Speak Shenzhen English competition final held

First-prize winner Gao Mengxue (2nd L), runner-up Zhang Sheng (L) and second runner-up Li Ding (2nd R) receive awards from Wu You, vice secretary general of the Shenzhen Municipal Government, at the final of the 2019 Speak Shenzhen English Competition on Friday. Liu Xudong

The 2019 Speak Shenzhen English Competition wrapped up at the Shenzhen Media Group Building in Futian District on Friday afternoon. Gao Mengxue, the head English teacher at Guiyuan Primary School in Luohu District, won the first prize.

Out of the 900 contestants from all walks of life, only 12 made it to the final. The final consisted of two parts, namely a three-minute prepared speech themed “Pursuing Dreams,” and a 90-second impromptu speech.

During the impromptu session, contestants were required to deliver their opinions based on pictures they had randomly selected. The pictures involved a wide range of topics, such as global warming and gender equality.

The scores were based on the contestants’ performances in both rounds.

Zhang Sheng, a foreign trade manager from Shenzhen Yaonan Industrial Product Design Co. Ltd., won the runner-up award and Li Ding, chief manager of the flight department of Qianhai Airlines, was the second runner-up.

The entire competition was divided into three parts, namely a preliminary, quarterfinal and final. The preliminary was held from late April to early May, and the semifinals was in late May.

As one of the core cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, Shenzhen has been committed to building an innovative and leading global city.

The international language environment is important in the era of globalization. The Speak Shenzhen English Competition is expected to further improve residents’ skills in communicating with the international community, facilitating the construction of international neighborhoods and promoting an English-speaking environment in the city.

The competition was organized by the Shenzhen Municipal Foreign Affairs Office and undertaken by the Shenzhen Foreign Affairs Office Service Center.