The Language Teacher
September 2001
The Asian Youth Forum: Creating Opportunities for Real World English
Beth Barry
Kanda University of International Studies
In September of last year, I had the fortunate experience to cross paths with Kip Cates at the national KoTESOL Conference in Taegu, South Korea. Unbeknownst to me, he would have a great impact on my next academic year of teaching.
At KoTESOL, I listened to Kip explain about the Asian Youth Forum (AYF), a unique experiment in cross-cultural communication and understanding between young people from Japan, Korea, Thailand, and Taiwan. The concept of college-aged students from all over Asia coming to the PAC3 conference in Japan to use English-as-an-Asian-Language to problem-solve, discuss world issues, and promote peace was exactly what my students needed. I'd been looking for a real world experience for them and flew back to Japan to initiate an Asian Youth Forum English speech contest at my university.
Wouldn't it be great, I thought, if the top three speech contest winners each got an all-expenses paid trip to participate in the three-day Asian Youth Forum at PAC3 in Kokura, Kitakyushu? Having an idea is one thing; putting it into action another. Luckily, the timing was right, since my university had just launched a new International Communication Department. A speech contest that motivated students to use their skills in an international forum complimented this new educational effort. Consequently, the idea was well received.
I tried to think of a speech contest theme linked to the Asian Youth Forum and, after discussions with colleagues, decided on "English as a Tool for Intercultural Communication and Understanding," with students speaking on what the theme meant to them. My colleagues and I formed a speech contest committee and set about managing details ranging from chairs needed to the selection process for the final eight students.
We decided to limit the contest to full-time KUIS (Kanda University of International Studies) undergraduate students. For publicity, Kip mailed me AYF posters which I enlarged to post throughout the KUIS campus. I distributed memos to teachers and students advertising the contest and explaining the application process. I also researched speech contests on the Internet and chose a format based on the American Legion's annual speech contest.
By June 1, 2001, 37 students had applied with their tapes and manuscripts. Getting students to do extra outside regular classroom work and participate in special activities is not easy for any university. Therefore, we were happy with the number of applicants. The deciding factor in making the event a success was the cooperation of my colleagues in encouraging students to apply, giving them moral support, and volunteering to help with the judging.
As long as actual contest costs were kept to a minimum, our university administration was very generous in supporting the "all expenses paid" trips to the AYF for the three contest winners. The top three winners were given gift vouchers and all finalists received small monetary tokens of appreciation. Using available software, certificates were printed at no cost, and a simple stage with appropriate lighting and podium was set. To help the audience understand the judging, an overhead transparency was used to explain the American Legion format.
At 2:00 p.m. on June 16, 2001 at Millennium Hall on the KUIS campus, the first Asian Youth Forum Speech Contest began with the theme "English as a Tool for Intercultural Communication and Understanding." Although the audience was small, the speakers delivered their speeches with a combination of nerves and enthusiasm. For all of them, it was the first time they had given a speech in English in such a formal setting. In the end, however, more important for the students than winning was the opportunity to really use English, instead of just studying it.
For most Japanese college students, going abroad is cost prohibitive, but this year, they can meet Asia right here in Japan. As an educator who has lived, taught, and studied in both South Korea and Japan, I would like to congratulate Kip Cates and the AYF team for their courageous but hopeful initiative.
Using English as an Asian Language for peace-building and international understanding is something we can all support. My students will be at the Asian Youth Forum in Kitakyushu this November, and my administration has said that next year's speech contest winner can go to the next Asian Youth Forum at PAC4 in Taipei, Taiwan. I encourage you to give your own students the chance to use real world English and experience international youth exchange. Finally, I hope your school can send its own winners to a future AYF, too.
For further information: AYF website: <www.asianyouthforum.org>;
Kip Cates, AYF Coordinator, t/f: 0857-31-5650, <kcates@fed.tottori-u.ac.jp>
Reported by Beth Barry, Kanda University of International Studies <bbarry@hotmail.com>
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