佳子さま、高校生の手話スピーチコンテストに出席

Welcome to Japanese Daily News. I'm Maya. Today is August nineteenth. In Tokyo, high school students from all over Japan gave speeches — not with their voices, but with their hands, in sign language. And Princess Kako came to cheer them on. Let's listen.

Now let's break it down, sentence by sentence.

On August sixteenth, in the Yurakucho area of Tokyo, there was a sign language speech contest for high school students.

It means sign language — a language spoken with the hands.

Sign language is a language spoken with the hands and fingers. It is used by people who cannot hear.

It means word, or language.

This year the contest was held for the forty-third time. Ten high school students took part, from all over the country.

It means the whole country — all of Japan.

Princess Kako is very good at sign language. She even gave her greeting in sign language.

It means skillful — being good at something.

Princess Kako told the students she was cheering for them.

It means to cheer for someone, or to support them.

In sign language, you applaud by raising both hands and waving them. Princess Kako applauded this way too.

It means applause — clapping for someone.

Let's listen to the whole story one more time.

Time for a short quiz. Listen and try to answer.

In Yurakucho, in the center of Tokyo.

Ten high school students, from all over Japan.

In sign language — she is very good at it, and she also applauded in sign language.

That's all for today. A speech does not always need a voice. This weekend in Tokyo, ten students spoke with their hands — and the whole hall answered them with waving hands instead of clapping. See you next time on Japanese Daily News.