Over 50 Non-Chinese Speaking Students light up the stage in the 2nd Putonghua Speech Competition by demonstrating their competen
Speaking Putonghua in Hong Kong may sound easy and fundamental for most students, but it is a big affair for the Non-Chinese speaking (NCS) students who joined the 2nd Putonghua Speech Competition on Saturday 27th April for an opportunity to apply their speaking skill in Putonghua.
Co-organized by YHKCC and CACLER, Faculty of Education of the University of Hong Kong, the 2nd Putonghua Speech Competition for NCS students attracted six secondary schools, namely Creative Secondary School, HKWMA Chu Shek Lun Secondary School, St. Paul’s Convent School (Secondary Section), HKMA David Li Kwok Po College, Buddhist Fat Ho Memorial College and St. Margaret’s Co-educational English Secondary and Primary School to showcase their talent. The competition is divided into three categories: Solo Verse (Junior Forms), Solo Verse (Senior Forms) and Choral Speaking. Over fifty students lighted up the stage by delivering their oratorical and eloquent speaking skills. Guan Karen Jiaxi of St. Paul’s Convent School (Secondary Section), TAM Chester Sek Yin of YHKCC and Buddhist Fat Ho Memorial College won the champion in Solo Verse (Junior Forms), Solo Verse (Senior Forms) and Choral Speaking respectively.
“I was very proud of the students. The judging panel was most impressed with their competent language skills. The competition is to enrich and showcased what the NCS students have learned in their Chinese lessons. This also gives them an opportunity to share their learning experience with other students, as well as to promote racial harmony within the school community.” said Mr. Kan Wan Ngai, Head of Elementary Chinese of YHKCC.
To enable NCS students to learn Chinese language and to adapt to the local community, YHKCC has put in a lot of effort in supporting their learning of the language. Other than a tailor-made foundation curriculum and Summer Bridging Course to all Form one new comers, we also developed the school-based teaching materials in different levels for Elementary Chinese curriculum and implement Chinese and Hong Kong culture into the Chinese Language curriculum.
A Chinese culture and language learning environment is promoted within the school campus. NCS students are encouraged to join out-of-class and interschool activities, e.g. Speech Festival to have more opportunities to practice in the language. Their interest in learning Chinese and their sense of achievement will be greatly enhanced.
Also NCS students are provided with assistance to adapt to the local community by joining outside school activities arranged by some local organizations to help them in exploring and understanding the local culture.
Dr. Alice Yuk, JP, School Supervisor of YHKCC, said, “It is also widely known that Putonghua is an increasingly important world language. Putonghua proficiency is seen as a prerequisite for our children as future global citizens. By integrating the study of Chinese culture into the curriculum, our students are cultivated to understand of and respect of the local community and foster a global perspective in our multi-cultural learning environment.”
