Two English Speech Contests of the Tianjin Division Successfully Held at Tianjin University

On November 2^nd and 3^rd,the final of the 22^nd College Student English Speech Contest of Tianjin and 2019 “FLTRP • ETIC Cup” English Public Speaking Contest (Tianjin Division) were held successfully at Tianjin University. During the two-day competition, 79 contestants from 30 universities and colleges in Tianjin participated in the competition and presented a visual feast for the audience.

This contest was jointly sponsored by the Tianjin Municipal Commission of Education, the Tianjin College Foreign Languages Teaching Advisory Committee and the Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press (FLTRP), hosted by Tianjin University’s School of Foreign Languages and Literature and supported by other universities and colleges in Tianjin. Foreign language experts fromseveral universities in Tianjin served as judges for the competition. Bai Haili, deputy director of Tianjin Education Committee, Sun Fenglan, deputy editor of the Beijing Foreign Studies University FLRTP , Li Xu,director of the Tianjin College Foreign Languages Teaching Advisory Committee and dean of the School of Foreign Languages and Literature of Tianjin University attended the awards ceremony.

The topic of this year’s prepared speech is “My Big Story in 2049”. The contestants delivered prepared speeches and answered questions raised by the question master Ivan Elez, a foreign teacher from Tianjin University. In the prepared speech session, contestants focused on the topic,and spoke about the development of their motherland and themselves. They demonstrated the charm of public speaking with fluent oral English, passion and appropriate body gestures. In the Q&A session, Ivan Elez raised questions based on the content of the contestants’ speeches.Their responseswon the audience’s applause from time to time with their brilliant speeches, wise expressions and excellent performances.

After three rounds ofsemi-finals, 21 contestants entered into the final. An impromptu speech session and a comprehensive quiz part were added to test the contestants’ comprehensive ability in English.

In the end, three students won the grand prize, four the first prize, six the second prize, and eight the third prize. The three Grand Prize winners will represent Tianjin college students to take part in the National English Speech Contest. Apart from prize winners of the speech contest, contestants who won places in the “FLTRP Cup” English Reading and Writing Contests and universities and colleges which organized well in the process ofcompetition also gotcertificates and prizes in the awarding ceremony.

“The English contests, including speech contests, writing contests and reading contests all help motivate Chinese college students to enhance their English level, be more communicative and exercise their critical thinking. They also help language teachers to promote and reform the development of foreign language teaching.” Professor Ji Weiwu, an English professor from Tianjin University said.

By the School of Foreign Languages and Literature

Editors: Eva Yin & Doris Harrington