All entries to be submitted as video clips.
Cash prizes for top three performers and souvenirs for all participants!
Eligibility: You work or study at the University of Nottingham (Nottingham Confucius Institute students included) and you speak Mandarin as a foreign language.
Categories: You may enter one of two panels- Advanced or Intermediate. Please state clearly which panel you would like to enter at the time of submitting the video.
Format: Your contest video can contain parts 1 and 2, or part 1 only.
Part 1: Three minutes to give a brief self-introduction and a speech on a topic of your own choosing, all in Mandarin.
Part 2: A three-minute talent show. Contestants can choose to showcase a skill relating to Chinese culture with a performance. It could be singing, music, dance, folk arts, acrobatics, calligraphy, paper cutting, Kung Fu or anything at all! Part 2 is optional, but contestants will receive extra bonus points if they choose to enter.
Judging criteria: Speeches are judged on content, vocabulary, intonation and pronunciation. Performances are judged on overall performance, audience response, stage appearance, originality and projected personality.
Cash prizes: Three cash prizes for each panel:
v First prize- £100
v Second Prize- £50
v Third prize- £30
To attend the competition: Please register by emailing confucius.institute@nottingham.ac.uk by 31 October with the following details:
- Your full name and mobile phone number
- The panel you wish to attend
- UG/PG course title and name of your home school
- Your Mandarin teacher's name (if you have one)
- Need for support during preparation from a tutor/native Chinese speaking volunteer (yes or no)
Once we have received your registration, we will assign you a tutor or native Chinese speaking volunteer if needed.
Deadline for submission: Midnight on Sunday 15 November. Please send a downloadable link to your video to confucius.institute@nottingham.ac.uk.
Online award ceremony: Friday 20 November (tbc). All participants will be invited to attend. The outcome of the contest will be announced and prizes given at the ceremony. Winning entries will be broadcast for those attending to see. Please be aware winners will not be notified before the ceremony, so please be ready to be surprised and have your video seen by all!
Please note: Winners of this contest will be recommended to represent Nottingham at next year's International Chinese Bridge Speech Competition in London. Top performers from this event will then go on to represent British universities and compete in the final Chinese Bridge competition in China in summer 2021. Participation will also be judged as favourable by the Confucius Institute for future scholarship applications.
We anticipate a great deal of interest but reserve the right to cancel this event if participation levels make it impractical.
We very much look forward to your entry.
Free one-on-one Mandarin tutorial available to all participants!