Recitation is one of the learning methods that 10th and 11th graders experience in English classes by “reading aloud”, which improves their English ability and their ability to effectively speak in public. Every year, students selected from each grade are chosen to take part in the contest and the best students given awards.

The students who were selected to present, received instruction from native teachers almost every day, for about a month. They were waiting for the contest to start with a slightly uneasy look as they wondered whether they could show the results of their effort successfully.

The moderating students, who wore Christmas costumes, appeared and the contest started.

In the first half of the contest, 12 students in the 10th grade presented scenes from the story “The Little Prince”. Illustrations drawn by the other students from the same grade were shown on the screen behind them and impressively conveyed the images of the story.

Students did not just recite stories but they also absorbed the messages of each section and delivered them with conviction, slowly looking around the venue to express a connection with the audience and expressing the emotions of the people in the stories.
In spite being watched by all of the students in the two different grades and the English teachers who were judges they showed the results of their practice despite the hall being filled with tension.

Prior to the second half of the contest, presentations by students from English conversation class and from IB were also held. Their speeches about racial discrimination with their own experiences resonated with the audience and the power of the presentations was clear.

Then, 6 students from the 11th grade recited sections from “The Last Leaf” and “The Gift of the Magi”. 5 students also recited the famous speeches from famous speakers like Former President Obama and Haruki Murakami.

The students were inspired by the presentations of their juniors from the first half of the contest and performed with much more expressive force and confidence which was clear for the audience to see.
When a student stopped his speech due to nervousness, he did not give up and fought to remember his lines. The audience applauded his courage loudly.

After all the presentations were over, the results of the contest was announced and the winning students received awards on the stage.
The students who were chosen as the winners received a loud round of applause from the audience and smiled proudly.

At the end of the contest a teachers message was given to the students, “I was inspired by everyone’s hard work. Great job for today.”

“I practiced not only to memorize the story but also to speak with my own voice. I was not able to do as well as when I practiced, but I think I could tell everyone about what I wanted to at least a little.”
“In ordinary classes we take every day, we do not do much practice with speaking skills like how to pronounce words, and how to speak with inflection, but I got a lot of practice and I learned a lot this time. I also understood about the writers, stories, and the way to express emotion more clearly.”
The fulfillment from what they just accomplished was expressed in the students’ words.

Through their preparation for the recitation contest, the students acquired the ability to overcome the given task as well as sharpen their English skills. They felt a certain response that will help them in the future.

There were plenty of topics presented such as reports from both SGH and SSH students, a lecture by Ken Takai of Earth microbiologist, and a discussion session with Mr.Takai.

The first topic was a report by students talking about the “Model United Nations”, one of the activities from SGH.
“There are many people who talk about global warming as an issue, but from now on, we must also make predictions about cooling.”
Raising awareness of the problem, students gave a presentation about the Model United Nation held this year where the topic was about “Cooling”.

Following the SGH students, the SSH students reported on the research of the “Coral Study Group”. They talked about their findings which related to transplanting coral in the sea near Ishigaki-Jima (an island in Okinawa Prefecture) in 2015 after built upon by using trial and error since 2011. They also introduced their research on coral’s impact on the environment and ways to protect it.

After these two presentations, a question and answer session was held, and a lot of students who were inspired by the activities of their fellows had raised further questions.

Furthermore, a discussion with the theme “The Social and Science Way” was held concerning two activity reports, and the mc student brought a lot of students and teachers in the venue into the discussion.
They explored the usefulness and problems in science, the characteristics of society, and the connection between society and science.

Then, Mr.Takai Ken’s lecture started. It was the main event for the day. As a global microbiologist exploring the origin of life at the Japan Research and Development Institute (JAMSTEC), Mr. Takai appeared in various TV programs including NHK’s deep-sea special program and drew the students in with his unique speaking style. Students were excited to listen to his speech which was delivered with confidence.

“What I want to talk about today is the story of ‘Why do you learn?’. In fact, you want to learn naturally as you are human beings, and I will show you the scientific basis.” Mr. Takai began.

“Among the thirty-three thousand genes that express the personality, there are ‘genes to want to know’. There are only
30, about 1/1000 of them, but they are supposed to create the ‘want to learn’ desire inside of you. It is important to think to make yourself study to achieve this.”

The human connection he touched on, like biological viewpoints and feelings, was easy for the students to understand, and the intellectual curiosity of the students were greatly stimulated.

“And one more thing, there are problems peculiar to high school students, such as human relationships, love affairs, and studies, etc. I want you to think about ‘science’ when you face those problems. Science is not just useful to people and society. It enriches our hearts.”

“Our troubles are not a big deal once we get away from them a bit, but when we are in the midst of them we feel like they are everything. The amazing part of science is that it makes it possible to have a point of view that jumps over the self a little.”

When I was a high school student who was suffering from problems with human relationships and love affairs, I thought of the universe and aquatic creatures through the blue sky and rice paddies seen from the classroom window, and realized that my troubles are small relatively. – The “Value of Science” he spoke about in this story Mr.Takai resonated with each student’s heart and brought increasing awareness.

“We humans have used ‘Science’ to expand our world. This is the most important thing I want you to learn.”

Mr. Takai, was able to make his own world bigger through learning science; through studying about the ocean and the solar system at Kyoto University, in the United States, and in JAMSTEC. His message told us that “Learning” exists in all of everyday life and it expands and enriches our world.

“Have you ever failed in a project?” a student asked.
“I’ve never felt that a project has failed. In fact it may have failed but 1% of success comes from 99% failure. The important thing is the flexibility to think ‘I will succeed next time’,isn’t it?’”

After the lecture, Mr. Takai answered questions about science problems and frank questions about the future, with students who were interested in learning about how the researcher’s desires and scientific questions of the world come together.

He quoted the dialogue from his favorite comic “SLAM DUNK” to talk about the importance of “not giving up” and the most important things when talking with others. The topics raised were diverse and the students had a very fulfilling time thinking about developing “learning” while having fun.

“I thought I have to research things that are useful for society to become a scientific researcher. It was the greatest motivation though, to know that I could research based on my curiosity.”
“By listening to Mr. Takai’s ideas, I feel I can now think flexibly about the future.”

The Students learned new scientific perspectives and insights about human understanding beyond the framework of science and humanities from Mr. Takai, who enjoys “learning” from his heart and faces “Science” with a touch of childlike curiosity. The students advanced a step towards a free and creative future.

The competition was in its third year. The representatives of each grade made presentations, and the best students were selected and awarded　prizes.

Students gathered in the auditorium and waited for the start of the contest. When the emcees appeared wearing Christmas costumes, the audience began to show their excitement.

The first half of the contest was the recitation by the 10th graders. Twelve students presented passages of famous stories that everyone knows, such as “Jack and the Beanstalk”, “Harry Potter” and “A Christmas Carol”.

The students had practiced a lot for this day, and they acted out their stories to amuse the audience. While the judges, who are English teachers, were watching, the students delivered their recitations calmly and clearly despite being nervous..

The 11th graders took the stage in the second half of the event. They divided the story of the movie “A Miracle at 34th Street” into eleven parts. They presented their recitations one by one.

The students told the story with confidence and in well practiced English.
When one of the students drew a blank on his script he overcame his nerves and was able to calm down and he finished his speech. After this there was a big cheer from the audience to show its support.

The story became more and more clear as each student spoke and it concluded with the 11th speaker.

After the presentations, students watched the actual movie they spoke about learned the whole story. The students enjoyed the movie while making connections between what was on the screen and what they had just heard. When the screening was over, the audience applauded and a feeling of Christmas cheer spread over the crowd.

Finally, the English teachers who supported the students’ while they practiced their recitations made a judgment and announced the best speakers. The students who received awards on the stage were met with applause and smiled while the prizes were handed out.

“They prepared and practiced for the contest after school, at lunch time, and even at home. We want to give full marks to everyone for that wonderful effort. The fact that everyone made such an effort is more important than anything. Do not forget your passion and energy in the future.“ The teachers who made the judgment praised the students for their effort and dedication.

After the contest, the students who were awarded received certificates and shook hands with the teachers and chatted happily.

“My teacher helped me everyday, so my skills got better. I was very nervous at the beginning, but I slowly gaineded confidence in my own words as I talked, and I was able to talk well and enjoy the contest.”
“It was great opportunity to study pronunciation. I talked with the native teachers, listened to Western music, and read the script over and over again.”
“I learned many things from the foreign teachers, such as how to express myself, maintain eye contact, building my own confidence, etc. I do not usually think much about those types of things.”

The students were fulfilled by the fact that they got help but also accomplished a lot on their own.

The students gained “confidence” communicating in English at this recitation contest. In addition to not only improving their English ability, they realized how nice it felt to get recognition from their friends, to make an effort and to learn what they are capable of.
With the motivation in speaking English and the self-confidence they gained, they will continue to make forward steps to living a ‘global life’.

The English class, which is held in the third period on Tuesdays, aims to mainly develop basic English skills and build skills needed to succeed in entrance or certification exams. Also, it gives importance to the real English output to develop knowledge of English into more practical skills.

On the day, in the class of the PL course each of the10th graders (first grade high school students) delivered a presentation in English, showing pictures or real things. This is a practical training, in which they answer questions set in their textbook by not only writing but also speaking in English.

Denis, the class teacher, gives lessons only in English. Even though there were students who were still not used to it, his cheerful, conversational demeanour relaxed them. Then, the students were able to relax and enjoy the lesson.

While the students receive input from the textbook, they must produce output in English repeatedly during a class like this. They not only obtain knowledge but also improve their English skills as a practical communication tool.
The class also places a high priority on reading English aloud. Speaking living English helps their learning and academic improvement, and eventually English should be a practical language for them in itself.

All of the students were enthusiastically studying with an eye toward the opportunities that will come after they learn a new language English.