Eligibility
Based on teacher recommendation (and subject to review by the selection committee1), applicants enter one of the three competition categories: Category I, II, and III2. All applicants must satisfy all basic qualifications, as well as the relevant category-specific qualifications. Heritage speakers who satisfy the basic qualifications are encouraged to apply.
Basic qualifications
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Will be registered in a Japanese-as-a-foreign-language class at undergraduate or graduate level in a 2-year college or 4-year university as of November 13, 2016 (J.LIVE Talk 2016 final round date)3
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Has earned a minimum of six college level Japanese-as-a-foreign-language credits4 or the equivalent (as determined by the student’s university and subject to review by the selection committee5) by the time of application
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Has not attended a full-time, secondary-level (grades 7-12) Japanese educational institution accredited by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan, for 4 or more years.
Category-specific qualifications
The following levels are determined by teacher recommendation based on the “ACTFL oral proficiency guidelines 2012” and subject to review by the selection committee.
Category I
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Possesses intermediate-low to intermediate-mid level speaking proficiency
Category II
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Possesses intermediate-high to advanced-low level speaking proficiency
Category III
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Possesses advanced-mid to advanced-high level speaking proficiency
1 Please note that the selection committee reserves the right to place a contestant in a different category based on the committee’s evaluation of his/her YouTube video submission, and/or Skype interview to be conducted if necessary.
2 In the event there are not enough successful applicants in Category III, the selection committee will merge Category III into II.
3 If there are extenuating circumstances that make it impossible for you to be enrolled in a Japanese class in Fall 2016, please contact us by email and explain your situation. The Executive Committee will determine your eligibility on a case-by-case basis.
4 Calculated based on a semester system.
5 For instance, AP Japanese Language and Culture course credits officially accepted by a college/university may be counted as college-level Japanese-as-a-foreign-language credits.
