Foreign language majors showcase talents, knowledge at national contest

Foreign language majors from universities across China showcased their language talents and knowledge at the final of the “2023 Greater Bay Area Cup” Area Studies Contest for Students Majoring in Foreign Languages held Saturday at Shenzhen University (SZU)’s Yuehai campus.

The contest, jointly organized by SZU’s College of International Studies, the Shenzhen Foundation for International Exchange and Cooperation (SFIEC), and the Institute of Area and International Communication Studies at Shenzhen University, attracted 1,305 applicants from 228 universities across the country.

Attendees pose for a photo at the final of the “2023 Greater Bay Area Cup” Area Studies Contest for Students Majoring in Foreign Languages held Saturday at Shenzhen University (SZU)’s Yuehai campus. Courtesy of the organizers

The selected contestants were divided into five groups for competition based on their language majors (English, German, French, Spanish and Japanese) during the morning session. Each of the five groups’ first-prize winner entered the final session in the afternoon to compete for the top prize.

The final session consisted of two rounds. In the first round, the five finalists each gave a prepared speech on topics such as their impression of the countries that speak the language they are studying and their diplomatic relationship with China. In the second round, each finalist gave an impromptu speech on a development-related topic.

Liang Su, a German major in SZU, won first prize after the two rounds.

Li Dan, secretary general of SFIEC, was impressed by the students’ performances, saying that they not only showcased excellent language talents, but also demonstrated a wide range of knowledge and performed well on stage.

In her speech at the final, Zhang Xiaohong, vice president of SZU, said that the contest aims to provide a platform for students majoring in foreign languages across the country to present themselves and to exchange with each other through the contest. She hoped that the contest can help enhance students’ interest in area studies, their enthusiasm for research and their comprehensive problem-solving capabilities, and cultivate talents with multidisciplinary knowledge.