. It was my great grandfather who narrated that story. He had never told us about his experience in the war.
When I was an elementary school student, I was interested in the war because I had just studied about the history of the war in social studies class. I knew that he was a survivor of the war, so I asked him to talk about the war when I visited his house with my family.
"My important friend's last words were always "See you tomorrow." He said.
Until then, he had kept silent about it to my mother and my grandmother that he was not only a sea soldier but also a mechanic of the special attack corps for planes and he was about to die again and again. From his mouth came out the most surprising stories one after another. When I heard it, I thought I could not imagine it at first, but then I could imagine it at last and I was so shocked that my face turned white.
I was looking at my great grandfather's face . He was telling the story with his eyes staring a single point. He was shedding tears silently, rather than crying. My sister, who was listening to him, said, "Grandpa, wipe your tears." and gave him her handkerchief.
"Why? I'm not crying .... Oh, you're right. I was crying."
How frightening those experiences must have been for him. I also began to shed tears. From the time I heard about his experiences, I thought "I want to know more about the war", no, I thought "I should know about the war."
This year, I went to a memorial monument near my town. The memorial monument reminisces the spirit of a US soldiers who passed away 10.000 miles away from their hometown. There were three heavy bombers from the American army who came to attack Japan in the Pacific War. They crashed into the top of the mountain. What were they thinking when they died, I wonder? I cannot imagine how much fear and sadness they were feeling.
At that time I noticed that my generation and younger do not know much about the cruel past. Everyone doesn't know the current situations of the world now. Everyone just complains that they don't want to study, want to play more, they feel dull. Soldiers who lost their lives in the war would have wanted to live more.
We must appreciate that we are living now. Even now conflicts are occurring all over the world. What we ought to learn and what we should know more about what we can do now, because if we can know the past then we can act better for the future of our world. Some people may think that I am just a serious person, but just imagine the people suffering from conflict.
We don't understand how happy we are to live a normal life, because they are unable to do what we are able to do. I want you to understand how lucky we are and that we should think of others.
My future dream is to become a person who can help people in the world who are in trouble.
2nd place
「Let's study abroad! 」
外国語コース１年 朴さん
Hi, everyone.
Today, I'm going to talk about studying abroad. First of all, have you ever studied abroad? I think some of you probably have not. So I would like to talk to them about the advantages of studying abroad based on my experiences in Japan. There are three reasons why I would like to recommend you to study abroad.
The first reason is that you can learn a foreign language locally. Some people may think that a language can be learned without going abroad. However after coming to Japan, I felt that learning a language in my own country is completely different from learning it locally. If I hadn't come here to study, I don't think I would have heard all of the different pronunciations or the vocabulary used by northern Japanese people. Therefore, I think it's better to actually go to the country and talk to the locals.
The second reason is, you can develop an international sense. As well as foreign languages, you can understand local culture and traditions, have a wide range of thinking, and broaden your horizons. If so, you'll be able to see your country through an objective point of view, and also you can enter foreign universities or get a job abroad. As for me, I am learning the Japanese tradition of tapping flower arranging and tea ceremony in a foreign language course. Moreover, I'm trying to understand both countries by comparing Japan and my home country, South Korea. So, I'm sure you will have global sense and open mind through studying abroad.
Finally, the third reason is that you can get the wisdom to go through the hardships of the future based on the experiences you have learned. While studying abroad, there are so many things you can't imagine.
Then, you'll learn the thoughts of people from other countries while trying to figure out how to solve the problem. So it becomes possible to learn how to overcome future hardships by watching locals' thoughts and behaviors. I think it also could be a great opportunity to expand your field of view.
I hope what I've said leaves a strong impression on your mind. If you are wondering whether you should study abroad, get on your feet right now, to the new world! Thank you.
3rd place
「Power of Words」
外国語コース２年 我妻さん
Do you believe in the power of words?
There are four major sports in America: basketball, American football, ice hockey and baseball. What is common to these sports are that it is "team sport". But when I think about it well, why is team sports so strong in the country of America where people with different races, words and religions are reasons?
One of reasons is the power of the head coach's words to raise the morale of the team before the game and bring out the power that the player has. Before the game the players are full of tension and anxiety. Such as: Can they show the result of all practice? Is the formation in the mind? Is date of the opponent team stuck in the head? Perhaps there are various things each player draws in his head. Meanwhile, the head coach says a few words to the player in the locker room before the game. And the players who heard the words are moved, they go to field with confident expressions.
We call it Pep talk in America. "Pep" originally means "cheerful and active".
Pep talk changes tension and anxiety to motivation and become widely adopted from business and politics to everyday life as a way of talking out to maximize the power of the original.
The other day, I went to a pep talk lecture. There, I learned the structure of a pep talk and heard from the lecture the effect of using a pep talk. Among them, there is a story that remained particularly impressive. It was a story of a woman who was ill she could no longer walk anymore who was able to overcome her illness and walk again by the power of words.
When I heard this story, I felt that the power of words was wonderful. And as each person understood this pep talk and got to see it, we were able to increase each other, I thought that it would lead to further confidence and success. So, first of all, I would like to practice this pep talk myself.
Thank you for your attention.