National Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hall held ‘2021 Mandarin public speaking contests’, foreign students from 13 countries joined!

【Taiwan Immigrants' Global News Network】Translated by CHI CHIA I

National Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hall (國父紀念館) under the Ministry of Culture held the ‘2021 Mandarin public speaking contest of foreign students’ and an American student, Adam Boxer, won first prize with the topic of ‘The Reflection on a piece of news’. The top 4 winners were awarded certificates and prizes to encourage foreign students’ efforts made in learning the Chinese language.

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Foreign students from 13 countries participated in the competition. (Photo / Provided by the National Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hall)

Wang Lan-sheng (王蘭生), the director-general of the National Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hall, says, “Language is the most direct mode of communication between people.” He also mentions that it is not easy to convey one's thoughts through speaking, facial expressions, gestures and even body language within a limited time frame. This is even more challenging to people who speak in a non-native language.

The National Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hall provides opportunities for foreign students to showcase their achievements in learning Chinese in Taiwan. The annual competition also allows the beauty and the extensive knowledge of the Chinese language to be demonstrated, promoting the interaction and exchanges between different cultures.

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An American student, Adam Boxer, won first prize. (Photo / Provided by the National Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hall)

There were 33 students from Vietnam, Japan, the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Peru, Thailand, India, Indonesia, Pakistan, South Korea, South Africa, and the Czech Republic.

To understand the life of foreign students in Taiwan, the five topics of the competition this year are ‘The excuse me culture in Taiwan’, ‘The Chinese buzzwords that cannot be learned in textbooks’, ‘The Reflection on a piece of news’, ‘Lessons learned from COVID-19’, ‘How do I cope with loneliness’, exploring the in-depth context & trend of the world.