UNSW student wins Japanese speech contest

28 October 2005

UNSW student Chloe Keeble has been awarded a trip to Japan after taking first prize in the open division of the 2005 National Japanese Language Speech Contest.

Chloe's speech, entitled 'Life is Like a Box of Chocolates (Forrest Gump)', recounted her experience as an Australian exchange student in Japan. Chloe humorously compared the idiosyncrasies of the two cultures, focussing on the importance of embracing cultural difference.

The judging panel was impressed with Chloe's authentic Japanese intonation and expression. "Coming from a very Aussie background, winning the contest seemed unbelievable," Chloe says. "It was really rewarding having put in a lot of hard work."

Chloe's prize includes a return ticket to Japan, as well as a Shinkansen (bullet train) tour and a visit to a hot spring resort in Hakone. Having visited Japan twice before, Chloe is excited at the prospect of catching up with her former host family and friends.

UNSW's head of Modern Language Studies, Professor Chihiro Kinoshita Thomson, is delighted by the result, and says it is a testament to the strong rapport among lecturers and students in the Japanese Studies program. "It also sends a strong signal to the Sydney Japanese community that UNSW has the best Japanese program in Sydney, which is important for the future prospective employment of our students," Professor Kinoshita Thomson says.

Held annually by the Embassy of Japan and the Japan Foundation, the Japanese Language Speech Contest has been running since 1969. The contest is open to university students studying Japanese as a language and who do not speak Japanese as their native language.