第4回英語レシテーションフェスティバルを開催します。

[開催日]
2022年12月27日(火)

[開催場所]
九州大学西新プラザ(福岡市早良区)  ※ 会場は変更になる可能性があります。

[参加資格]
英語を母語としない方であれば年齢制限なしで、学生・社会人を問わずご参加いただけます。

[参加費]
8,000円

[応募締め切り]
2022年11月30日(水)　※ 40枠で締め切りとします。

[予選]
当日、予選を行い、選ばれた10名が午後の本選に出場出来ます。

[課題文]
課題文は以下より選択制とします。
課題文毎の審査ではありません。予選・本選共にどの課題文を選ばれても同じステージで表現力を競いあいます。

[審査について]
予選審査員はスピーチ経験豊富な者や英語上級者(英検1級取得以上)が担当し、各テーブルの審査員による話し合いの元、本選出場者を決定します。
本選審査員はスピーチに造詣のある英語のネイティブスピーカーが複数人担当します。本選では各スピーチが終わる毎に審査員が得点を発表し、総合点の高さで順位をつける「M-1グランプリ形式」で勝敗が決まります。

[主催・運営]
主催：一般社団法人Next Education　運営協力：NPO法人BALM
※ 2017～2019年に開催された「OPETS杯スピーチ暗唱コンテスト」から名前・運営母体が変わりました。

[開催時間]
10:00～18:00

[当日スケジュール]
9:30～9:50 受付
10:00～12:30 予選
12:30～13:30 昼食
13:30～14:00 開会式
14:00～15:20 本戦(前半の部)
15:20～15:30 休憩
15:30～16:50 本戦(後半の部)
16:50～17:20 閉会式・トロフィー授与
17:20～18:00 懇親会

[お問い合わせ]
recifes@next-edu21.org

今回のレシフェスの課題分は以下の4つ

課題文①　Apple創業者スティーブ・ジョブズのStanford University卒業式祝辞演説(部分抜粋)

Thank you. I am honored to be with you today for your commencement from one of the finest universities in the world. Truth be told, I never graduated from college. And this is the closest I’ve ever gotten to a college graduation. Today I want to tell you three stories from my life. That’s it. No big deal. Just three stories.

The first story is about connecting the dots.

I did go to college. But, after six months, I couldn’t see the value in it. I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life and no idea how college was going to help me figure it out. So I decided to drop out and trust that it would all work out OK. It was pretty scary at the time, but looking back it was one of the best decisions I ever made. The minute I dropped out I could stop taking the required classes that didn’t interest me, and begin dropping in on the ones that looked far more interesting. I decided to take a calligraphy class and I learned about what makes great typography great. It was beautiful, historical, artistically subtle in a way that science can’t capture, and I found it fascinating.

None of this had even a hope of any practical application in my life. But 10 years later, when we were designing the first Macintosh computer, it all came back to me. And we designed it all into the Mac. If I had never dropped out, I would have never dropped in on this calligraphy class, and personal computers might not have the wonderful typography that they do. Of course it was impossible to connect the dots looking forward when I was in college. But it was very, very clear looking backwards 10 years later.

Again, you can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. Because believing that the dots will connect down the road will give you the confidence to follow your heart even when it leads you off the well-worn path and that will make all the difference.

My second story is about love and loss.

I was lucky ― I found what I loved to do early in life. Woz and I started Apple in my parents’ garage when I was 20. We worked hard, and in 10 years Apple had grown from just the two of us in a garage into a $2 billion company with over 4,000 employees. We had just released our finest creation ― the Macintosh ― a year earlier, and I had just turned 30. And then I got fired. How can you get fired from a company you started?

Well, at 30 I was out. And very publicly out. What had been the focus of my entire adult life was gone, and it was devastating. I was a very public failure, and I even thought about running away from the valley. But something slowly began to dawn on me — I still loved what I did. I had been rejected, but I was still in love.

Sometimes life is going to hit you in the head with a brick. Don’t lose faith. I’m convinced that the only thing that kept me going was that I loved what I did. You’ve got to find what you love. And that is as true for work as it is for your lovers. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. And don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking. Don’t settle.

My third story is about death.

For the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: “If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?” And whenever the answer has been “No” for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.

Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything — all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure – these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important.

Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.

When I was young, there was an amazing publication called The Whole Earth Catalog, which was one of the bibles of my generation. On the back cover of their final issue was a photograph of an early morning country road. Beneath it were the words: “Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.” It was their farewell message as they signed off. Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish. And I have always wished that for myself. And now, as you graduate to begin anew, I wish that for you.

Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.

Thank you all very much.

課題文②　パキスタンの人権活動家マララ・ユスフザイの国連での演説(部分抜粋)

Today it is an honor for me to be speaking again after a long time. Being here with such honorable people is a great moment in my life. I don’t know where to begin my speech. I don’t know what people would be expecting me to say, but first of all thank you to God for whom we all are equal and thank you to every person who has prayed for my fast recovery and a new life.

​Dear friends, on the 9th of October 2012, the Taliban shot me on the left side of my forehead. They shot my friends, too. They thought that the bullets would silence us, but they failed. And out of that silence came thousands of voices. The terrorists thought they would change my aims and stop my ambitions. But nothing changed in my life except this: weakness, fear and hopelessness died. Strength, power and courage were born.

​I am the same Malala. My ambitions are the same. My hopes are the same. And my dreams are the same. Dear sisters and brothers, I am not against anyone. Neither am I here to speak in terms of personal revenge against the Taliban or any other terrorist group. I am here to speak up for the right of education of every child. I want education for the sons and daughters of the Taliban and all the terrorists and extremists. I do not even hate the Talib who shot me. Even if there is a gun in my hand and he stands in front of me, I would not shoot him. This is the compassion that I have learned from Mohammed, the prophet of mercy, Jesus Christ and Lord Buddha. This is the legacy of change that I have inherited from Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela and Mohammed Ali Jinnah. This is the philosophy of nonviolence that I have learned from Gandhi, Bacha Khan and Mother Teresa. And this is the forgiveness that I have learned from my father and from my mother. This is what my soul is telling me: be peaceful and love everyone.

​Dear sisters and brothers, we realize the importance of light when we see darkness. We realize the importance of our voice when we are silenced. In the same way, when we were in Swat, the north of Pakistan, we realized the importance of pens and books when we saw the guns. The wise saying, “The pen is mightier than the sword.” was true. The extremists were and they are afraid of books and pens. The power of education frightens them. That is why they are blasting schools every day because they were and they are afraid of change, afraid of the equality that we will bring into our society. I remember that there was a boy in our school who was asked by a journalist, “why are the Taliban against education?” He answered very simply by pointing to his book, he said, “a Talib doesn’t know what is written inside this book.”

​Dear fellows, today I am focusing on women’s rights and girls’ education because they are suffering the most. There was a time when women activists asked men to stand up for their rights. But this time we will do it by ourselves. I am not telling men to step away from speaking for women’s rights. Rather, I am focusing on women to be independent and fight for themselves.

​So dear sisters and brothers, now it’s time to speak up. Today, we call upon the world leaders to change their strategic policies in favor of peace and prosperity. We call upon the world leaders that all of these deals must protect women and children’s rights. A deal that goes against the rights of women is unacceptable. We want schools and education for every child’s bright future. We will continue our journey to our destination of peace and education. No one can stop us. We will speak up for our rights and we will bring change through our voice. We believe in the power and the strength of our words. Our words can change the whole world because we are all together, united for the cause of education. And if we want to achieve our goal, then let us empower ourselves with the weapon of knowledge and let us shield ourselves with unity and togetherness.

​Dear brothers and sisters, we must not forget that millions of people are suffering from poverty, injustice and ignorance. We must not forget that millions of children are out of their schools. We must not forget that our sisters and brothers are waiting for a bright, peaceful future.

​So let us wage a glorious struggle against illiteracy, poverty and terrorism. Let us pick up our books and our pens. They are the most powerful weapons. One child, one teacher, one book and one pen can change the world. Education is the only solution. Education first.

​Thank you.

課題文③　アカデミー賞受賞俳優デンゼル・ワシントンのDillard University卒業式祝辞演説(部分抜粋)

Let me take this moment to wholeheartedly congratulate each and every one of you today. I’m going to tell about two or three stories. I’m going to keep it really short. I remember my graduation speaker got up there and went on forever, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. So I’m going to keep it short.

​NUMBER ONE: PUT GOD FIRST.

​Put God first in everything you do. Everything that you think you see in me, everything that I’ve accomplished, everything that you think I have – and I have a few things. Everything that I have is by the grace of God. Understand that. It’s a gift.

​Forty years ago, I was flunking out of college. I had a 1.7 grade point average. I was sitting in my mother’s beauty parlor. I was looking in the mirror and I saw behind me a woman under the dryer. Every time I looked up, she was looking at me. She was looking me in the eye. I didn’t know who she was and she said, “Somebody, give me a pen, give me a pencil. I have a prophecy.”

​She said, “Boy, you are going to travel the world and speak to millions of people.”

​Well, I have traveled the world and I have spoken to millions of people, but that’s not the most important thing – the success that I had. The most important thing is that what she told me that day has stayed with me since.

​I’ve been protected. I’ve been directed. I’ve been corrected. I’ve kept God in my life and it’s kept me humble. I didn’t always stick with Him but He always stuck with me.

​So stick with Him in everything you do. If you think you want to do what you think I’ve done, then do what I’ve done and stick with God. 

NUMBER TWO: FAIL BIG.

​That’s right. Fail big. Today is the beginning of the rest of your life, and it’s going to be very frightening. It’s a new world out there. It’s a mean world out there. But you only live once, so do what you feel passionate about.

​Take chances professionally. Don’t be afraid to fail. There’s an old IQ test that was nine dots and you had to draw four lines with a pencil within these nine dots without lifting the pencil.

​The only way to do it was to go outside the box. So don’t be afraid to go outside the box. Don’t be afraid to think outside the box. Don’t be afraid to fail big, to dream big. But remember: dreams without goals are just dreams, and they ultimately fuel disappointment.

​So have dreams, but have goals: life goals, yearly goals, monthly goals, daily goals. And understand that to achieve these goals, you must apply discipline and consistency. In order to achieve your goals, you must apply discipline, which you’ve already done, and consistency every day, not just one Tuesday and miss a few days. You have to work at it every day. You have to plan every day. You’ve heard the saying, “We don’t plan to fail; we fail to plan.”

​Hard work works. Working really hard is what successful people do. And in this text, tweet, twerk world that you’ve grown up in, remember: just because you’re doing a lot more doesn’t mean you’re getting a lot more done. Remember that. Just because you’re doing a lot more doesn’t mean you’re getting a lot more done.

​Don’t confuse movement with progress. My mother said, “Yeah, because you can run in place all the time and never get anywhere.” So continue to strive. Continue to have goals. Continue to progress.

NUMBER THREE: YOU’LL NEVER SEE A U-HAUL BEHIND A HEARSE.

​I don’t care how much money you make; you can’t take it with you. It’s not how much you have ― it’s what you do with what you have. We all have different talents ― some of you will be doctors, some lawyers, some scientists, some educators, some nurses, some teachers, some preachers.

​The most selfish thing you can do in this world is help someone else. Why is this selfish? Because the gratification, the goodness that comes to you, the good feeling, the good feeling that I get from helping others, nothing’s better than that. That’s where the joy is: in helping others. That’s where the success is: in helping others.

​Finally, I pray that you put your slippers way under the bed tonight, so that when you wake up in the morning, you have to get on your knees to reach them.

​And while you’re down there, say thank you for grace, thank you for mercy, thank you for understanding, thank you for wisdom, thank you for parents, thank you for love, thank you for kindness, thank you for humility, thank you for peace, thank you for prosperity.

​Say “thank you” in advance for what’s already yours.

​That’s how I live my life. That’s one of the reasons why I am the person I am today.

​Say “thank you” in advance for what is already yours.

​True desire in the heart for anything good is God’s proof to you sent beforehand to indicate that it’s yours already.

​Anything you want, good, you can have, so claim it. Work hard to get it. When you get it, reach back, pull someone else up. Each one, teach one.

​Don’t just aspire to make a living. Aspire to make a difference.

​Thank you.

課題文④ ストーリー「Perfect Explanation」

The picture moved on the wall for no apparent reason.
  “What on earth made it move like that?” Betty asked. 
We all looked at Grandmother’s picture and offered explanations.
  “Wind,” said Father.
It was a calm day. There was not a breath of wind, and anyway all the doors and windows were closed.
  “An earthquake,” I suggested, proud that at the age of seven I knew such a long word.
  “An earthquake? In Britain?” said my sister Betty. “Don’t be silly.”
  “But,” I replied defensively, “earthquakes do happen sometimes even in Britain. Don’t they, Daddy?”
  “We would have felt it,” my father said.
  “Do you suppose Grandma is all right?” Betty asked anxiously.
Grandma was a tough old woman, fitter than most people half her age. Of course she was all right, but Betty persisted, “Perhaps it’s a sign …”
  “A sign of what?” I asked, looking for a chance to retaliate. “A sign that you’re stupid?”
  “Stop it, you two!” Mother said wearily. “I’m sure there is a perfectly natural explanation. Now, finish your meal. Come on, eat up your vegetables, you two, or there will be no dessert for you.”
  Then, the picture moved again, this time so violently that we all saw it. When it stopped, it was no longer straight. Grandma looked as if she was about to slip off her chair. This time, nobody spoke. It wasn’t funny any more. I felt really scared, but of course did not show it. My sister Betty had gone pale. Mother got up and went over to the picture. She straightened it and came back to the table. “There,” she said, “now, let’s get on with our meal.”
  “But, Mommy, why did Grandma’s picture move like that?”
  “Oh, I expect, well, as I said, there’ll be a perfectly natural explanation.”
  Betty and I were sent to bed early that evening, but we crept downstairs and sat on the bottom step trying to catch what our parents were talking about.
  “… silly idea … frightened us all … apologize …”
  “… just a joke … don’t make such a fuss … explain to them in the morning …”
  I was up early in the morning, and found the piece of thread still hanging from Grandma’s picture where my father had tied it. So, Dad had moved the picture! What a good trick! It had certainly fooled everyone. Good old Dad! As we sat having breakfast, I looked at him and winked to let him know I had understood. He winked back at me, but said nothing.
  My mother was in the kitchen when the phone rang. She answered it, and then came into the room where we were having breakfast. She was as white as a sheet.
  “That was Cousin Lucy,” she said. “Grandma died peacefully during the night.”

​