Zhao Junhua, a junior student from German Department of School of Foreign Languages (SFL) who won the Grand Award at 2014 Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press (FLTRP) Cup English Speaking Contest (Sichuan division) in November, earned her qualification to the finals held in Beijing in December. She duly won a Second Prize in the finals, leaving deep impression on the audience as well as the judges with her beautiful pronunciation, humorous answers and lively stage manners.
FLTRP Cup English Speaking Contest, a consecutive success for 13 years, has earned its national reputation as the most prestigious and the largest annual English speaking contest for all university and college students in China. A total of 123 college students from mainland China, Taiwan and Macao made it to the finals this year, 30 of whom qualified after tough selection contest against other 1632 participants on Unipus (Universal Campus, an online website developed by FLTRP). Four phases are included in the 2014 national finals. The first phase is the prepared speech, when every finalist delivers his or her speech on the prescribed topic—“To Change the Unchangeable”, interpreting the young generation’s reflection of and insights into individualism, social reform, economic development, etc. Both the second and the third phases are carried out in the form of impromptu speech. Only 8 contestants can reach the fourth phase—speech and debate.
SWJTU and SFL offered great support to Zhao Junhua, assigning her an experienced tutor, Assoc. Prof. Song Meihua, to accompany and guide her through the Beijing finals. Song also won a second national prize for tutors. Having successfully incubated three national prize-winners in FLTRP Cup since 2011, SFL is able to prepare her students for more grand events of the same kind.