Tthe Thirty-sixth English Oratorical Contest
July 17th, 2019
Speech,Performance,Special Program,Exhibition,それぞれの部門にて、多くの生徒が活躍し、英語の力を発揮しました。
中学3年坂下ななえさんのスピーチ
"School Innovation"
Don't you feel uncomfortable in your classroom? I do.
Today, I am going to talk about reconsidering our studying style.
In my opinion, Japanese school's learning environments are out of date for two reasons. First of all, our desks. I think that space on the desk is too small to study. Is there enough space to put all of the items on your desk? I don't think so.
Also, carrying desks is bothersome when we have to discuss in groups.
To solve these two problems, I found an adequate desk. It's this!
Because it's already jointed, we don't have to carry the desk.
Furthermore, it seems bigger than our desks. However, I'm worried that students may talk while the teacher is speaking. The solution for this is to give students some task handout that they have to submit. I expect that this desk would make our mind flexible by creating a productive environment.
Secondly, I think we should make our break time longer. I think it should be 10 minutes. So we can play outside or take a nap.
Did you know that by a study carried out by Pittsburgh university, found that aerobic exercise increases nerve cells that are associated with memorisation . Furthermore, sport promotes secretions of dopamine which would motivate studying. Playing outside brings a lot of benefits to us.
Also, sleeping is important. Some public school have introduced nap time. Surprisingly there were improvements in their students grades. I expect playing outside and taking a nap for 10 minutes makes our mind clear for the next class.
These are some of my ideas. I think there are some merits in traditional Japanese styles. But I hope schools will accept new ideas and search the best way for new education. Our school Nanzan Kokusai has a lot of freedom compared to public schools. So let's make the most of it, let's start innovative studying!
中学3年 澤田鈴菜さんのスピーチ
"Abortion"
Two months ago, the state of Alabama in the
United States passed a law to make abortion illegal. The republicans who voted
to make this happen said that abortion was the choice of two people; not only
of the mother of the infant, but of the father's, too. They believe that
abortion was unfair to men, who had no say when it came to choosing the fate of
the unborn baby. I find this enraging.
I first found out about this from social media. Not only girls, but boys were
posting and sharing videos on how unjust this law is. All of my friends were
outraged. Only a woman can get pregnant. And only a woman goes through the
painful labor. Pregnancy can destroy someone's life. For example, I've heard
news about a teenage girl who was raped by a middle aged man. The girl wanted
to abort the child, but the man didn't allow her. The girl sacrificed
everything she had for a baby whose father she didn't love. The man disappeared
after that. Despite all of the mother's efforts to live a normal life, her future
was destroyed.
Too many kids are the victims of rape. If the victim lived in Alabama, the
woman would be forced to give up her job, life, and education. On the other
hand, the man can choose to leave the woman and the baby, still keep working
and learning, and still have a future. His sacrifice is nothing compared to
hers. It's not just Alabama. Sixteen of the fifty states in the United States
have already passed a law on banning abortion or are working to do so. That's
about thirty percent of the US.
What I find the most indignant about this is that the twenty five senators who
voted to make this law pass were all white men. Why should men make laws about
a woman's body? It makes no sense to me. And some of them said injudicious
things such as, "rape victims should make the best of the worst times," and,
"rape is something that God intended to happen,". Do the mean that rape is not
a serious case, but abortion is a terrible crime?
Did you know that the punishment for doctors who perform abortion on a woman is
harsher than the punishment for rape? This law is giving more rights to
rapists. Killing a fetus seems cruel, but it might be durable compared to the
hurt the child will face in life, given that he or she was born.
I hope this law gets rescinded immediately, and I hope this law never gets
proposed in Japan.
Thank you.