Language is a bridge that joins people of different cultures through conversation and shared experiences. It is a communication that engages dialogue, promotes curiosity and encourages cultural diversity and connection. During this past spring break, my classmate Emily Kweit and I, accompanied by our inspiring teacher 宋老师, were invited to compete as finalists in the 13th Annual Chinese Bridge Speech Contest for US High School Students hosted by the Confucius Institute at the University of Massachusetts Boston. This wonderful event was a celebration of 27 students who shared a personal connection to the Chinese culture while showcasing their mastery of the beautiful and ancient language.
Each student prepared their own unique story to share (written and recited in Chinese) with the audience and panel of distinguished judges. The speeches reflected a personal experience, anecdote or journey that embraced the Chinese culture, language or country. Following the oration, each student was asked several thought provoking and challenging questions by the panel (questions and responses only in Mandarin). In my speech, Chinese, China and Me, I shared my passionate journey with the Chinese Culture beginning with a weekly enrichment program in the third grade, to a rigorous High School program, and finally, an extraordinary exchange program to Beijing and Xi’an with my classmates. Other students reflected on stories such as a relationship developed with a Chinese friend, the distinct culinary flavors of each province, the magic of Chinese characters, and the similarities with other Asian languages. One student in particular, who traveled from the west coast, chronicled his connection he built with a Chinese character while growing up in in China. Born to Puerto Rican parents, he discussed his unique upbringing speaking both Spanish and Chinese. We had the opportunity to chat and share experiences. In fact we had mutual friends on the west coast. I also met a contestant from Florida who happened to be close friends with a close friend of mine!
Students also had the opportunity to share a unique talent that embraced the Chinese cultures, both ancient and modern. I choose to recite a romantic Chinese poem, 再别康桥。Some of the other acts included a breathtaking cello performance of a Chinese folk song, a martial arts demonstration, an elegant flute solo, a traditional dance number, a tongue twister and a stand up comedy routine. These talents not only entertained the audience but also inspired one another.
This most memorable gathering at the Confucius Institute was an enriching and challenging contest displaying Chinese language and culture. Each performance provided a unique perspective into the language demonstrating incredible grace, intellect, and mastery while celebrating commonalty and forging friendships with students throughout the country. This event was truly an example of how our world is so expansive yet so close-knit. We arrived as eager participants, yet departed as a community of students, professors and families.
非常好👍
语言是通向互相了解的桥梁。恭喜富平和丹惠在汉语桥比赛里有这么好的成绩。
你们的努力，我们看到了。👏
Love this! It is so great to see how far students are going to learn and explore the Chinese language a little deeper. I hope we have many more students participating in this contest in the future.
Nice article. It was very interesting to read about the competition from your perspective, from the new friends you made to the performances by the contestants.
I liked the fact that this event allowed you guys to meet new people who had similar interests. I hope that one day I can go to this event too.
I agree with that language is a bridge that joins people of different cultures through conversation and shared experiences, and I am fascinated by your experience and I’m also really proud of the award you won, you completely deserved it by working hard, keep up with the good work!
This is so inspirational. It is amazing to see how passionate students about learning Chinese. Chinese is a very important language that more people should learn.
Going to this competition with you was such an amazing experience! I think everything you said about language bringing people together is true.
I am so impressed by the students who took part in this event. It looks like they really learned a lot and improved their Chinese.
Great article! Every student’s unique story must’ve been very interesting, learning and embracing Chinese culture.
Wow Matt, great article! Congratulations on making it to the final round and getting second place! You spoke so well, it sounded as if you were a native! It’s so cool that you were not only able to recite your personal speech in front of the judges, but also able to answer tough questions in only Chinese! Congrats again!
Great Article! I was really surprised by how great the students who have participated in this competition!!
Great article! I’m very proud of both you and Emily for making it to this competition and performing so well. It is amazing to see the different stories and backgrounds of everyone else who made it to the competition, and their relationship with the Chinese language.
I totally agree with you; language is the bridge that joins people together. It is a great tool towards sharing ideas and experiences. I am so glad you had a wonderful experience. You guys deserved the win for you dedication and hard work for this competition.
Interesting article! I am amazed the amount of work the students put into and I’m also honored to know these students at my school! You guys deserve this award! Congrats again!
Nice article! It’s inspiring to see so many young students enthusiastic to learn about different languages and cultures.
This is a sounds like a very educational and fun event where people that like Chinese can meet
Congrats! It was interesting to read how the competition. I really like the title,” Building a Bridge of Culture, Community and Character.” I think that it means a lot, and expresses the idea thoroughly.
“名师出高徒” ！宋老师和学生们都好优秀！我们初中的弟弟妹妹们也要加油向哥哥姐姐学习：）恭喜你们~
Great job Emily and Matthew. 我很高兴你们两个人得到了机会参加这演讲比赛。我也知道用中文讲两分钟很不容易。所以我一听你们练习讲讲就吃惊了。你们都辛苦了～
Thanks so much for sharing this article with us, Matthew! This sounds like a very fun event, in which students that all share a common love for learning languages can come together and meet! I agree with your statement that languages bring people together, because like you, I am exposed to it everyday!
Great article! It was nice reading about a competition. It’s amazing, the amount of work you did. Great job!