Guizhou kids enter national English-speaking contest finals

Winners from different age groups receive awards at the Guizhou regional final of "21st Century Cup" National English Speaking Competition. [Photo/chinadaily.com.cn]

The awards ceremony of the Guizhou regional final of "21st Century Cup" National English Speaking Competition was held on June 27 in Guiyang, capital of Southwest China's Guizhou province.

Nine winners from the primary school junior grade group, primary school senior grade group, middle school group and high school group triumphed and will now represent Guizhou at the national finals.

Gong Mozhan, champion of the primary school senior grade group, has participated in the competition for three years and won first place twice. She said she will keep improving her English skills and get better grades in the future.

Collecting their competition certificates, the victors said it was more important to exercise their English skills and learn about their flaws, such as stage fright.

Xiao Tangjin, dean of the Foreign Languages School of Guizhou Minzu University, said the English-speaking level of Guizhou's high school students was extraordinary, with some already having reached the level of English major graduates.

When answering questions from foreign judges, the competitors were confident and gave objective analysis on the cultural differences between the east and west, which showcased Guizhou's high educational standards.