With his fluent Japanese and compelling oratory, Diep The Khai, a student of Japanese Translation & Interpretation at the DTU School of Foreign Languages, Humanities, & Social Sciences (LHSS), outstandingly won second prize at the Japanese Speech Contest organized by the Vietnam-Japan University of the Vietnam National University (VNU) Hanoi on October 12, 2024.
Beautiful memories of the Land of the Rising Sun into speech contest
The Japanese Speech Contest, held for the 10th anniversary of the Vietnam - Japan University, attracted a large number of young Japanese-language enthusiasts from various institutions nationwide, including the Vietnam-Japan University itself, the University of Languages & International Studies (VNU Hanoi), DTU, and Ha Long University.
The Khai with his second prize at the Japanese Speech Contest
Under the theme “My perspective on the future of Vietnam–Japan cooperation”, the contestants could freely express their thoughts and emotions through personal stories, events, or memorable experiences. They were evaluated based on criteria such as:
? speech content,
? presentation style,
? grammar,
? accuracy of Japanese pronunciation.
“The Japanese government awarded me a scholarship to study in the Land of the Rising Sun for a year as an international student,” The Khai explains. “That year allowed me to explore many fascinating aspects of Japanese culture and people, and I made many dear and precious Japanese friends. These experiences showed me how incredibly friendly, honest, and kind the Japanese are. Using my cooking skills and desiring to show the culture of my own people, I taught my Japanese friends some more about Vietnam, and they became genuinely excited about visiting our country.
The Khai impressed with his confidence and persuasive Japanese speaking
“In the speech contest, I wanted to share real-life stories from my time in Japan, which met with wide enthusiastic support and recognition.”
DTU as stepping stone to confidently step out into the world
Currently a third-year student of Japanese Translation & Interpretation at DTU, The Khai has passed every level of the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT), from N5 to N1. His persistent efforts over the years have enabled him to achieve an advanced level in Japanese, equivalent to the highest level of Japanese language proficiency assessment.
“I dedicate over five hours a day to learning Japanese and I constantly tell myself I have to be better than the day before,” The Khai explains. “For years, I have focused on mastering the four key skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing. My time at DTU has been extremely beneficial, thanks to the regular guidance and support from Vietnamese and Japanese lecturers of Japanese language, especially concerning public speaking.”
The Khai received a certificate after completing a year in Japan
Through these efforts, The Khai was awarded the prestigious Monbukagakusho scholarship by the Japanese government to study Japanese language and culture at Sanyo Gakuen University in Japan in 2023. This scholarship is granted by Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, & Technology (MEXT) to outstanding international students.
The Khai is currently an active member of DTU’s Japanese Club and actively participates in cultural and linguistic exchange activities at the university. He also assists younger students studying Japanese or attending DTU’s Vietnam-Japan Institute. His dynamism and agility in various events have been an important factor that have provided this handsome student with a good Japanese with numerous opportunities to showcase his skills, gain practical experience, and acquire much-needed knowledge and skills.
“I hope to be able to participate in more national and international Japanese-language contests to further improve my Japanese proficiency and to deepen my understanding of Japan,” The Khai says on his future plans. “Japanese is still new to me and there’s plenty of intriguing aspects that I want to explore further. Although I know the road ahead won’t be strewn with roses, I’m going to try and pursue a master's degree and a PhD to advance my career in the best way possible.”
The organizers awarded the following outstanding contestants:
? first prize: Nguyen Pham Van Anh (Vietnam -Japan University, VNU Hanoi)
? second prize: Diep The Khai (DTU)
? third prize: Dang Quynh Anh (University of Languages & International Studies, VNU Hanoi) and Nguyen Ha Vy (Vietnam -Japan University, VNU Hanoi)
? consolation prizes: Nguyen Thi Van Anh, Nguyen Hai Van, and Dang Van Viet (Ha Long University), and Nguyen Minh Chau (Vietnam -Japan University, VNU Hanoi).
(Media Center)