The First UK English-Chinese Bilingual Recitation Competition
‘The First UK English-Chinese Bilingual Recitation Competition’ will be held in London on 27 November 2022
The grand final and awards presentation of the first UK English-Chinese Bilingual Recitation Competition will take place in China Exchange in London's Chinatown on the afternoon of 27 November 2022, after three months of training, preliminary rounds and re-matches. The event has been organized and sponsored by Fusion Education (FES), The Mothers’ Bridge of Love (MBL) and KYX International (KYX).
This is a talent show with a twist. Unlike your average public speaking contest, this competition includes both British and Chinese cultural features, with recitals and speeches in both English and Chinese. Finalists will compete in their respective age groups (6-8 years, 9-11 years, 12-14 years and 15-18 years), showcasing their bilingual skills with poetry, essays, stories and more. A total of 82 students applied for the competition, with 20 reaching the final to showcase their talents.
The competition is honored to have a star-studded judging panel. The English section will be judged by: British author, winner of the 2006 Whitbread Prize and biographer of Pearl Buck and Henri Matisse, Hilary Spurling CBE FRSL; founder of the China Media Centre, Professor Hugo De Burgh; former director of London College of Music, Dr David Henson; and CEO of China Exchange, Ms. Freya Aitken-Turff. The Chinese section will be judged by: Principal Teaching Fellow at Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures at SOAS, Dr Song Lianyi; columnist for FTChinese.com, Ms He Yue; founding CEO of KYX International, Mr. Li Jian; and former journalist and presenter of China Central Television and Phoenix Television, Ms. Diya Wen.
Xue Xinran, celebrated author and founder of The Mothers’ Bridge of Love, was deeply moved by the positive response the UK English-Chinese Bilingual Recitation Competition has received from so many sectors of society, and all the support it has received, from the organisers to the judges, the volunteers to the instructors. She added that although the competition has been in the works for several years, and further delayed by the pandemic, the public speaking competition came together very suddenly. With everyone keen to get things moving as soon as possible, all the parties involved end up working at 'Chinese speed'! This was a great surprise, for which the organisers felt honoured and grateful.
Three leading ladies also shared their thoughts around the UK English-Chinese Bilingual Recitation Competition:
Ms. Fay Yiu, CEO of FES, believes that it has been a fine tradition for Chinese families in the UK to send their children to Chinese schools at the weekends to learn their mother tongue. However, even these children who speak Chinese will find that there are relatively few opportunities for bilingual employment in later life, and that the society pays very little attention to these skills, making Chinese learning something of a lonely island. Therefore, it is important to organise events and provide more platforms that encourage children to continue to learn their mother tongue, and give them access to captivating learning and training, as well as opportunities to showcase their linguistic talents. This can help children recognise that being bilingual has many advantages, and is something to be proud of.
Ms. Zhu Min, chairman of KYX International, believes that for a long time, education has been subsumed into the capital market, leading many Chinese families to misunderstand the benefits of overseas study. Studying abroad is not just an educational experience for children. More importantly, it helps children to understand the world, to appreciate cultural differences, and to cultivate patriotic responsibilities. Education is not a capital market, but a social responsibility. We need to raise awareness in society and among families about the benefits of studying abroad, provide overseas students with opportunities to participate in British society – especially those that involve them in public welfare activities – and turn the overseas study experience into ‘capital’ for children's future employment, entrepreneurship, and patriotism.
MBL founder Xue Xinran said that: ‘When I moved to the UK 25 years ago, I noticed misunderstandings between China and the West in a number of different areas. I originally thought that these were the result of cultural differences, but having worked in mainstream Western society for more than 20 years, I have come to realize that language and information are perhaps the biggest barriers between the two sides, or the biggest capital. On a ‘sunny day’ when life goes well, these misunderstandings can be trivial and negligible. But in a ‘cold winter’ when time is tough, some ideas become intolerable and unacceptable. It has always been the aspiration of overseas Chinese to build channels of cultural understanding and tolerance between China and the West, and to create cultural activities that everyone has the opportunity and interest to participate in. Many Chinese have even regarded this as their obligation and responsibility. In the 18 years since the Mothers’ Love Bridge was founded, for example, more than 1,000 volunteers have taken on this task’.
The UK English-Chinese Bilingual Recitation Competition will be an annual event. You can sign up for training after the Chinese New Year every year, while the filmed competition will be held in November. We welcome your participation in whatever form, be it as a competitor, a supporter or a sponsor.
The competition has benefitted from the sponsorship and active support of many individuals, including teachers who provide training and guidance for competitors, companies that provide prizes and souvenirs, publishing houses that provide picture books and literary works, caterers who provide food and drinks for events, and volunteers who share their passion and time. The organisers will thank all the supporters when they announce the final results after the contest.
