Toastmasters Mongolia Clubで英語のスピーチ練習

私は毎週木曜日の夜、Toastmasters Mongolia Club（公式Facebookページ）で英語のスピーチ練習会に参加しています。

先週の練習会では、久しぶりにスピーチを行う機会がありました。今回のスピーチでは、オーディエンスをインスパイアすることが目的として課されており、私は “My Mother’s Words for My Career” というタイトルでスピーチを行いました。

スピーチの内容は、昨年亡くなった母との思い出に基づいています。子供の頃、母が仕事をしていた為に、学校から帰ってきても母が家におらず寂しかったこと、そのため、母に「私は大人になったら仕事をしないで、家にいて、子供におやつを作ってあげるお母さんになる」と言ったこと。すると、母から「女性も専門的な職業を持つべきだ」とアドバイスされたこと、そしてその言葉が私のキャリアの大きな指針となったことをお話ししました。私は男性優位の社会で挑戦を重ねながらIT業界で何度も転職を経験しました。そして最終的には、世界でも最も大きなコンピュータ会社の１つでエンジニアとして働くことができました。

スピーチの最後には、自立し強い意志を持って人生を歩んできたことを誇りに思うとともに、そのように育ててくれた母への感謝の気持ちを述べました。

このスピーチが評価され、Best Prepared Speech Speaker Award をいただくことができました。この受賞を母が喜んでくれたら、うれしいです。

以下に、スピーチのスクリプトを掲載します。ぜひご覧ください。

Speech title: “My mother’s words for my career”

Opening:

Last year, while I was temporarily back in Japan, my mother passed away.
This speech is dedicated to my mother’s memory, and through my words, I hope to honor the strength and vision she instilled in me.

When I was 23 years old, I left my first job where I had worked for a year after graduating university. Then, I entered an IT company as a system engineer, and I had the chance to study in Silicon Valley in America in the early ‘90s. My career started there.

After university, I entered a food company as a secretary. I was so shocked!

Female employees did not have their own business cards. They were forced to wear a uniform. In the morning, we came to the office earlier than our male co-workers, cleaned the office, wiped the desks, and made tea for them. We were treated like HOUSEWIVES or SERVANTS.

Almost all female employees retired from work once they got married.
If this were today, the company would be sued for gender discrimination. However, at that time, gender inequality was not considered a bad thing, or even recognized as inequality at all!

I was so disappointed with my job and the company. Then, after 1 year, I decided to quit and found a position as a system engineer at a small IT company. Despite not having any experience in system development, I started a career in IT industry, as I was good at science and maths, and was young.

Over time, I have worked at 8 other IT companies and eventually I worked for one of the largest global IT company in America.

I looked back at my career and recalled my mother’s words when I was very little…

My mother was born in the 1940’s. She used to be a schoolteacher until she retired at age of 55. When I was little and came home from school, my mother was not at home. Sometimes at dinner time, she still was not there. Thus, my grandmother mainly raised me.

One day , I was probably 7 or 8 years old, I said, “Mother, I’m jealous of my friend whose mother doesn’t have a job and stays home. Whenever my friend comes home, her mother prepares a snack and looks at her homework. Mother, when I’m grown-up, I will not work. I’ll stay home and prepare a snack for MY children…”

Then my mother told me, “Daughter , your mother thinks that even WOMEN should have a job. If you have your own income, you can have freedom. Look at your mother: She can go traveling with her colleagues or friends without your father’s permission. She can buy anything whatever she wants without your father’s permission.
But look at most mothers in Japan : they stay home for their children and their husband.
You should have a profession.”

I was too young to understand what my mother wanted to teach me. I just hated that my mother was working and could spend little time together with me.

I forgot about my mother’s words. Time has passed and now I’ve been working for over 30 years within a global economy. I don’t think that I followed my mother’s words … but eventually, I’ve done what my mother advise me.

My mother developed Alzheimer’s disease and stayed in a nursing care home. As losing her memory, she still thought she was a teacher and those young care workers were her students.

Closing:
The Equal Employment Opportunity Law was enacted in Japan in 1986. 38 years have passed since then, but the Japanese government STILL tries to promote female employment to revive our economy, which means this law has NOT been effective enough.

But no matter if this law is effective or not… every woman has her own will and can decide to work or not, and enjoy her life the way she desires.

My mother taught me strong will and independence is a foundation for freedom and happiness. Whether through a career, passion, or personal choices, we all deserve the chance to choose our own life.”

I appreciate my mother from the bottom of my heart for making me a strong and independent person.
Thank you, mother. I love you.