TUFS Student Wins Japan Student German Speech Competition

February 21, 2018

On Saturday the 2 ^nd of December, TUFS Student Mai Morita (School of International and Area Studies, North American Area Studies, third year) won the Federal Republic of Germany Consul General Award at the 18 ^th Japan Student German Speech Competition (hosted by Kyoto University of Foreign Studies, sponsored by the Consulate-General of the Federal Republic of Germany in Osaka-Kobe, and the Austrian Embassy in Tokyo). Ms. Morita competed with her speech ' Die Chance, nach eigenem Interesse zu lernen ' ('The Chance to Learn According to my Interests'). This win was a brilliant achievement, and continues the TUFS winning streak, starting from last year, in this competition.

Ms. Morita's Thoughts on Winning

By participating in this competition, I was able to have the valuable experience of presenting my ideas, in German, in front of an audience. I was nervous as it was my first time giving a speech in German, but I was able to deliver my speech and get through the question and answer session without any problems, so it made me feel more confident in myself. On the day of the competition, I enjoyed listening to the speeches of the other students. However, I think the amount of time I put into preparing for my speech really paid off. Through choosing the theme and structure, writing the draft in German, and practicing the pronunciation, I was able to think about how I can express my ideas within my current level of German, which I think was a valuable opportunity. Also, in terms of grammar and vocabulary, I had a lot of help from native German speakers. I think this was one of the reasons I was able to win, so I am very grateful towards the exchange students and friends that helped me. I intend to keep studying and enjoying the German language.