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Fourth-year BA Japanese student Ailian Pei won first place in the Speech Category at the 20th annual Japanese Speech Contest for Students.

Ailian won the individual category for their speech Challenges of Japan's “Recruitment System for the Newly Graduated” from the Perspective of International Students, with fellow student Michelle Aiko Boddey finishing as a finalist with the speech “Redefining Masculinity in Modern Japan”. 

Occurring every year, The Japanese Speech Contest for Students is hosted by the British Association for Teaching Japanese (BATJ) and the Japan Foundation in London - with five finalists in the Speech category and five finalists in the individual category.

Speaking on winning the competition, Ailian said: 

“It was a great opportunity to challenge myself and connect with others who share a passion for learning the Japanese language and culture. Winning the competition has further motivated me to enhance my language skills and deepen my understanding of Japan. I am truly grateful for the support I have received throughout this journey!”

Dr Satona Suzuki, Senior Lecturer in Japanese and Modern Japanese History, said: 

“This year’s Speech Category was incredibly competitive, making it even more remarkable that two of our students, Ailian and Michelle were selected as finalists among the top five—a great achievement in itself. I feel honoured to have been a tutor for Ailian and Michelle, both of whom were enthusiastic and hardworking. 

The Japanese Speech Contest is not just about language skills; it is also about delivering a powerful message. Ailian and Michelle both understood this deeply, and their speeches resonated strongly with both the judges and the audience. A special congratulations to Ailian for winning the Speech Category!”

Ilana Webster-Kogen, Head of School of Languages, Cultures and Linguistics added:

“This great news is another reminder to our whole academic community that SOAS is the premier destination for the teaching and learning of Asian and African languages in the UK. We are so proud of our award-winning student competitors and our world-renowned staff who nurtured and coached them."

The SOAS School of Languages, Cultures and Linguistics offers unparalleled disciplinary expertise and access to language study for those interested in Asia, Africa and the Middle East. With a core focus in fields such as literature and film, linguistics and poetry, the school acts as a foundation of learning and understanding of societies and cultures from across the world.