The 2022 Houston Regional Japanese Language Speech Contest has concluded.
Thirty-two (32) contestants demonstrated their Japanese skills in the areas of (i) POETRY RECITATION, (ii) HAIKU, (iii) FREE SPEECH AURORA, and (iv) FREE SPEECH COLLEGE/UNIVERSITY.
"Otsukaresama" to all contest participants! We congratulate you for your hard work and commitment to learning Japanese. You demonstrate that Houston Japanese Language Learners #LeadWithLanguages!
Meet the winners of the 2022 Houston Regional Japanese Language Speech Contest!
Winners are listed below by category.
Those placing in the top two in each division will move on to compete in the TEXAS STATE JAPANESE LANGUAGE SPEECH CONTEST, which will be held virtually on March 12, 2022.
DIVISION 1 - POETRY
1. Jerry ZHANG – 9th, William P. Clements High School
2. Qianyue LUO – 10th, William P. Clements High School
3. Muyao JIANG – 9th, Bellaire High School
DIVISION 2 - HAIKU
1. Yue LU – 11th, William P. Clements High School
2. Emma WANG – 10th, William P. Clements High School
3. Alexander FLORES – 10th, St. Francis Episcopal School
DIVISION 3 - FREE SPEECH HIGH SCHOOL AURORA
1. Sarah VU – What I Regret the Most – 11th, William P. Clements High School
2. Hayagreev JAYARAM – Similarities between Indian and Japanese Cultures – 12th, Bellaire High School
3. Tran NGUYEN – Karoshi and Corona – 12th, William P. Clements High School
DIVISION 4 - FREE SPEECH COLLEGE/UNIVERSITY
1. Angela LIU – A Reflection on the Pandemic – Senior, Rice University
2. Vanessa HUYNH– Japanese Club – Sophomore, University of Houston
3. Hoang NGUYEN– My High School's Unique "Club Culture" – Sophomore, Rice University
Contest winners will receive the following prizes courtesy of KINOKUNIYA BOOKSTORE KATY:
DIVISIONS I & II: POETRY and HAIKU (Beginner & Intermediate)
1st place: $25 gift card
2nd Place: $15 gift card
3rd Place: $10 gift card
DIVISIONS III & IV: FREE SPEECH High School and University
1st place: $50 gift card
2nd Place: $25 gift card
3rd Place: $15 gift card
SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSOR:
SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR JUDGES:
Aki NOMI - Instructor, JASH Japanese Language Program
Hiroko SATO - Board Member, JASH
Kazuyuki TAKAHASHI - Consul, Consulate-General of Japan in Houston
SPECIAL THANKS TO ALL PARTICIPATING JAPANESE LANGUAGE TEACHERS IN HOUSTON:
Jing LIU
Adrian MCINTOSH
Natalie PETTINGILL
Yoshimi SHERIDAN
Satoko SHOU
Hiromi TAKAYAMA
Yuki WAUGH