Trinity pupils through to final of Chinese Speaking Competition
26 Feb 2016
Two students from Trinity School in Croydon are through to the national final of the British Council and HSBC’s Mandarin Chinese Speaking Competition – where they are hoping to win a trip to Beijing.
After impressing the judges with their language skills at one of two regional heats, held in London in December 2015, Igor Sterner (aged 15) and Scott Borland (aged 13) will now compete in the grand final at the British Museum on 9 February 2016.
Igor Sterner (aged 15) and Scott Borland (aged 13) will compete in the Intermediate and Beginner categories respectively.
The nationwide competition aims to encourage greater interest in Chinese language and culture – which is vital to the UK’s future prosperity. Not only is Mandarin Chinese already spoken by more than a billion people worldwide, but China is recognised as the world’s second largest economy and could potentially wrest the top spot from the US by 2050.
However, research carried by YouGov out on behalf of the British Council in 2013 showed that on 1% of UK adults can speak Mandarin Chinese with the numbers of pupils studying Mandarin at GCSE and A-level low in comparison to more traditional languages such as French, German and Spanish. In 2015, just 3,710 took a GCSE in Mandarin Chinese compared to 157,699 who took one in French and 90,782 who took one in Spanish.
The competition is aimed at students who are non-native speakers, who have started learning Mandarin Chinese recently. Over the past 13 years, it has helped to inspire hundreds of young people to further their Mandarin studies – some going on to graduate in Mandarin Chinese. The lucky winners from each category will visit China in 2016, where they will have the opportunity to put their Mandarin to good use and experience Chinese culture first-hand.
The British Council and HSBC have joined forces to run the competition since 2003. The British Council builds relationships for the UK through English, Education and Culture, and already links thousands of pupils and teachers in the UK and China. Globally, HSBC invests US$50 million a year in education projects and thousands of HSBC employees get involved through volunteering. Together, HSBC helps young people fulfil their potential by: providing access to education, developing life-skills and entrepreneurship, and promoting international and cultural understanding. Since 2000, HSBC has supported over 1,000 UK schools host teachers from China to help children learn more about the language and Chinese culture.
Trinity’s Head of Mandarin Ms Peishu Lin said: “I am very proud of Igor and Scott for getting into the final. Trinity has a dynamic Chinese department and taking part in competitions such as this one organised by the British Council provides real motivation for our students to learn not just the language but also gain in-depth knowledge of the Chinese culture.”
Trinity pupil Scott Borland said: “I really enjoy the challenge of learning Chinese and look forward to going to the British Museum to take part in the competition.”
Vicky Gough, Schools Adviser at the British Council said: “If the UK is to remain competitive on the international stage, we need far more of our young people to develop their language skills in order to work abroad or for multinationals here in the UK. And with China being the world’s second largest economy, it is an incredibly important language for our young people to learn. We look forward to welcoming all of this year’s finalists to London in February – and wish them the best of luck for the competition.”
Lorraine Thomas, Senior Manager Global Education and UK Community Investment at HSBC said:
“HSBC Global Research predicts that China will become the world’s largest economy by 2050. Learning Mandarin Chinese and understanding Chinese culture will be invaluable; helping us build connections with China, and increase cross-border business and trade in the future. The competition highlights the importance of cross-cultural understanding and gives young people from the UK an opportunity to develop and improve their Chinese language skills. We are delighted to continue supporting the competition and encouraging young people to learn about China.”
PHOTO: L-R Finalists in the Chinese Speaking Competition, Scott Borland (13) & Igor Sterner (15)