The First SHU Mandarin Speech Contest

   This year, we are having our Mandarin speech contest for the very first time. Held and hosted by the Center for Teaching Chinese as a Second Language (henceforth referred to as the TCSL Center), one of the youngest departments and certainly the most exuberant on campus, the contest took place at R102 of the Sherwo Building (舍我樓) on May 30th. 17 contestants on five topics speak on a beautiful Wednesday afternoon. Each with a different learning experience and a different level of proficiency yet all deliver impressive talks on “A Taste of Taiwan,” “Fun to Learn Chinese,” “Traveling in Taiwan,” “My Favorite Book,” and “I Loooove Taiwan! Why?”

   Each speaker has to make the most of their five-minute time slot to share their opinions and experiences on the topics they choose for themselves. After one and a half hours of competition, three judges decide on five winners:

1st Place: 溫慧怡 (Malay)

2nd Place: 鄭依淳 (Malay)

3rd Place: 戴慈殷 (Malay)

4th Place: 安心蕊 (Polish)

5th Place: 武藤祐太 (Japanese)

Of course, there are never enough prizes to go around for devoted and competent (and some are very competitive too) competitors like them.

   Now, a word from the Director of the TCSL Center, Professor Shirley Chang (張雪媃主任) to wrap up the first-time-ever Mandarin Speech Contest. “I’ve been teaching for years, but it has always been so moving for me to see such a progress made from ground zero to fluency, to see the transition of students as beginners to advanced learners. I believe, for any teach, this is the most rewarding of all.”

   Indeed, there is a telling difference between speaking nothing and speaking something. And, for that matter, maybe it is a better idea that we have two separate categories next year: the non-native-speaker contest for students outside Sinophone communities and the native-speaking-level contest for students from Sinophone communities. Nationality alone doesn’t seem to do much justice to the fairness of the game. And yet, like all achievements, without the significant first step, all improvements that finally lead on to fruition would be impossible.

Alvin Dahn