English competition starts

The 2019 Speak Shenzhen English Competition has officially kicked off and is open to Shenzhen residents who are Chinese nationals, including those from Hong Kong and Macao, and aged 16 or above (born before Jan. 1, 2003).

Interested residents can sign up for the competition via the official WeChat account of the event, “深圳市民讲外语” (WeChat ID: speaksz), or through its official website, http://www.speaksz.com. Applicants are required to fill out an application form with their personal ID information and upload a one-minute self-presentation video in English. The deadline for registration is 12 a.m. April 15.

Themed “Pursuing Dreams,” the competition is divided into a preliminary, quarter-final and final. The preliminary will be held from late April to early May. The quarter-final will be in late May, followed by the final in late June.

The final will be divided between a prepared speech and impromptu Q&A session. The competition will have a winner, a runner-up and a second runner-up, as well as four individual awards and eight excellence awards. The winner will be awarded a prize of 10,000 yuan (US$1,490).

Organized by the Working Committee of the Foreign Affairs Office of the Shenzhen Municipal Committee of the CPC and undertaken by Shenzhen Foreign Affairs Office Service Center, the competition aims to further improve residents’ skills in communicating with the international community, facilitate the construction of international neighborhoods and promote an English-speaking environment in the city.