I had the opportunity to serve as one of the judges for the Ishigaki City Mayor’s Cup Junior High School English Speech Contest.
This year’s theme, “What I Learned from My Biggest Failure,” was quite challenging, requiring the students to reflect deeply on themselves and express those thoughts in English.
Even so, I was especially impressed by how well prepared the students were this year. Not only were the speeches thoughtfully delivered, but the students also responded calmly during the Q&A session and showed remarkable composure despite the pressure of the event.
It was wonderful to see each participant trying to communicate their own experiences and feelings in their own words. As a judge, I found the contest both encouraging and rewarding. Congratulations to all of the award winners and participants.
