It was mailed to my private email address which was setup well after I left Japan back in 2001. So I assume that they got my email from the Japanese Consulate here in Brunei, where I'm registered as a former scholarship student. The email links to the 14 multiple choice questions at JASSO, Japan Student Services Organization. I've never heard of JASSO before but I guess it was setup after I left Japan. Probably after Monbushou became Monbukagakushou.
Anyway, those questions, in English, were kind of tame, and none too revealing. Just like how I would have set it up. I did something similar during my six-months Japanese language course in Kakuma Campus, Kanazawa Daigaku, Ishikawa-ken. My survey was whether most international students who studied in Japan had any 'cultural' connections with Japan. My survey found none. Most of the international students studying in Kanazawa Daigaku then were just interested in Japan, no cultural affiliations whatsoever. Only a minority had background cultural relationships with Japan. Usually there were nissei (second generation Japanese descendants) or more in their home country.
Anyway, if you received the same email, do spare less than five minutes of your life to answering the 14 multiple choice questions. Probably it'll help the Japanese Government fine-tune their scholarship offerings to international students. FYI, government allocated budget to support such activities are down compared to previous years, as can be seen by the abolishment of reunion gatherings. Can't blame them. Their economy is still in the doldrums and they've got to prioritize how they spend their own money. Paying for air tickets to/from Japan to attend a gathering of former students is definitely not a priority. A disappointment but quite understandable.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Omedetou Gozaimasu To Japanese Contest Victors
Bandar Seri Begawan - A Total of 16 participants displayed their speaking and presentation skills in Japanese yesterday as they competed against each other in the 24th Japanese Speech Contest 2010 held at the Civil Service Institute in Rimba.
The annual competition was organised by the Continuing Education Division (CED), Department of Technical Education, Ministry of Education in collaboration with the Embassy ofJapan.
Hjh Erie Abdullah, the event's chairperson in her remarks expressed hopes that the contest would educate the public, especially the youth, on the importance of learning a second language has become.
She went on to say that the ability to take on a second language did not only limit the
individual's ability to communicate with others in a different language, but also shows that they have greater divergence in thinking, greater creativity and connective development as compared to person who is "one lingual".
She also spoke of the importance of the contest in strengthening ties between Brunei and Japan.
"The 24th Japanese Speech Contest demonstrates the success of bilateral cooperation existing between these two countries as it will further strengthen the bond of friendship between the people of Brunei Darussalam and Japan," Hjh Erie said.
The contest was divided into three segments: Beginners level for those who are still new to the language; advance level for veterans of the Japanese language, and an open category for those who fall under Japanese language-formed groups from various institutions and organisations.
Rabi'atul Adawiyah Abu Bakar, champion in the advance level category of the contest shared with The Brunei Times her experience in learning Japanese.
"I started learning the language ever since I was in secondary school when I joined the Science College Sains Japanese Club," she said.
Rabi'atul Adawiyah is a student at the CED where she is able to continue her learning of the language.
Her winning speech entitled "Small Steps", focused on the wastage of electricity and how the attitude of not caring about it should not be tolerated.
"We had to come up with a topic and discuss it with out sensei a month before the contest so that we could practice our speeches and prepare ourselves individually," she said.
Rabi'atul Adawiyah confessed that she did not expect to win first place because she believed that she still lacked in the intonation of the language, but she hoped that with her prize of a free trip to Japan would help improve her weakness in the language and allow her to venture further.
First runner-up in the same category was Ak Ahmad Shafie Pg Abdul Rahman with his speech titled "Life", followed by Amalina Azimah Hj Sanny, in third place with the topic of her speech "Motivation to Learn Language".
Claiming first place in the beginner's level was Hj Muhammad Bukhari Hj Abd Rajid with his speech titled "Japanese TV Programmes in Brunei in the 90s", followed by "Parasite Single" presented by Nurul Naziah Hj Abdul Aziz, and in third place
was Irene Lim Wan Pheng with her "My Friends" speech.
In the open category, out of four participants ,only two were declared as winners. They were Nahimina Fairuz Abd Latif and Hernie Suliana Hj Othman with their speech titled "The Japanese Ganbari" and "See You Tomorrow", respectively.
All participants where judged by a panel of four representatives from the Japanese Embassy, who based their selection on the contents, pronunciation and presentation of each of the speeches presented.
Present as the guest of honour was Dr Hj Junaidi Hj Abd Rahman, Deputy Permanent Secretary (Higher Education), President of Brunei Japan Friendship Association (former Ambassador of Brunei Darussalam to Japan) Dato Paduka Hj Adnan Buntar.-- Courtesy of The Brunei TImes
The annual competition was organised by the Continuing Education Division (CED), Department of Technical Education, Ministry of Education in collaboration with the Embassy ofJapan.
Hjh Erie Abdullah, the event's chairperson in her remarks expressed hopes that the contest would educate the public, especially the youth, on the importance of learning a second language has become.
She went on to say that the ability to take on a second language did not only limit the
individual's ability to communicate with others in a different language, but also shows that they have greater divergence in thinking, greater creativity and connective development as compared to person who is "one lingual".
She also spoke of the importance of the contest in strengthening ties between Brunei and Japan.
"The 24th Japanese Speech Contest demonstrates the success of bilateral cooperation existing between these two countries as it will further strengthen the bond of friendship between the people of Brunei Darussalam and Japan," Hjh Erie said.
The contest was divided into three segments: Beginners level for those who are still new to the language; advance level for veterans of the Japanese language, and an open category for those who fall under Japanese language-formed groups from various institutions and organisations.
Rabi'atul Adawiyah Abu Bakar, champion in the advance level category of the contest shared with The Brunei Times her experience in learning Japanese.
"I started learning the language ever since I was in secondary school when I joined the Science College Sains Japanese Club," she said.
Rabi'atul Adawiyah is a student at the CED where she is able to continue her learning of the language.
Her winning speech entitled "Small Steps", focused on the wastage of electricity and how the attitude of not caring about it should not be tolerated.
"We had to come up with a topic and discuss it with out sensei a month before the contest so that we could practice our speeches and prepare ourselves individually," she said.
Rabi'atul Adawiyah confessed that she did not expect to win first place because she believed that she still lacked in the intonation of the language, but she hoped that with her prize of a free trip to Japan would help improve her weakness in the language and allow her to venture further.
First runner-up in the same category was Ak Ahmad Shafie Pg Abdul Rahman with his speech titled "Life", followed by Amalina Azimah Hj Sanny, in third place with the topic of her speech "Motivation to Learn Language".
Claiming first place in the beginner's level was Hj Muhammad Bukhari Hj Abd Rajid with his speech titled "Japanese TV Programmes in Brunei in the 90s", followed by "Parasite Single" presented by Nurul Naziah Hj Abdul Aziz, and in third place
was Irene Lim Wan Pheng with her "My Friends" speech.
In the open category, out of four participants ,only two were declared as winners. They were Nahimina Fairuz Abd Latif and Hernie Suliana Hj Othman with their speech titled "The Japanese Ganbari" and "See You Tomorrow", respectively.
All participants where judged by a panel of four representatives from the Japanese Embassy, who based their selection on the contents, pronunciation and presentation of each of the speeches presented.
Present as the guest of honour was Dr Hj Junaidi Hj Abd Rahman, Deputy Permanent Secretary (Higher Education), President of Brunei Japan Friendship Association (former Ambassador of Brunei Darussalam to Japan) Dato Paduka Hj Adnan Buntar.-- Courtesy of The Brunei TImes
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