The final of the 21st College Student English Speech Contest of Tianjin and 2018 “FLTRP ETIC Cup” English Public Speaking Contest

On November 4th, the final of the 21st College Student English Speech Contest of Tianjin and 2018 “FLTRP ？ ETIC Cup” English Public Speaking Contest (Tianjin Division) were held successfully in the lecture hall of Tianjin University Library on the new campus. During the two-day competition, 77 contestants from 27 universities and colleges in Tianjin participated in the competition and got Grand Prize, First Prize, Second Prize and Third Prize respectively. The three Grand Prize winners will represent Tianjin college students to take part in the National English Speech Contest and show the English ability of students in Tianjin. Foreign language experts from several universities in Tianjin served as judges of the competition. Liu Ning, assistant of the president of Tianjin University, Sun Fenglan, deputy editor of the Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press of Beijing Foreign Studies University, Li Xu, director of Tianjin College Foreign Languages Teaching Advisory Committee and dean of the School of Foreign Languages and Literature of Tianjin University and some judges attended the awarding ceremony. 

This contest was co-held by Tianjin Municipal Commission of Education, Tianjin College Foreign Languages Teaching Advisory Committee and Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press, hosted by School of Foreign Languages and Literature of Tianjin University and supported by other universities and colleges in Tianjin. The topic of this year’s prepared speech is “The Stones”. 

Selected from preliminary competitions, altogether 77 contestants participated in the semi-final. They delivered prepared speech and answered questions raised by the question master Dr. Harlan Dean Haverback, foreign teacher of Tianjin University. In the prepared speech session, contestants centered on the topic and showed their unique styles. They showed the charm of public speaking with fluent oral English, passion and appropriate body gestures. In the Q&A session, the question master raised questions based on the content of the contestants’ speeches. Contestants responded immediately and won the audience’s applause from time to time with their brilliant speeches, wise expressions and excellent performances. 

After three rounds of semi-final, 21 contestants entered into the final. Impromptu speech session and comprehensive quiz part were added to test the contestants’ comprehensive ability in English. Contestants learned from previous contests and used more fluent language and more natural body gestures. Faced with a randomly selected speech topic, contestants thought carefully, organized language and expressed fluently in a limited time in the impromptu speech session and let the audience feel the charm of English. Comprehensive quiz part consists of four multiple-choice questions. The contestants answered them one by one in a tense atmosphere. This part not only tested the contestants’ knowledge accumulation but also ensured the objectivity of the contest. 

At the end of the Contest, Professor Ji Weiwu gave the contestants his comments on their performance. Apart from prize winners of the speech contest, contestants who won places in the “FLTRP Cup” English Reading and Writing Contests on Oct 27th and universities and colleges which organized well in the process of competition also got certificates and prizes in the awarding ceremony. At last, Sun Fenglan delivered a closing speech on behalf of Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press.  

The “2018 FLTRP ？ ETIC Cup” National English Speech Contest, Writing Contest and Reading Contest (Tianjin Division) ended successfully. Tianjin University Foreign Language Subject Competition also came to an end. Three competitions, with different characteristics and promoting each other, let excellent students in Tianjin get together. They provided a platform for contestants to show their foreign language skills, communicative abilities, critical thinking skills, improved the contestants’ comprehensive abilities of foreign language application, offered rich experience for foreign language teaching and led the reform and development of foreign language teaching in colleges and universities. 

By: School of Foreign Languages and Literarure

Editor: Qin Mian and Ketih Harrington