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人人书 > 杂志 > Talking the Same Language

Talking the Same Language

时间:2024-10-26 07:22:28

China’spremierlanguageproficiencycompetitionspeaksvolumesforthepopularityofMandaringlobally

Collegestudentsfromacrosstheglobeattheclosingceremonyofthe17thChineseBridgeChineseProficiencyCompetitionforForeignCollegeStudentsinChangsha,HunanProvinceonAugust4PHOTOS:FRANCISCOLITTLEOnceayearinJulyandAugust,theCityofChangshaincentralChina’sHunanProvinceisinundatedwithyouthfulvoicesfromeverycorneroftheglobe.It’saneclecticandcolorfulinternationalgatheringthatbeganin2002andhasbeenpartofthecity’seventcalendarsince2008.

Andifyoulistenclosely,you’llhearthatthevoicesareallspeakingChinese.

There’sareasonforthat.Thisyear,thefinalsof17thChineseBridgeChineseProficiencyCompetitionforForeignCollegeStudents,China’spremierlanguagecompetitionforforeignstudents,tookplaceinChangshaonAugust4,andinsteadofEnglishbeingthelinguafranca-asisgenerallythecasewhenforeignnationalsmeetup-it’sthehighandlowtonesofChinesedominatingproceedings.Before2008,thefinalcompetitionwasheldindifferentplacessuchasBeijing,ShanghaiandChangchun.

Anycollegestudentundertheageof30whowasnotborninChinaoranyforeign-bornChinesewhosefirstlanguageisnotChineseiseligibletoenterthecompetition.

PreliminaryroundsareheldbetweenJanuaryandJuneincountriesacrosstheworld,withthesemifinalsandfinalstakingplaceinChinafromJulytoAugust.

OrganizedbytheConfuciusInstituteHeadquarters,alsoknownasHanban,andHunanProvincialPeople’sGovernment,thisyear’seventwasthemedOneWorldOneFamily.TheConfuciusInstituteisaneducationalandculturalorganizationwithglobalbranchesseekingtopromoteChinesecultureandlanguageabroad.

Thetopfivewinnersin2018wereRuslanUstinovfromRussia,whotookthetopprize,followedbyTheodoreJosephfromAustralia,GuanHuiminfromIndonesia,AnthonyEkwensifromNigeriaandJohnGardnerKlumppJr.fromtheUnitedStates.Eachofthemhadbeenthroughaselectionprocesstorepresenttheircontinent,emergingfromnearly100,000preliminarycontestantsaroundtheworld.

Speakingvolumes

ThebuilduptothecompetitionfinalsinChinawasheldoverafive-weekperiodfromJulytoAugust.Intheprocess,152collegestudentsfrom141contestingregionsin118countriesandregionsgotthroughthequalifyingroundsandthengatheredinChangshaforthelasteliminationphase.ItwasnervewrenchingstuffastheseyounglinguistsmorphedintoChinesebeforetheaudience’sveryeyeswhilebeingputthroughthepaces

Thefinalscomprisedthreesections:I’maChinaHand,Sino-WesternStories,andfreespeechaimedatevaluatingthestudents’knowledgeaboutChina,theirabilitytounderstandandreproducehistoricaleventsandtopics,andtheirlanguageskills.

OneofthethreejudgesthisyearwasHerbertMushangwe,DirectoroftheConfuciusInstituteattheUniversityofZimbabwe.

Mushangwe,whoholdsaPh.D.inteachingChineseasasecondlanguage,toldChinAfricathathefelthonoredtobeselectedasajudgeofsuchaprestigiouscompetitionfromalltheConfuciusInstitutedirectorsinAfrica.Hesaidthestudentswerejudgedonpronunciation,culturalknowledgeandperformanceonstage.

“Thiscompetitionisverytough.It’sgreattoseestudentsfromallovertheworldusingthemediumofChinesetocommunicatewitheachother.Ithinklanguageisthebestwayofunitingpeople,”saidMushangwe.

Alongwiththenail-bitingcompetitionwasafeastofentertainmentonastagefestoonedwithpropsandlightingthatwouldn’thavebeenoutofplaceonBroadway.Agutpunchingsoundsystemandhighlyprofessionalperformancesbythecontestantsandlocalpopstarsgavethefinalsacarnivalatmosphere.

ParticularlyspicywasthesonganddanceperformancebyIndonesianfinalistGuanHuimin,whoshouldseriouslyconsiderafutureinshowbusiness.Withallthe152studentswhocametoChinaonstageforthefinalewavingtheircountryflagsenthusiastically,itwaseasytoagreewithjudgeMushangwe-languagedefinitelyisthewaytounitepeopleandcelebratethisvitalthreadofhumanity.

KeepingtheflagflyinghighforAfricawasEkwensi,21,whofinishedthefourthoverallbutwasclearlyacrowdfavorite.

Ekwensi,aUniversityofNigeriafinal-yearstudent,wascrownedchampionoftheAfricancontinent.HetoldChinAfricathathehasbeenstudyingChinesefortwoyearsattheConfuciusInstituteinLagos,Nigeria.HewasattractedtothelanguageafterbeingcaptivatedwithkungfumoviesasachildandthendevelopingafascinationforChinesecharacters.

“Iwascurious.WhenIsawChinesecharacters[forthefirsttime],Iwonderedhowpeoplecouldreadthem.Iwantedtogiveitatry,”hesaid.

Ekwensihascomealongwaysincethenandnowspeaksthelanguagewithconfidence.AsitwashisfirsttimetovisitChina,hewasn’tsurewhattoexpect,butwasimpressedwiththepaceofdevelopmentandtheeasewithwhichhewasabletointeractwithlocals.

DuncanAcorlor,22,fromGhanamadethelast15andtheebullientstudentwasvotedmostpopularonlinecontestant.

“Idon’tknowwhyIwonthis,”hesaidmodestly.“ButIhavealotoffriendsbackhomeinGhanafromtheConfuciusInstitutewhowereverysupportive.IalsostudiedChineseforayearatTaiyuanUniversityofTechnologyinShanxiProvince[andthestudentsthere]supportedme,”hesaid.

Apartfromthecontestants,therewerealsoagroupofstudentobserverswhohadtheirtripssponsoredbytheConfuciusInstituteHeadquarters.Oneofthem,JusticeGurti,24,astudentfromTanzaniatraveledtoChangshafor12daystowatchandexperience.Hecamethesecondinhiscountry’squalifyingroundofthelanguagecompetition.

GurtiisabigfanofChinesefoodandalthoughhehasonlybeenstudyingChineseforsixmonths,heburntthemidnightoiltomakeimpressiveprogress.

“LanguageisagoodwaytoimprovecooperationbetweenAfricaandChinabecausenotmanypeoplehereinChinaspeakEnglish,soIcancommunicatedirectlywiththeminChinese.IwillstudyharderandenterthecompetitionagainnextyearandhopefullyIcanwinit,”hesaid.

Worldwideconnection

SincethefirstChineseBridgeChineseProficiencyCompetitionforForeignCollegeStudentswasheld17yearsago,aneverincreasingnumberofstudentshavebeenlearningChinesegloballyandthenumberofConfuciusInstituteshasmushroomedworldwide.Bytheendof2017,accordingtoHanban,therewere525ConfuciusInstitutesand1,113ConfuciusClassroomsin146countriesandregionsaroundtheworld,atwhich2.32millionstudentsstudiedthatyear.

StatisticsshowthatAfricahad54ConfuciusInstitutesand27ConfuciusInstitutesclassroomsuptodate.

Asonecompetitorsaidinpassing,theChineseBridgeChineseProficiencyCompetitionforForeignCollegeStudentsisseenasthe“Olympics”ofChineselanguage,andverymuchabridgeofculture,friendshipandmeetingoftheminds,bringingawholenewmeaningtotheoftenusedphrase“people-to-peopleexchanges.”

NigerianstudentAnthonyEkwensifinishedfourthoverallin17thChineseBridgeChineseProficiencyCompetitionforForeignCollegeStudentsCommentsto
   

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