Angelo Giacco (L) and Evan Ball (G) had the distinction of qualifying for the final of the HSBC/British Council Mandarin Speaking Competition in early February.
Over 600 pupils who are studying Mandarin took part in the initial heats of this very prestigious competition, and Angelo and Evan were judged to be among the top 10 in their respective categories.
Held at the British Museum last week, the grand final of the Mandarin Speaking competition saw more than 130 pupils from across the country vying to be recognised as the country’s best non-native Mandarin speakers. Winners of each of the categories won a trip to China.
Pupils were required to make a two minute presentation in front of the judges and audience, followed by questions on their speeches. In the intermediate-plus category, Evan was then presented with a scenario to talk about which he had 45 seconds to prepare for. In the advanced category, Angelo was given three translations to complete on the spot, and then had 45 seconds to prepare a speech about the topic of healthy eating.
Neither were selected winners, but both are to be highly commended for their two fantastic performances.