Language students talk it up

A speech with the intriguing title "Slurping and clicking manner" won Victorian high school student Tammy Tsu-Han Fang top honours at the 38th National Japanese Language Speech Contest. Organised by the Japan Foundation, Sydney, and staged at the NSW State Library on October 13, the contest aims to encourage and challenge Japanese language students. Eighteen participants, whose first language is not Japanese, gathered for the national contest after qualifying in state competition. Tammy won the high school senior division while Max Lavery, also of Victoria, won the open beginner division with his speech on kanji. In the open division, fellow Victorian Rebecca Chen of Monash University impressed the judges and audience with her speech "Things to learn from an otaku" and Mai Kaneshiro, of Queensland, took out the background speakers division with her talk "To value each other".