Preliminary Round Application
NOTE: dates for the next round of applications are coming soon.
In order to participate in an individual division of J.LIVE Talk, applicants must submit the relevant online application form by the submission deadline (October 6, 2022):
Before You Submit the Application Form
- Download the consent/endorsement form: High school division consent form (PDF), College divisions (PDF).
- Fill out and sign Part 1 and Part 2.
- Have Part 3 filled out and signed by your instructor.
- Complete a video for submission.
Video Submission Guidelines and Requirements
As a competitor, you are required to provide a short video of you speaking Japanese (see below for specifics). This video will be used to evaluate your qualification and proficiency level. Therefore, you may not enlist the assistance of your instructor or a native speaker of Japanese.
- Your video should be 2-3 minutes long and show you speaking for its entire duration. (No slideshows, please.)
- Begin your video by stating your name. Do not mention the name of your school.
- High School Division: Learning is a lifelong process. Describe what you would like to learn as you grow into adulthood. For example, you can talk about what you plan to study in college, or what kind of skills you would like to master, etc. Explain why.
- College Division: Describe what a college education means to you. You can interpret this prompt however you like. You can talk about your personal experiences, e.g., a particular life lesson you have learned as a college student; your dreams for the future and how college is helping you prepare for it; etc. Or you can approach the topic in more broadly socio-cultural terms, e.g., why you think a college education is necessary in today's "knowledge economy"; how you think higher education should be improved for future generations; etc.
- You are expected to speak naturally. You will be disqualified if you read from a pre-written script. Imagine an audience in front of you and talk to this audience. Pay attention to your gestures, voice volume and eye contact.
- Upload your video to YouTube and select "Unlisted" as the privacy setting.
If you have any questions regarding how to upload the video to YouTube, see Video Upload Instructions below.
Please note that, if we decide to use any part of your video for promotional or other purposes in the future, we will obtain your consent beforehand.
Video Upload Instructions
- Go to YouTube.com
- Click 'Sign in' in the upper right corner. You can sign in with your Gmail account. If you do not have a Gmail account, create one. Or, you will need to create a separate YouTube account using your email address.
- Once you create (and sign into your) YouTube account, click 'Upload' in the upper right corner.
- Select a file to upload. Make sure to use the following format for the title of your video: 'JLIVE Talk + Your Name' (e.g., JLIVE Talk Sachiko Suzuki).
- Select the privacy setting "Unlisted."
You may ignore the other fields (Description, Tags and Category).
Note: There are many video tutorials on uploading to YouTube, such as this tutorial.
Once your video is uploaded, YouTube will create a URL link for your video. Provide this URL link when submitting the online application form.
If you cannot upload to YouTube or prefer to send your video in a different way, please notify the J.LIVE Talk Committee at [email protected].