Japanese Studies Aotearoa New Zealand

Tertiary Japanese Language Speech Contest 2025

Guidelines

The eleventh Japanese Studies Aotearoa New Zealand (JSANZ) Tertiary Japanese Language Speech Contest will be conducted according to these guidelines.

1.      CONTEST BACKGROUND

The aim of the contest is to encourage learners who are studying Japanese to showcase their language skills in a challenging context. 

2.       CONTEST FORMAT

         Theme of Speech

The theme of this year’s speech competition is open to the contestants to decide. 

Length of Speech (Time Limit)

4 – 5 minutes + time for two questions and replies.

Q&A

After delivering their speech, contestants will be asked up to two questions by the teaching staff of the institution, based on the content of their speech.  This should be included in the video (see below) in addition to the speech.

3.       APPLICATION

1. Applications open on 1 June and close on 31 August.
2. Applications are limited to a maximum of two contestants from each tertiary institution.  It is expected that finalists will be chosen through a rigorous selection process (e.g. internal speech contest) to maintain the high standard of the national contest.

NB the following instructions (iii. to xi.) may be modified if Covid-19 related restrictions are in place – in this case liaise with your lecturers.

1. The speech should be digitally video-recorded with an audience of at least 10 people.

1. Include the upper half of the body of the speaker in the video capture, including hands and lectern – if used. The winner’s speech will be uploaded to YouTube so please be mindful of the background. Ensure that the speaker’s voice is clearly recorded. The five winners’ speeches from each year since 2015 can be viewed on the JSANZ YouTube Channel.

JSANZ YouTube Channel:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmT6U-nVHiKFPNkPFsy_uSg

• The instructor does not need to be in the video when s/he asks questions.  However, their voice should be clearly recorded.
• When the video is ready with your entry:
  • Upload your video to YouTube.   Use the family name of the contestant as the title for the video clip.  Do not add the name of your institution.
  • Click the arrow next to Upload, then press Video Manager.
  • Go to the uploaded video, press Edit and change the Privacy Settings to Unlisted.  Press Save.
  • Share the link to jsanzaotearoa@gmail.com
  • Note that you need a Google and Google+ account to create a YouTube account.
• The teaching staff from each tertiary institution are responsible for emailing a separate application for each candidate to the organizers, jsanzaotearoa@gmail.combefore 5:00 pm 31 August.  Include ALL of the following:
  • The relevant YouTube link.
  • An application form with a speech summary (100-150 words) in English and the applicant’s declaration forms.
  • The teacher’s declaration form.
• A separate email application must be made for each applicant (maximum of two candidates per institution). Only applications via email attachments will be accepted.
• Please write in the subject line “JSANZ Tertiary Japanese Speech Contest Application.”
• Late entries will not be accepted.
• If you have not received a confirmation email within one week of submitting your application, please contact the organizer by email [see Section 10 Enquiries].

4.       PROCEDURE FOR SELECTION

1. The judges will blind-mark (i.e. judges will not be told the institution of the applicants) each video, using a selection criteria form provided, and report to the organizer by 20 September.
2. Contestants will be notified of the results by 30 September.

5.       ELIGIBILITY

1. This contest is open to individuals aged 17 or above who are enrolled in undergraduate courses at a tertiary institution in New Zealand. NB students who completed their qualification in Semester 1, 2025, are also eligible to apply. Postgraduate students are not eligible.
2. Previous first prize winners in the JSANZ speech contest may not take part.
3. Native or near native speakers of Japanese may not take part.

Japanese Studies Aotearoa New Zealand

Tertiary Japanese Language Speech Contest 2025

Guidelines

The eleventh Japanese Studies Aotearoa New Zealand (JSANZ) Tertiary Japanese Language Speech Contest will be conducted according to these guidelines.

1.      CONTEST BACKGROUND

The aim of the contest is to encourage learners who are studying Japanese to showcase their language skills in a challenging context. 

2.       CONTEST FORMAT

         Theme of Speech

The theme of this year’s speech competition is open to the contestants to decide. 

Length of Speech (Time Limit)

4 – 5 minutes + time for two questions and replies.

Q&A

After delivering their speech, contestants will be asked up to two questions by the teaching staff of the institution, based on the content of their speech.  This should be included in the video (see below) in addition to the speech.

3.       APPLICATION

1. Applications open on 1 June and close on 31 August.
2. Applications are limited to a maximum of two contestants from each tertiary institution.  It is expected that finalists will be chosen through a rigorous selection process (e.g. internal speech contest) to maintain the high standard of the national contest.

NB the following instructions (iii. to xi.) may be modified if Covid-19 related restrictions are in place – in this case liaise with your lecturers.

1. The speech should be digitally video-recorded with an audience of at least 10 people.

1. Include the upper half of the body of the speaker in the video capture, including hands and lectern – if used. The winner’s speech will be uploaded to YouTube so please be mindful of the background. Ensure that the speaker’s voice is clearly recorded. The five winners’ speeches from each year since 2015 can be viewed on the JSANZ YouTube Channel.

JSANZ YouTube Channel:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmT6U-nVHiKFPNkPFsy_uSg

• The instructor does not need to be in the video when s/he asks questions.  However, their voice should be clearly recorded.
• When the video is ready with your entry:
  • Upload your video to YouTube.   Use the family name of the contestant as the title for the video clip.  Do not add the name of your institution.
  • Click the arrow next to Upload, then press Video Manager.
  • Go to the uploaded video, press Edit and change the Privacy Settings to Unlisted.  Press Save.
  • Share the link to jsanzaotearoa@gmail.com
  • Note that you need a Google and Google+ account to create a YouTube account.
• The teaching staff from each tertiary institution are responsible for emailing a separate application for each candidate to the organizers, jsanzaotearoa@gmail.combefore 5:00 pm 31 August.  Include ALL of the following:
  • The relevant YouTube link.
  • An application form with a speech summary (100-150 words) in English and the applicant’s declaration forms.
  • The teacher’s declaration form.
• A separate email application must be made for each applicant (maximum of two candidates per institution). Only applications via email attachments will be accepted.
• Please write in the subject line “JSANZ Tertiary Japanese Speech Contest Application.”
• Late entries will not be accepted.
• If you have not received a confirmation email within one week of submitting your application, please contact the organizer by email [see Section 10 Enquiries].

4.       PROCEDURE FOR SELECTION

1. The judges will blind-mark (i.e. judges will not be told the institution of the applicants) each video, using a selection criteria form provided, and report to the organizer by 20 September.
2. Contestants will be notified of the results by 30 September.

5.       ELIGIBILITY

1. This contest is open to individuals aged 17 or above who are enrolled in undergraduate courses at a tertiary institution in New Zealand. NB students who completed their qualification in Semester 1, 2025, are also eligible to apply. Postgraduate students are not eligible.
2. Previous first prize winners in the JSANZ speech contest may not take part.
3. Native or near native speakers of Japanese may not take part.

6.      MARKING CRITERIA The marking criteria are as follows:

Presentation	30% (e.g. delivery, manner, memorization, attitude, length)
Content	40% (e.g. coherence, cohesion of ideas, originality, intention, message, impact)
*Language (refer to 6.ii below)	25% (e.g. fluency, pronunciation, grammatical complexity/flexibility, range of language, accuracy)
Q & A	5% (e.g. communication competence, appropriateness of response)

1. The speech must be the original work of the contestant. The degree of assistance given by teachers or by Japanese native speakers should be limited to no more than correcting grammatical errors or making minor alterations.
2. *Language criterion: Based on the contestant’s Language Background Declaration (see Student Application Form), a maximum of 5 marks may be deducted in the language category.
3. PowerPoint slides and props (e.g. puppets, objects etc.) may not be used. 
4. Use of a lectern is optional. 
5. Post-speech questions should be straightforward, and must not be known to the contestants in advance.
6. All speech presentations are better when memorized: Contestants should NOT read their speeches.  Contestants may refer to their notes, however excessive consultation will result in marks being deducted.
7. Videos should show the upper half of the body of the presenter, not only the face. (If only the face is shown in the video, it is easy to assume the presenters are reading their cue cards if they are constantly looking down.) 
8. Showing the audience in the video is optional.
9. The quality of sound should be carefully checked before recording, and before submitting the video files.
10. Please be mindful of the speech time limit.  Judges may decide not to take into account anything beyond the time limit.
11. Aggregates of marks from all judges will determine the place allocated to each contestant in the order of 1st, 2nd, and 3rd.  In case of a draw, the judges will determine the outcome through discussion. The judges’ decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into. The content of the judges’ discussion is not open to the public at any time.

7.      PRIZES and Follow-up

All contestants will receive a participation certificate.  A prize will be awarded to the winners. Nisuikai, kindly supports the following prizes.

First prize:                      Travel voucher for a trip to Japan $2500 equivalent

Second prize:                 Domestic travel voucher $600 equivalent

Third prize:                    Domestic travel voucher $400 equivalent

Participants who do not place in the top three awards will receive a participation prize in the form of a Prezzy card. The prize value will be determined by the number of participants.

JSANZ hopes that the winners are willing to publicize their achievements and help promote Japanese language education in NZ:

1. The first prize winner will be asked to add English subtitles to their speech recordings and then upload them to the JSANZ YouTube Channel, so that online audiences with little or no Japanese can also enjoy the speeches. Technical support will be provided.
2. The first prize winner may also be asked to post a video message to the JSANZ Facebook page, as well as writing a short report on his or her experiences in Japan, which will be posted to the JSANZ website, sent to our sponsors and to other relevant media.
3. The first, second and third prize winners may be asked to visit the offices of our official sponsors, either in-person or using video-conference.

8.      Timeline

1 June:               Application opens

31 August:         Application closes

30 September:   Notification of winners 

9.      Information on previous contests

JSANZ YouTube Channel / JSANZ Speech Contest Winners

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmT6U-nVHiKFPNkPFsy_uSg

 10.  Enquiries

Dr Shinnosuke Takahashi

Chairperson of the JSANZ Speech Contest Committee

Victoria University of Wellington

E: shin.takahashi@vuw.ac.nz

Ms Yoshie Nishikawa

JSANZ Speech Contest Committee

Victoria University of Wellington        

E: yoshie.nishikawa@vuw.ac.nz

The Young Scholars Programme provides a research award of 100,000 yen, courtesy of the Hugh E. Wilkinson Foundation

We included so much background, photos, information, and news was in our newsletter that the file size is too big to publish it all here at once. Here are some parts you might enjoy.

Next newsletter sections coming soon

It is officially the 10^th anniversary of JSANZ (Japanese Studies Aotearoa New Zealand). Over the past few years the teaching and learning of languages has been beset on all fronts by a number of seemingly insurmountable issues (university redundancies and staff cuts; Artificial Intelligence; worldwide serious decline in language learner numbers; Covid and online learning problems etc.)

Our anniversary is a big reason to turn our backs on all of the above for a moment and celebrate, as is the increased interest, among New Zealanders, in Japan as a tourist destination. It is also an opportunity to do some soul searching and discussion about where we go from here.

A newsletter will be sent out to all members soon and we intend to include a selection of short clips from members that show what the general trends are and what the membership is thinking, so now is the perfect time to update us with your contact detail changes and give us your opinions. You can message us here on Facebook, or on our website www.jasanz.org

Get your responses in quickly before the Newsletter is completed.

Meanwhile congratulations and a huge thank you to the president and executive members of the JSANZ teachers network, to our stakeholders for their ongoing valued support and to all our members working for the cause of Japanese language and Japanese studies in the

background.

Once again we are honoured to have so many high quality participants and to be able to congratulate three outstanding winners in the 2023 JSANZ Tertiary Japanese Language Speech Contest. The winner this year is Sua Yoo from Auckland University and in second place, Sang Lee Yun from University of Canterbury. Raz Tripp, also from University of Canterbury, was the third place winner.

We will give details of the prizegiving and provide videos of the winning speeches as soon as we can.

今年度スピーチコンテストの結果をご報告致します。

優勝者はオークランド大学のSua Yooさんとなりました。

2位は、Sang Lee Yunさん、3位はRaz Trippさんで、共にカンタベリー大学在籍です。

今年度は、オークランド、カンタベリー、オタゴ、IPU、ヴィクトリアの5校より9名のエントリーがありました。

参加者学生は全員、各大学の代表にふさわしい素晴らしいパフォーマンスを見せました。先生方はじめ関係者の皆さまの鋭意・専心ぶりに深く感謝申し上げます。

[The Japan Foundation Program Guidelines for FY 2024]

The latest version of the Program Guidelines provides information and support for individuals and organizations applying for international exchange programs.

The Japan Foundation conducts programs for the three major areas of Arts and Cultural Exchange, Japanese-Language Education, as well as Japanese Studies and International Dialogue.

Please check the website for more details and application deadlines.

https://www.jpf.go.jp/e/program/

* Applications will be accepted electronically through the Japan Foundation’s Online Application Portal. Please check the website for details on application procedures.

****************************************

I appreciate your patience. I am Shin Takahashi from Victoria University of Wellington. I am pleased to share the guidelines for this year’s JSANZ Speech Contest. There are no significant changes in text from last year. But there is one thing I would like to draw your attention to, which is the schedule. The application period has opened today and will end on 1 August. Also, thanks to Mr Shimizu of Nisuikai, the winner of this year’s speech contest will be given round-trip tickets to Japan. So, thank you very much for this incredibly generous offer. Last but not least, I would like to thank Michiyo-sensei for her patience and kind guidance and Nishikawa Yoshie-sensei, who practically has done most of the groundwork.

Academy of New Zealand Literature

Tēnā koe,

The Academy of New Zealand Literature has published a round table of writers talking about living in and writing about Japan. 

https://www.anzliterature.com/feature/writers-round-table-on-japan/

Three of the writers are New Zealanders and one, Yuten Sawanishi, is a Japanese novelist and teacher of Japanese literature who is visiting Auckland this month. He is on the board of the Kyoto Writers Residency, in which New Zealand writer Paula Morris participated last year.

The feature contains a link to our free bilingual e-sampler called Taste of Clouds: New Zealand Writers Encounter Japan, including novel excerpts, stories, personal essays and poetry.

We would love for you to share the link to the feature and the sampler with your networks.

Ngā mihi nui,

Florence Crick-Friesen (on behalf of Paula Morris)

Ambassador’s Prize Ceremony for Massey & Victoria University Students
On 15th March 2023, the Embassy held the Ambassador’s prize ceremony for Japanese
language students from Massey University and Victoria University. Each of the recipients was
selected as the most outstanding Japanese language student for each year from 2020 to 2022 in
their courses at their respective universities. Recipients of the Ambassador’s prize are:
Ms Hannah Rose Lee: 2020 Recipient – Massey University
Ms Carol Geraldine Torres Tamayo: 2022 Recipient – Massey University
Ms Jordan Schulde: 2020 Recipient – Victoria University of Wellington
Mr Joshua Jeffery: 2022 Recipient – Victoria University of Wellington
*Mr Joel Coutts (2021 Recipient – Massey University) and Ms Alexandra Atkins (2022 Recipient –
Victoria University of Wellington) also received the prize in absentia.
The Embassy has held the ceremony for about 15 years for the purpose of acknowledging the
hard work of Japanese language students at both universities. We are glad to be able to hold this
for the first time since COVID started.
We congratulate all the recipients for their success, and hope that they will keep up the good
work in the future.

The deadline is 1 July 2023, 5:00pm

JSANZ is very proud to announce that Mrs Dallas Nesbitt, former Vice President of Japanese Studies Aotearoa New Zealand (JSANZ) and former Senior Lecturer in the School of Language and Culture, Auckland University of Technology, has been awarded the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette for her contributions to promoting academic exchanges and mutual understanding between Japan and New Zealand, in the 2022 Autumn Conferment of Decorations announced by the Japanese Government.

SUMMARY OF CONTRIBUTIONS

Mrs Dallas Nesbitt has been dedicated to Japanese language education in New Zealand for around 40 years.

Mrs Nesbitt was involved in establishing the Japanese course at Auckland University of Technology (AUT) in 1984 and since then has played a central role in developing Japanese language education at AUT and has contributed to people to people exchange through educating students to become a bridge between Japan and New Zealand. She has also contributed to the development of Japanese language education through research activities into Japanese language education methodology, focusing on the study of Kanji and learner motivation, in addition to promoting the Japanese language across various networks, and writing a Japanese textbook

In addition, Mrs Nesbitt is active in furthering Japanese language education and Japan research in New Zealand. She was involved in the establishment of New Zealand’s first national network organization of tertiary level Japanese language educators and researchers, Japanese Studies Aotearoa New Zealand (JSANZ) and is currently engaged in promotional activities for Japanese culture and the achievements of this organization. https://www.auckland.nz.emb-japan.go.jp/files/100414957.pdf

The full list of Conferment of Decorations on Foreign Nationals is published at (Ministry of Foreign Affairs Webpage)

https://www.mofa.go.jp/mofaj/gaiko/protocol/jokun.html

(Japanese)

https://www.mofa.go.jp/announce/info/conferment/index.html

(English)

Consulate-General of Japan in Auckland 

On Thursday 30 June, Consul General Hamada awarded Dr Junji Kawai, Senior Lecturer of Auckland University of Technology, the Consul General’s Commendation in recognition of his distinguished service in contributing to the deepening of mutual understanding and friendship between Japan and New Zealand.

Dr Kawai has been involved in Japanese teaching in universities in New Zealand for 30 years, and also been actively involved in promoting the Japanese language in the community in various ways such as organising the Auckland Regional Secondary School Japanese Speech Contest.

We offer our deepest thanks to Dr Kawai for all of his efforts and achievements and look forward to his continued success.