Kazu
Dreams
Some young people express their interests or dreams to the world. It is very good to have a dream and take some steps towards it, I think, because having a dream gives us the power to make it come true.
I wanted to be a pilot when I was little kid because I wanted to fly in the sky, free like a bird. It was going to be cool and fun. I did not like math but I tried my best in elementary school.
Next I wanted to become a teacher because of a teacher I had in my junior high school days. He was a social studies teacher. Usually we used the textbook in the class but he didn’t use it so much. He often said, “Imagine how these people thought. Why did they make this?” or “What do you think is their true purpose?” His class expanded our imagination. I wasn’t very good at history but I enjoyed it very much.
When I entered this university and began to study education, I was very much interested in psychology because that is such an exciting field of study. But at the same time, I realized that education plays a very important role in our development, and that if I learn about psychology in which I am interested, I can contribute to education, as well as to a great many other things.
So now I think that this dream is growing. As in my case, we first want to be something that feels cool or nice, but next we come to have dreams that establish a relation with the people around us. And we will probably reach a dream which shows us how we can make a difference in other people's lives.
In Japan, many young people say that they don’t have particular dreams. But I am convinced it is good to find and have a lot of dreams. As Walt Disney once said, “If you can dream it, you can do it.” If we hold on to our dreams, they will guide us.
Expressing opinions
Hello, my name is Kazuaki Kawashima. But call me Kazu as a nickname if you want. This is my first posting to a weblog.
Sometimes the Japanese are described as shy or as people who usually do not insist on their opinions in public. But I would like to introduce to you a high school student who forcefully expressed his ideas about the environment and the oceans. He won the 1st prize of the Prince Takamado Trophy English Oratorical Contest in 1999.
This boy encountered whales and dolphins in his summer vacation and through this experience he learned something. It is very good to base our thoughts and acts on our experiences, I think. He suggested that we should take steps to protect our land and to stop pollution. Actually, he puts his insight into practice: he picks up cans and litter on his way home, which is a good step to take. He also conducted a little research on dolphins, whales and pollution.
What do you think about his speech? I agree with his ideas. We are facing serious pollution and we should know that there are a lot of animals that are on the edge of extinction or endangered.
This boy expresses his opinion in an English speech, but there are lots of students who are expressing their feelings or ideas in many other ways. I appreciate these people because they enable us to learn and think about issues.
By the way, this is my speech when I was a junior high school student. In fact I participated in the same English Oratorical Contest. So please check it out and let me know what you think.