Aalam Sandhu

Ami Hagiwara, Japanese Language Instructor
The 29th Annual BC Japanese Speech Contest was held on March 4, 2017 at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. This year Aalam Sandhu, a third-year student in Japanese, was chosen as a finalist in the intermediate category. Only the top eight students in BC were selected as finalists in this category this year. Aalam worked very hard on his speech and his effort was rewarded with a second place. Judges and other Japanese instructors commented on how well he expressed himself. Participating in this contest is an excellent way to expand on and test (in the real world¹) what one has learned in the classroom.

Aalam Sandhu

Aalam Sandhu, International Studies Major

It was an honour to be selected to participate in the B.C. Japanese Speech Contest and an incredible experience from start to finish. It was amazing to listen to other students¹ speeches and see what they were passionate about.

I was nervous when I stepped up to the podium but was also happy because it was the moment I had been working for. After I delivered my speech, I was satisfied because I had done my absolute best. I never expected I would get second place. I am truly grateful that I was given the opportunity to compete. I would like to thank Ami-sensei for her patience and for helping me practice every day. I also thank everyone in the Department of Global & International Studies for their support in getting me to the competition, and Kim Tran, a participant last year, for sharing her speech contest tips with me and helping me with extra practice every day.