Students excel in Japanese Speech Contest

Six of the 10 University North Georgia (UNG) students who competed won awards in the Georgia Japanese Speech Contest at Alpharetta City Library during the spring semester.

Jesus Gonzalez, a senior from Dacula, Georgia, pursuing a degree in interdisciplinary studies, took first place in the pre-advanced category based on the Japanese Language Proficiency Test. His speech was about the role technology plays in disrupting meaningful relationships.

Gonzalez worked on his Japanese language skills both with faculty members and with students from Nanzan University who visited UNG during the semester. Nanzan is in Nagoya, Japan. He said he was nervous in the competition, but that didn't stop him from excelling.

"The constant practice and tension of putting myself in situations to grow helped me a lot," Gonzalez said. "You'll come to get comfortable with being uncomfortable."

Kenz Johnson-Tucker, a junior from Sandy Springs, Georgia, is pursuing a degree in computer science and a minor in Japanese. She is the president of the Japan Club at UNG's Gainesville Campus. She earned an honorable mention for her speech in the elementary Japanese category on how Pokémon can serve as a connection point.

"It was intense, especially memorizing a speech in another language," Johnson-Tucker said. "I would definitely do it again."

Jackson Marling, a dual-enrolled student from Dahlonega, Georgia, earned first place in the high school category of the contest for his speech talking about his goal to become an astronaut and how he is preparing for that career. Marling, a Lumpkin County High School student, has completed all of the lower-level Japanese courses offered at UNG.

"I felt immensely more prepared because of how good UNG's Japanese program is," Marling said. "It's a really good opportunity to have the chance to have a university in your backyard where you can learn a language from thousands of miles across the world."

Other award winners were Devin Elliott (third place, elementary Japanese), Alexander Gattis (second place, intermediate Japanese) and William Homiller (second place, pre-advanced Japanese).

Dr. Tomoe Nishio, associate professor of Japanese, was grateful to see her students perform so well in the contest organized by the Georgia Association of Teachers of Japanese.

"I am proud of all the students who entered the contest. Giving a speech in front of a big crowd is nerve-wracking even in your own language, but they gave wonderful speeches in the target language," Nishio said. "As much as it was a remarkable milestone for the students, it is such a rewarding moment for us instructors."