The 25th Ueno Gakuen - Gordonstoun English Contest

I. Aim

         The aim of the contest is to encourage young people who do not speak English as their first language to experience life in an international environment and to improve their knowledge of foreign culture and their language skills in a challenging context.
         Two winners of this contest will be sent to the Gordonstoun International Summer School (http://www.gordonstoun-int.com/) in 2014. The prize (equivalent of \1,200,000/US$12,100 per winner) includes the summer school fee and the travel expense to Gordonstoun from Tokyo.

��.Eligibility

 1) The contestant is age between 11 and 17 (as of July 2014) of any nationality;
 2) The contestant's first language is not English;
 3) The contestant is not attending English speaking school; and
 4) The contestant has not completed compulsory education for more than 2 years either in the U.K. or at any English speaking school overseas.

III. Application Procedure

         The contestant is required to write an essay on one of the following themes either in English (400 to 600 words) or in Japanese (1200-2000 letters with 100-word English summary of the essay):

 1) My Favourite Word,
 2) An Unforgettable Experience, or
 3) My School.

         The essay must be clipped together with the "Title Page (PDF)" and sent to the Ueno Gakuen - Gordonstoun English Contest Committee Office by registered post along with the Application Form (PDF).
The25th_ApplicationForm.pdf(PDF)
The25th_TitlePage.pdf(PDF)

 1) The essay must be the original work of the contestant and must be hand-written in black or blue ink by the contestant.
 2) The correction of the essay by teachers or by English speakers should be limited.
 3) The essay must reach the Contest Committee Office between 1st November and 18th December, 2013.
 4) The essay will not be returned.

         Essays will be evaluated by the judges and up to 10 contestants will be selected to participate in the Speech Contest. The results of the Essay Contest will be notified in writing to all the contestants before 25th December, 2013.

IV. Speech Contest

         The Speech Contest will be held at Ueno Gakuen University in Tokyo, Japan, on Sunday, 19th January, 2014 from 12:30pm. The contest will be open to the public.

 1) The speech must be the original work of the contestant and must be delivered in English.
 2) Judges will ask the contestants questions after their speeches.
 3) The degree of assistance given by teachers or by English speakers should be limited to no more than correcting grammatical errors or making minor alterations for the sake of continuity.
 4) Contestants must make their own travel arrangement to and from Ueno Gakuen.

V. Judging Criteria for the Speech Contest

         The marking system comprises the following categories:

 1) Content 40% (e.g. originality, cohesion of ideas, intention, message)
 2) Language 30% (e.g. fluency, pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary, accuracy)
 3) Expression and Presentation 30% (e.g. delivery, manner, memorisation, impact, length)

         A panel of judges will decide the winners. The judges will determine the outcome through discussion. Their decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into. The content of the judges' discussion is not open to the public at any time.

��Judges��
Hiro Ishibashi, O.B.E., Chairman Emeritus of the Judging Committee
Honorary Chairman of the Ueno Gakuen Educational Foundation; Honorary Fellow of St Hilda's College, Oxford; Member of Chancellor's Court of Benefactors of the University of Oxford; Honorary Vice-President of the Japan-British Society.

Yoshiharu Ishibashi
Chairman of the Ueno Gakuen Educational Foundation; Executive Director of the Japan-British Society.

Jenny Needham
Director of the Gordonstoun International Summer School.

Takanori Kazuhara
Former Japanese Ambassador to Ireland and Nigeria.

Tadayuki Nonoyama
Former Japanese Ambassador to Jordan and Norway.

Tsunetada Matsudaira,
Chairman Emeritus of the English-Speaking Union of Japan; Chairman of the Japan Finland Culture and Friendship Association; Chairman of Ueno Gakuen Association.

Anthony Millington, O.B.E.
Director General of the European Automobile Manufacturers Association in Tokyo; Executive Director of the Japan-British Society.

Timothy Harris
Contract Lecturer of English Language at Ueno Gakuen University.

Donald Keene
Professor Emeritus of Columbia University; Former Visiting Professor at Ueno Gakuen University.

Application and Further Information

The Ueno Gakuen - Gordonstoun English Contest Committee Office
4-24-12, Higashi Ueno,
Taito-ku,
Tokyo 110-8642,
Japan.

Tel. +81 (0)3 3842 1021
Fax. +81 (0)3 3843 7548
e-mail. uniadmin@uenogakuen.ac.jp
Ueno Gakuen Website: /