The 27th Alberta Japanese Language Speech Contest
On March 3rd, 2018, the 27th Alberta Japanese Language Speech Contest was conducted at the University of Calgary. The event was held amidst a heavy snowfall, resulting in some participants giving speeches via Skype.
Consul General Tanabe participated as head competition judge, giving opening remarks in which he mentioned how the upcoming Tokyo 2020 Olympics presented an ideal opportunity for studying the Japanese language, and remarked that due to this year marking the 90th Anniversary of Japan-Canada Diplomatic Relations, the participants of this competition especially represented a contribution to Japan-Canada relations.
In his speech, Dr. Mark Conliffe, Professor and Director of the School of Languages, Linguistics, Literatures & Cultures, thanked not only the speech participants, but also conveyed his appreciation to the great number of volunteers involved for their cooperation, and emphasized that even for the audience the event presented an opportunity to deepen cross-cultural understanding and strengthen communication.
A total of 26 participants attended from 5 universities (UofC, UofA, UofL, MRU, UofS) delivering impassioned speeches in the Japanese language on various topics including, “A Happy Life”, “Adventures of One Piece” and “Effects of Staying up Too Late,” among others. In his closing address, Dr. X. Jie Yang, Professor in the School of Languages, Linguistics, Literatures, and Cultures, expressed that the success of the contest was owing to the support received from many people spanning the last 7 months, and voiced his particular appreciation to Consul General Tanabe for his support leading up to that day.
Consul General Tanabe giving opening remarks
Remarks by Dr. Mark Conliffe, Professor and Director of the School of Languages, Linguistics, Literatures & Cultures
Contest Audience
Contest participants giving speeches
Contest participants giving speeches
Contest participants giving speeches
Award ceremony
Group photo of all participants