STORY: UK students demonstrate Chinese proficiency in global language competition
SHOOTING TIME: May 10, 2024
DATELINE: May 11, 2024
LENGTH: 00:01:25
LOCATION: London
CATEGORY: EDUCATION

SHOTLIST:
1. various of the Chinese Bridge competition in London
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (English): NATHAN EVANS, Student at Pinner High School
3. SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): LIU JIAYU, Chinese teacher at Pinner High School

STORYLINE:

The United Kingdom (UK) hosted regional finals for a global Chinese language competition in London on Thursday, with contestants from schools across the country proving their prowess in the language.
   
Students from 37 secondary schools across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland competed in the regional finals of the 17th "Chinese Bridge" Chinese Proficiency Competition for Foreign Secondary School Students.
   
Altogether 17 students won prizes in the individual competition category while six teams were awarded prizes in the group category.
   
In the group competition, about 60 students from 15 teams presented self-created videos of Chinese skits. The winning projects include stories featuring the Year of the Dragon and renowned Chinese heroine Mulan.

Nathan Evans, a contestant from Pinner High School, was among the 47 individual contestants who showcased their Chinese language proficiency through presentations, impromptu speeches, and Q&A sessions.

At his school, Chinese is compulsory for students in grades seven and eight.

SOUNDBITE 1 (English): NATHAN EVANS, Student at Pinner High School
"Our class usually focuses on the language itself, but we do often delve into the culture behind it. Especially during festivals, the Chinese New Year and the Dragon Boat Festival, we have whole lessons dedicated to the culture itself. I find them really interesting and fun, just to learn about something I would have never learned about usually if I didn't go for Chinese."

SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): LIU JIAYU, Chinese teacher at Pinner High School
"Learning Chinese offers students valuable advantages for their future as the language will give them more work opportunities and can enhance their communication and collaboration skills."

The competition was jointly organized by the UK Chinese Bridge Club and the Chinese Proficiency Test UK committee. In March, about 250 students from 60 schools across the UK took part in the preliminary rounds of the competition.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from London.
(XHTV)