Confucius Institute Journey to China Spring 2014, Issue 21

CI NEWS SPRING 2014 031 2014 NC Chinese Speech Contest On April 26th, NC State hosted the 5th Annual Chinese Speech Contest Finals, bringing a formal closure to the 2014 NC Chinese Speech and Writing Contests. One hundred and forty-two contestants from 17 NC schools participated in the speech contest, ranging from elementary to high-school students, with the youngest participant only 7 years old. At the final competition, most of the finalists were accompanied by family members and Chinese teachers. This once a year event also attracted many Chinese enthusiasts to come and watch as the finalists competed. The local newspaper China Press and World Journal were also there to report on this event. During March and April, contest judges carefully evaluated all preliminary videos and selected 35 contestants to enter into the final round to compete in beginner, intermediate or advanced levels. In the Beginners level, finalists read-aloud a randomly selected essay and presented a themed speech on their family, friends or Chinese teachers. Intermediate and advanced finalists had to recite their own speech titled “I Can Fly Higher”, answer a China-related question and showcase a talent for the optional talent portion. This year’s speech topic “I Can Fly Higher” encouraged contestants to demonstrate their personal experience to overcome a difficult situation or guide the audience through a trip to China. Many were impressed by finalists’ pronunciation, fluency, and word choice, including both judges and audiences. When judges asked questions, the finalists’ witty, cute or candid responses stirred both laughter and applause. Talent showcases included exhibitions of gymnastics, basketball, dancing, calligraphy, painting, and instrument-playing. After the fierce competition, 17 finalists were placed and received prizes. Our CI provided thousands of dollars’ worth of Chinese language and cultural resources to many schools across North Carolina to thank their support of this competition. Since this was the fifth year in which our CI hosted this state-wide contest, we continued to make improvements; as a result, we noticed the following five encouraging trends: 1. Participants were more evenly distributed among all ages; 2. Nonheritage participation increased in the writing contests; 3. Parents and schools took notice and actively supported students’ Chinese studies; 4. Participants came from even more diverse backgrounds; 5. We were able to utilize technology to assist finalists to compete even when they weren’t physically present. Since the first contest in 2009, in the five year span, more than 900 Chinese learners competed in this contest. This competition has played an essential role in promoting Chinese programs across North Carolina and providing a platform for Chinese learners and schools with Chinese programs to communicate and compete. 4月26日第五届北卡中文演讲比赛在北卡州大成功举办。，至此，由北卡州大孔子学院主办的本届写作暨演讲大赛圆满落下帷幕。本次演讲大赛吸引了全北卡17所学校142名选手参加。参赛者既有入学不久的小学生，也有即将进入大学的高中生其中年龄最小的参赛选，手仅有7岁本届大赛吸引了参赛选手亲友师长及汉语爱好者们前来观看。当地重要媒体。、《侨报》《世界日报》、也对本次

Confucius Institute Journey to China Spring 2014, Issue 21 | Page 31