The Japanese Speech Contest, a program that has received rave reviews throughout Colorado and publicity from as far as Yamagata, Japan, will be held in conjunction with Japan Day 2000 at the University of Colorado at Boulder on March 18 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. in Humanities Building room 150.
One of the highlights of the speech contest is an opening talk delivered by the honorable consul general of Japan, Makoto Mizutani.
The contest, now in its 16th year, will feature contestants from CU-Boulder, the Air Force Academy, Colorado State University and Pikes Peak Community College. Â鶹ÒùÔº compete first in a preliminary audiotaped selection. Contestants in the final competition will address one of the following topics: "My Role in the World as a Learner of Japanese Language," "Japanese Culture Reflected in the Japanese Language," or "My Experience as a Learner of a Foreign Language."
The event provides a forum for students of Japanese to express their opinions on various topics on Japanese and American relations, said Misae Nishikura, senior instructor in the department of East Asian languages and civilizations and coordinator of the event. "They also enjoy interacting with students from other schools and exchanging ideas and views on Japan-U.S. related issues," she said.
The speech contest is funded by the Japan Information Center, the CU-Boulder Outreach Committee and the department of East Asian languages and civilizations. For more information call Nishikura at (303) 492-6699.
EALC offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral programs in Japanese. The doctoral programs are offered in conjunction with a special program in comparative literature.