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Chinese Speech Contest at WMU

Name: Chinese Speech Contest at WMU
Start: 2025-03-16T13:00:00-04:00
End: 2025-03-16T17:00:00-04:00

Posted by Junliang Fei for Asian Initiatives

Chinese Speech Contest at Western Michigan University provides a stage for Chinese language learners to demonstrate their achievements in learning Chinese and communicate with each other.

Levels of competition
The competition will be divided into 6 levels to ensure equality. The rudiments and rules we will use for dividing the participants are as follows:

Students from Hillside Middle School will be assigned to Middle School Level 1.
Students who are 6th to 8th grade and are learning Chinese at the Kalamazoo Chinese Academy, Northern Hills Middle School, and Greenville Middle School will be assigned to Middle school level 2.
High school students from Kalamazoo Central High School and Loy Norrix High School who have been learning Chinese for one year or less will be assigned to High School Level 1.
High school students from Kalamazoo Central High School and Loy Norrix High School who have been learning Chinese for less than two years will be assigned to High School Level 2.
Students who are in 9th and 10th grade at the Kalamazoo Chinese Academy, Forest Hill Northern High School, and Greenville High School will be assigned to High School level 3.
Students who are in 11th and 12th grade at the Kalamazoo Chinese Academy, Forest Hill Northern High School, and Greenville High School will be assigned to High School level 4.

Form of Competition

There are three categories: Speech Contest, Chinese Knowledge Competition and Talent Show. Each contestant can participate in any category or all three categories.

Speech Contest

Contestants will read an article from the designated works, or prepare a speech in mandarin, depending on the level they participate.

Levels	Contents	Length
Middle School Level 1 & High School Level 1	Read designated work	1-1.5 minutes
Middle School Level 2 & High School Level 2	Prepared Speech: 我的好朋友	2-4 minutes
High school level 3 & 4	Prepared Speech: 汉语是一座桥	3-5 minutes

Chinese Knowledge Competition

The competition will be conducted on Kahoot. Individual participant will compete for two rounds answering questions about Chinese language and culture.

Score composition: Round one (50%) + Round two (50%)

Chinese Talent Show (video editing allowed)

Contestants will submit a YouTube video link for preliminary round. The video, with a length between 2-3 minutes, will demonstrate their talent in an area that highlights one aspect of Chinese culture, such as Chinese music, painting, calligraphy, martial arts, dance, Chinese yoyo etc.

The Top Five Talent Show winners selected from the preliminary round will perform after the speech contest on WMU’s main campus on March 16, and will be ranked by the votes of audience onsite.

Awards and Prizes

Each and every contestant will receive one of the following awards based on their performances:

Excellent Performance Award: Top three contestants from speech contest and knowledge competition in each level, and top five from talent show will receive the award and gifts.
Outstanding Individual Award: Contestant with the highest total score (must participate in all three categories) in each level will win this award. The winners will receive a certificate and a gift.
Participation Award: All the rest of the contestants will receive a participation certificate and a gift.
Team Participation Award: The class that has over 50% of its total students participating in the contest will receive the award and a gift.