CDIC students top winners of the 29th "21st Century Cup" National English-Speaking Competition
Thursday, 31 October, 2024
Yutong Zhang, a third-year student from CDIC, won the national second prize, while Mingkun Liang, a second year student, secured the national third prize, setting the best performance record for the university in "21st Century Cup" National English Speech Contest's history.
Yutong Zhang during the second round of the competition.
Mingkun Liang during the second round of the competition.
The contest attracted over 600,000 participants, culminating in a rigorous selection process over 10 months, with 239 finalists advancing to the national finals. The first phase centred on “The Revival of Traditional Culture,” where 2 participants highlighted Generation Z's enthusiasm for traditional culture and the importance of enhancing cultural confidence. The second phase, “The Only Way Out is Through,” encouraged contestants to embrace future challenges, emphasising the significance of resilience. Under the guidance of lecturers Li Jin and Zhang Yi from the Foreign Languages College, CDIC students excelled in the competition, showcasing youthful vitality and clear logic, reflecting the contest's significance. Dr Alex Runchman, director of the Academic English programmes at CDIC, also gave feedback on drafts of the prepared presentations.
Yutong Zhang and advisor Jin Li.
Mingkun Liang and advisor Yi Zhang.
The China Daily "21st Century Cup" National English Speech Contest was founded in 1996 as the sole selection competition in China for the International Public Speaking Competition. This event is recognised for enhancing Chinese youth to foster cultural exchange, deepen mutual understanding, and promote collaboration. CDIC places great importance on this competition, inviting professional teachers to train and prepare the contestants, enhancing their English communication skills, critical thinking abilities, and on-the-spot performance skills. These are all skills that are explicitly taught and assessed through the English modules.
UCD has established a long-term teaching partnership with Chang'an University in China, emphasising the cultivation of students' comprehensive abilities. This collaboration focuses on enhancing not only academic knowledge but also practical skills, critical thinking, and global awareness.