About

Beth leads the Future Leaders project in the Schools of Politics, Philosophy, Language and communication at the University of East Anglia. She is a passionate advocate to give young people a voice and give them the insight, skills and confidence to lead on instigating positive social change.

She brought World Speech Day to the UEA and to the Netherlands

Also, she is the main organizer for the first ever National Political Speech Competition for UK students.

Mark has been Director of the Centre for Foreign Language Study at Durham University since October 2013. Committed to extending language ability across all sectors of society, he is currently (2019-) Chair the Association of University Language Communities in the UK & Ireland (AULC), having previously been Vice-Chair (2015-17) and Secretary & Treasurer (2017-19). Mark is also a member of the Coordinating Committee of Cercles, the confederation of language centres in higher education in Europe.

In 2016-17 Mark led the Language Learning Frameworks project, supported by the British Academy and in collaboration with 15 University partners. This project developed the first set of recommendations for language course design, aligned to the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR), in terms of input study hours for language courses of different durations and intensity in the 10 most commonly taught languages in the UK. He continues to work collaboratively with a range of colleagues across the language sector in the UK, Europe and elsewhere. He is active in promoting world languages across UK language centres.

Consultant of Cross-Cultural Management &

English Communication in business

Worked for Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp. (NTT, Japan), the OECD (Paris) and SITA (Geneva) with colleagues from 230+ countries and territories. Developed competence in business English through various experiences including lay-off in Switzerland and being the only Japanese at work for 30 years in Europe. Back in Japan since 2018, working to open more the Japanese society to the world. Created and running «the Global Citizen’s Forum» (Monthly online seminar), since 2017.

Member of Toastmasters club, since 2015. Global Liaison Manager for Japan (2020-2021), Finalist of the national speech contest (2020)

My name is Miriam Starling, but everyone calls me Miri. I work as an Assistant Programme Officer at the Japan Foundation, London. I did a degree in Japanese at the University of Oxford. I was also lucky enough to study as an exchange student at Ochanomizu University in Tokyo for one year, and at Kwansei Gakuin University in Nishinomiya for four months. From 2014 to 2017, I worked in Oita Prefecture as a Coordinator for International Relations at the Oita Prefectural Office, as part of the JET Programme. Even now I am back in the United Kingdom, a part of my heart is still in Kyushu. Good luck to all the speakers here today and dozo yoroshiku onegaishimasu!

Ritsuko Koso-Kirk is Assistant Professor in Japanese (Teaching) in the School of Modern Languages and Cultures at Durham University. She teaches and convenes second and final year language modules on the Japanese Studies degree programme.

Ritsuko organises an annual internal Japanese speech contest at Durham, to give students opportunities to demonstate their ability and enthusiasm for Japan beyond the curriculum.

Ritsuko is very pleased to be a part of this Wolrd Speech Day Japan as one of the judges this year, and is very much looking forward to hearing all the speeches!

Councillor of the Japanese Embassy in the UK. He is responsible for education and sport. Before assigned to the current position, he has been working for the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology in Japan (MEXT) for nearly 20 years.

A current English lecturer at Asia Pacific University in Beppu City, Kyushu. Prior to this, he worked for Oita City Board of Education as an English teacher across eleven municipal schools. In this role, he worked closely with students in preparation for annual speech and recital competitions at the prefectural level. As a student, he read for an MSc in Japanese Studies at Pembroke College, Oxford, focusing on translation of Meiji period literature.

Currently works as a Marketing and Communications Officer at the London office of Japan National Tourism Organisation (JNTO) and an evening teacher of Japanese at Durham University.

Previously read for an MSc in Japanese Studies at Wadham College, Oxford with a focus on female ideological organisations in Japan.

Graduated from university in the U.S. and subsequently had 4-years experience working in New York. Now living in Osaka, Japan with her family, she teaches English to businessmen and graduate students on a part time basis. Public speaking is one of her passions, and she has been an active member of Toastmasters for more than 5 years

I am a lecturer (in Teaching) at Durham University in the School of Modern Languages and Cultures, currently teaching Japanese to first and the second-year students. I have previously worked at the Centre for Foreign Language Study at Durham University and other organisations, teaching Japanese from secondary school students to adult learners. I am looking forward to supporting students who are taking part in this event.

Ayako is an experienced manager of international educational projects and previously worked as the Education Projects Manager for the British Council in Tokyo, Japan between 2009 and 2019. Since Ayako left the British Council, she has developed digital skills at a professional level, including web development and computer programming skills. She is now involved in multiple online educational projects, bringing people from different backgrounds together.

Helen Cant

Learning and Teaching Administrator

CFLS, Durham University

Helen administrates and supports the marketing of extra-curricular language courses and events at the Centre for Foreign Language Study at Durham University. She has a background in graphic design, and provides advice on technical matters for print and web based content.

Grettir Sigurjónsson

IT Manager and technician

University of Iceland