17/11/2025
The Si Yuan Centre was live with excitement on November 8th as the Nottingham Confucius Institute hosted its 17th “China and Me” Mandarin Speech Contest. Eleven enthusiastic learners from the University of Nottingham and Nottingham Confucius Institute took to the stage, captivating an audience of over 40 friends, family, and supporters.
A key annual event since 2009, the contest gives students a dynamic platform to showcase their linguistic skills and cultural knowledge. This year's event was divided into intermediate and advanced levels, where each contestant delivered a prepared speech, with some opting to include a talent show-style performance. The advanced-level participants faced the extra challenge of answering impromptu questions from the judges.
Contestants brought their language journeys to life through personal stories, sharing everything from visits to the ancient sites of Xi'an and Beijing to a shared love of Chinese cuisine. The talent show then featured a wonderful variety of acts, including classic songs like "The Moon Represents My Heart," a heartfelt guitar performance of "Yong Qi" (Courage), a poetic recitation, and a vibrant handmade dragon dance. Each performance drew warm and enthusiastic applause from the audience.
After much deliberation, the winners were announced:
Advanced Category: Mariam Areigib, Daniel Sadiq, Charles Steward
Intermediate Category: Beth Hawkes, Christopher Cogley, Ana Vieru
The Nottingham Confucius Institute extends its heartfelt congratulations to all the participants on their fantastic achievements. A special thank you goes to the dedicated volunteer coaches—current UoN students—who provided one-to-one support, as well as to the judges and staff who made the event possible.
To relive the highlights of this wonderful celebration, be sure to visit our Instagram.
~ENDS~
诺丁汉大学孔子学院第十七届“中国与我”中文演讲比赛成功举办
2025年11月8日，诺丁汉大学孔子学院第十七届“中国与我”中文演讲比赛在热烈氛围中圆满落幕。本次比赛由孔院教师管御辰与学生李诗灵共同主持，由诺丁汉大学孔子学院中方院长陈莹教授，利物浦大学孔子学院中方院长刘浩副教授及诺丁汉大学语言中心王乃霞博士共同担任评委。活动还吸引了众多观众到场观赛，现场座无虚席，掌声不断。
比赛伊始，陈莹院长致辞表示，“中国与我”不仅是一场语言竞赛，更是促进孔院学生学习中文，感悟中国文化的重要机会。她鼓励选手们以真诚之心讲述与中国的故事，在交流中增进友谊、深化认知。
随后，11位选手依次登台。中级组7名、高级组4名参赛者围绕“中国与我”主题，结合自身经历展开精彩演讲：有人分享游历西安古迹、品尝中国美食的难忘旅程；有人细数学中文过程中的挫折与成长；还有人通过四大名著之一《西游记》分享中华文化的深厚底蕴。演讲之外，5位选手还带来了形式多样的才艺展示——《青城山下白素贞》婉转悠扬，《月亮代表我的心》深情款款，吉他弹唱《勇气》青春洋溢，诗朗诵配以手工舞龙表演，更将传统节庆氛围带入现场，充分展现了中华文化的多元魅力。
经评委综合评定，Beth Hawkes（中级组）与Mariam Areigib（高级组）荣获一等奖；Christopher Cogley（中级组）与Daniel Sadiq（高级组）获二等奖；Ana Vieru（中级组）、Charles Steward（高级组）获三等奖。比赛尾声，孔院特别表彰了为选手提供赛前辅导的志愿者团队，并赠送纪念礼品，感谢他们对汉语推广工作的默默支持。
本届“中国与我”演讲比赛不仅检验了学习者的语言能力，更搭建起一座情感共鸣与文明互鉴的桥梁。诺丁汉大学孔子学院将持续深耕语言教学与文化交流，通过多样的活动提升学生中文学习的热情，同时让更多人通过中文走近中国、理解中国、爱上中国。
~终~
Posted on Tuesday 18th November 2025