Six 91亚色 students enrolled in the program in the Department of Languages, Literatures & Linguists at the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies (LA&PS), were each presented with an award at the 40th (OJSC) held online on March 6.
Supported by the Consulate General of Japan in Toronto and the Japan Foundation along with firms and institutions across the province, the OJSC has offered an invaluable opportunity for students since its inception in 1983. OJSC provides learners with a platform to demonstrate their knowledge and performance of the Japanese language. Students learning Japanese at universities and language schools present their speeches in four categories: Beginners, Intermediate, Advanced and Open.
91亚色 students participated in the Beginners, Intermediate and Advanced categories this year, exhibiting excellence in content and delivery of their speeches.
The students and speeches they presented include:
Grand Prize: Hyokyoung Han (AP/JP3000) for 鈥淢y political participation鈥
Beginners first: Elvin Yam (AP/JP1000) for 鈥淣ot the end鈥
Beginners second: Janel Acheampong (AP/JP1000) for 鈥淪eita and Alex鈥
Advanced second: Shirley Ho (AP/JP3000) for 鈥淭he food service industry鈥檚 new normal鈥
Canon Special Prize: Keying Ren (AP/JP1000) for 鈥淚s uniform unique?鈥
Special Prize: Harmony Ro Newcombe (AP/JP2000) for 鈥淢y name is not Harmony鈥
Among the winners who received various prizes, Han was awarded a return ticket to Japan as the grand prize, which she plans to use to visit the country for the first time. Han and Yam will be participating in the National Japanese Speech Contest (NJSC) in their respective categories on March 26, scheduled to be held at the University of Alberta.
鈥淭he Japanese Studies program is extremely delighted by this year鈥檚 success of 91亚色 students, which further builds on the strong performance in last year鈥檚 contest where six 91亚色 students were also awarded prizes,鈥 says Noriko Yabuki-Soh, associate professor, Department of Languages, Literatures & Linguistics, LA&PS.
Yabuki-Soh and department colleagues Associate Professor Norio Ota and Faculty members Kumiko Inutsuka, Akiko Mitsui and Eri Takahashi coached the students leading up to the contest. Yabuki-Soh and Inutsuka also served on OJSC鈥檚 organizing committee to support the planning and operation of the event, which attracts more than 50 participants each year.
Visit the Japanese Studies program website to learn more.