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Waterloo, ON Canada
N2L 3G4
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Renison students take top awards in Japanese speech competitions
Friday, May 21, 2010
Front row, l-r: Cheang Lim Goh, Yuan Fang, Akiko Maruoka (Japanese professor), Betty Li.
Back row, l-r: Sonia Liu, Fumie Shimoda (Japanese Tutor), Linda Zhang, Erica Fung, Judi Jewinski (Administrative Dean)
L-r: Yuan Fang, Betty Li
For immediate release
Renison students take top awards in Japanese speech competitions
WATERLOO, Ontario (May 21, 2010) - Six Renison students took home awards at the Ontario Japanese Speech Contest (OJSC) on March 13th, and two of those students moved on to take first place at the National Japanese Speech Competition (NJSC) on March 28th.
Yuan Fang was awarded the top prize in the Advanced category at the NJSC for his speech entitled, “Pink Ribbon,” after winning the top prize at the OJSC. Fang is currently studying Japanese with Renison’s East Asian Studies department.
Fang’s prizes include a scholarship, a round trip ticket to Japan, and a netbook computer. He plans to continue studying Japanese so that he can work with overseas manufacturers who specialize in mammography and x-ray imaging for cancer detection.
Cancer is something everyone in the world has to face, but collaborative research across countries is sometimes difficult. I hope my research and language skills can be used as a bridge between countries and cultures.”
Betty (Haobei) Li also placed first in the provincial and national competitions, in the Open category. Her speech entitled “Do you use dialect?” addressed the question of how dialect can be an important tool of communication. She credits the staff at Renison for her success at the contest.
I really thank my teachers, Mrs. Akiko Maruoka and Mrs. Fumie Shimoda, and my personal coach, Mrs. Yuko Takaya, as well as other teachers and volunteer coaches for helping me out. I wouldn’t have achieved this result if they weren’t there.”
Japanese professor Akiko Maruoka has been coordinating the Japanese Language program and teaching at Renison for more than twenty years. She says she is delighted at the success of her students, and the representation of the East Asian Studies department.
Renison’s EAS Japanese Language program is smaller compared to other universities; however, our Japanese program levels were evaluated high. I believe that was proven in this contest.”
Other winners at the provincial level included:
- Xiaochen Zhang (3A Honours Science) spoke about living a way of life she learned from her beloved father. She won third place at the Beginner level with her speech, entitled “A Wish from My Father.”
- Erika Fung captured the Canon Humour Prize at the Intermediate level with her speech, “Let’s Overcome Cultural Differences!” The audience enjoyed her explanation about how important it is to know each other’s culture to make love succeed.
- Cheang Lim Goh (4B Honours Coop Computer Science) took home the Cross Cultural Relations Prize, Intermediate Level, with his speech “The Okinawa That Surprised Me.” He spoke about things learned on his first trip to Japan.
- Sonia Liu won the Unique Cultural Experience Prize, Advanced Level, with her speech, “Forgotten Picture.” She spoke about not giving up on dreams.
Contact:
Kari Pasick Stewart, Communications and Recruitment Coordinator
Renison University College
kpstewar@renison.uwaterloo.ca
519.884.4404 x28638
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