“The Courage to Listen to One Another—National Victory”
High School English Speech Contest Shensoi Ebrar of Bihoku High School
Summary
In the National High School English Speech Contest, first-year student Shensoi Ebrar (16) from Bihoku High School achieved the national championship. The contest is a major event in which representatives from across the country deliver speeches in English to express their own ideas. Participants advanced through the prefectural and regional qualifying rounds to reach the national stage. After winning at the Aichi Prefectural contest and then at the Tokai Regional contest, Shensoi took part in the national finals. The theme of her speech centered on the importance of having the courage to listen to each other in an increasingly diverse society. Drawing on everyday experiences at school and in the community, the speech conveyed that building mutual understanding begins with listening, and that respecting differences opens the door to connection.