Japan wide JHS speech contest

[Otaku]

Just wanted to brag a bit to say my student passed through the prefectural level contest and will be attending the huge competition in Tokyo.

Read 'em and weep, suckers!

Who else got their students through? Also, what were your student's speeches about? Mine student's speech was on "71 years". It was about how she is angry that Japan and Russia are still arguing that about 4 islands 71 years after the war has ended, and she wonders where the peace and friendship is.

[peet]

Congrats!

My kids got beat out in the first round by the local private schools. But I was impressed that they even performed their speeches decently since the week prior, two hadn't even finished memorizing yet. Also the only two 1st graders at our contest were both from my school, and they were on par with a lot of the older kids which was good to see.

2 original speech topics were both variations of a "my dream" speech. Not very original, but one was nicely composed and integrated a good variety of topics (why she likes English, her surprise at international support from the Earthquake, and those two points combining to motivate her to learn English more to work overseas and "give back" the support that we received from the international community).

[jeisensei]

In Gunma the prefectural contest is this Wednesday so I shall let you know how my student does then. Her speech is about how students bullied her when she was in elementary school and how she got over it and wants to get rid of bullying in general. She gets big points in the 表現（ひょうげん) category, but her pronunciation is not the best so we are working on that today and tomorrow.

[Otaku]

Yeah, my student didn't even start memorizing her speech until last week as well. I pulled her aside on Wednesday and asked if she wanted simply have a 'good experience' or if she really wanted to compete and go to Tokyo. She said "Tokyo." Told her to memorize ALL her speech by the next day.

Next day, it was completely memorized. It almost brought tears to my eyes.

[jeisensei]

Hah. That is so much the opposite of my kid. Sure she memorized everything but when I asked her if she wanted to get back the prefecturals she said that it didn't really matter to her and she just wanted to have a good time. All the better I guess heh.

[Paul]

Well this year I had three kids, and none of them advanced, I will say though that one student, no thanks to her JTE could have done much better but her pride got in the way of any common sense in letting us work with and help prepare the student, from the composition of the speech to coaching her. I actually felt sorry for the girl.

One other was a 2nd year girl, and she did no work over the summer practicing for her speech and had a rough time memorizing it, only getting it down the day before contest.

The 3rd student was in the hospital for three weeks in the summer due to having a knee operation. While she worked hard and did very well, she was one of those kids that have that nasal tone that is very pronounced when they try to speak English. They dont breathe when they are speaking and it ends up sounding like they have a huge head cold. Worked on it with her and I'm proud of her accomplishments as this was her first attempt at getting up in front of a crowd and giving any type of presentation for anything in her entire school career. She never had to do anything like it before and she was a nervous wreck. I applaud her for her effort.

To me participation alone is the main, or should be the main goal, and yeah I know how it feels to send a kid to nationals I also know that in reality the goal should be for the kids to do their best and expand their English.

Congratulations to Otaku's student! Good Luck at the next level.

[Kanashibari]

My kids are doing the prefectural speech this Wednesday as well.

They know their speeches inside and out and I've been drilling them(pardon the expression, those with dirty minds!) everyday for an hour the majority of last month, so I think they're ready to go in and bring home the gold!!!

[Paul]

My kids are doing the prefectural speech this Wednesday as well.

They know their speeches inside and out and I've been drilling them(pardon the expression, those with dirty minds!) everyday for an hour the majority of last month, so I think they're ready to go in and bring home the gold!!!

And all this time I thought you were female. Live and learn.

[Kanashibari]

Nope.....

I may be pretty, but I've got a package.

[azuhlLt.]

One of my kids has gone to the Prefectural one in Saitama, today. She's a sweet kid who works hard, I really hope she passes this phase...but, the 'English' that was corrected by me, was 're-corrected' by our head English teacher. He's a great guy and I really respect him and his English skills are great, but it pissed me right off that he changed correct English into an abortion of Google-translation soup with tenses that are\were\is\did all over the place.

[Kanashibari]

My little babies just left for the context.

I told them to have FUN, or they'll be punished.

[azuhlLt.]

One of my kids has gone to the Prefectural one in Saitama, today. She's a sweet kid who works hard, I really hope she passes this phase...but, the 'English' that was corrected by me, was 're-corrected' by our head English teacher. He's a great guy and I really respect him and his English skills are great, but it pissed me right off that he changed correct English into an abortion of Google-translation soup with tenses that are\were\is\did all over the place.

Yeah she didn't get through. I'll look at the marking scheme later.

[Richard_BenoitEnglipedia Drone]

Congrats Otaku! Wonder when my contest is coming up? This school I am at now pretty much dumps the responsibility on me. So I am actually looking forward to coaching again!

[sum1wholikesengliped]

One of my kids has gone to the Prefectural one in Saitama, today. She's a sweet kid who works hard, I really hope she passes this phase...but, the 'English' that was corrected by me, was 're-corrected' by our head English teacher. He's a great guy and I really respect him and his English skills are great, but it pissed me right off that he changed correct English into an abortion of Google-translation soup with tenses that are\were\is\did all over the place.

I've struggled with that as well. I had to come to a conclusion that the English that WE are used to and the English THEY are used to, and comfortable with, will be different. Not so much if it's "correct". Albeit, they can survive if they go to another country, maybe, but their English will be terrible. So, I just let them do it the way they want to, and know where the priorities are. If they are going on a trip, they need the actual English. I will tell them THIS IS THE WAY IT NEEDS TO BE. Since this is their speech contest, held in their country, judged by their people mainly(if judged by 100% foreigners I would chnage my advice) I let them do it how they seem fit. I've met some top prefecteral English speakers, heard their speech, and was wondering what I heard was English or not.

[Paul]

Congrats Otaku! Wonder when my contest is coming up? This school I am at now pretty much dumps the responsibility on me. So I am actually looking forward to coaching again!

I'd really be surprised if it wasnt like really soon seeing as how the national's are next month. Might help to ask someone.

[Paul]

I've struggled with that as well. I had to come to a conclusion that the English that WE are used to and the English THEY are used to, and comfortable with, will be different. Not so much if it's "correct". Albeit, they can survive if they go to another country, maybe, but their English will be terrible. So, I just let them do it the way they want to, and know where the priorities are. If they are going on a trip, they need the actual English. I will tell them THIS IS THE WAY IT NEEDS TO BE. Since this is their speech contest, held in their country, judged by their people mainly(if judged by 100% foreigners I would chnage my advice) I let them do it how they seem fit. I've met some top prefecteral English speakers, heard their speech, and was wondering what I heard was English or not.

Here here!! I have a teacher this year that put her pride in the way of the student and wouldnt let anyone change the speech because she thought that because she put so much time into translating it that it had to be right. It wasnt and like I wrote earlier, I felt sorry for the student but couldnt and wont bring myself to tell her the truth about her speech. I feel like someone should be told, but I am letting it pass.

[Otaku]

On a slightly-off-topic-but-still-mostly-on, I just found out today the local prefectural JHS story contest pulled all foreign judges from the local level. Nice, you MEXTtards! Their excuse? "The ALTs' schedule are too busy."

Yeah, MEXTin' right, you lying bastards. The ALTs in my prefecture are connected through a local forum. Easy to find volunteers, you lying pieces of crap!

Truth be told, the Japanese judges probably got sick and tired of arguing with the native English-speaking judges about how to properly judge the contest.

This kind of stuff is getting old...

[moolooman]

Track down my self-immolation smiley and use it as you wish.

[Paul]

Once again their pride gets in the way of their common sense. I see no problem with leaving one or two Japanese judges, outside of one total idiot here, the others have been outstanding. But having no native judges opens themselves up to charges of politics regarding the winners of such contests, they wont be impartial all of the time.

[Richard_BenoitEnglipedia Drone]

Yeah thanks for the heads up Paul. I wouldn't be surprised if no one from this school even tried the speach contest this year. 3rd years are pretty much hopless this year round. Will ask the next English teacher I see.

[jeisensei]

My kid went to the prefecturals yesterday, but didn't make it though the first round, but I have to cry shenanigans. My kid admittedly does not have the best pronunciation, but she her way of giving the speech was amazing. The eyes of everyone in the room was just glued on her unlike the other speeches. The problem being she was the first student and after the next two students go up the judges walk out of the room and argue with each other for about 10 minuets (one being a native English speaker and the other being Japanese). I know the native was pulling for my student (I could hear the conversation) but the Japanese guy was going all for pronunciation so my kid was dropped and the other two went on to the next round.

In the end, no matter if I am not happy about the result, my student is happy she had the chance to go to the prefecturals so I guess I should not be mad in any way. I wish the best of luck to all that did make it and I hope everyone has a good time.

[azuhlLt.]

I hate to be a conspiracy theorist, but it's all clearly rigged :)

[jeisensei]

It clearly was

Actually, now that I look back at who got into the finals I can see 8 out of 9 were private schools or schools connected with universities and also around 8 out of the 9 speeches mentioned that the student had at least a home stay experience over seas so maybe it is not rigged but having the money to go to private school and go over seas clearly helps

[moolooman]

It is rigged towards private schools. I discovered that last year. The private school student was shit (and clearly so), but still won.

[Otaku]

@Jeisensei, the type of practice where judges use the first student's speech as a sacrifical lamb for the rest of the speech pool is HORRENDOUS! It's utter bullshit! It happens at one story-telling contest here in my prefecture.

I don't know what moron started that practice, but judges aren't supposed to converse once a competition starts. Hello?!?! That's judging 101. The more appropriate way to handle this is have the judges watch a speech from prior years BEFORE the competition starts and talk about it but not once the competition begins!!

But even then, I don't think any talking between the judges is needed. All judges are basically fair because they judge the entire pool the same way.

The whole thing is a crock of shit.

I got on the local ALT forum and discovered the ALTs who normally are asked to judge weren't even asked this year. However, yesterday, I was told "The ALTs' schedule are too busy this year." Bullshit, you lying MEXTers!

Also, I tried to share with a couple of J-peeps who are on the council for this particular local story-telling competition that the contest's Program has a ton of spelling errors and that the actual stories themselves have spelling/grammar errors...but I was politely (but very Japanese-ishly rude, via 'completely ignore') dismissed. They didn't want to hear any of it. Well, to those two people, MEXT you very much, especially the one that has a combover. Dude, you're bald. Accept it!

[Paul]

MEXT you very much, especially the one that has a combover.

If he has a few strands across the pate I like to say that guys like this have bar code hair.

[jeisensei]

That sucks Otaku, but it is something I have come to accept because it has happened to me on more than one occasion.

Ahh... the bar code. I didn't want to fall into that trap (and my fate was falling into that direction) so I just shaved it all off and continue to do so to this day hah

[Richard_BenoitEnglipedia Drone]

So my prize students were disqualified because of their extra English experience through homestays and what not. Then the normal kids didn't want to enter, so I am out of a coaching job this year...:(

[jeisensei]

That sucks, RB.

[Otaku]

Hell in a hand basket...