The Fifth Chinese Bridge: US High School Student Chinese Speech Contest gives students the opportunity to test their skills against the best high school Chinese language students in the United States. This contest, held on April 24, 2010, is open to non-heritage Mandarin speakers studying Chinese as a foreign language in an American Public or Private High School.  To apply for the 5th Annual Chinese Bridge: US High School Chinese Language Speech Contest, students must submit a speech of 3-5 minutes in Chinese based on the following theme: Learning Chinese Brings Me into the World Community  The Fifth Chinese Bridge: US High School Student Chinese Speech Contest gives students the opportunity to test their skills against the best high school Chinese language students in the United States. This contest, held on April 24, 2010, is open to non-heritage Mandarin speakers studying Chinese as a foreign language in an American Public or Private High School.  To apply for the 5th Annual Chinese Bridge: US High School Chinese Language Speech Contest, students must submit a speech of 3-5 minutes in Chinese based on the following theme: Learning Chinese Brings Me into the World Community
 
Contest sponsors, CLASS (Chinese Language Association of Secondary-Elementary Schools), HANBAN (Chinese Language Council International), and The University of Massachusetts China Institute, began this contest in 2005 to promote the teaching and learning of Chinese language and culture in American High Schools. Since the inception of the World Speech Contest in China, successful participants in the American Contest have placed highly -- winning year-long scholarships in China and many other prizes.
 
Participants will be divided into three categories based on language skill (as explained below): Group I, Group 2, and Special.
Group 1: Students who have attended Chinese language classes for less than two academic years.
Group 2: Students who have attended Chinese language classes for more than two academic years.
Special: Students who have spent more than 6 months in China or had prolonged opportunities beyond the high-school sponsored learning experiences that provided opportunities to speak the language.
 
The Judges are invited to serve by representatives of Hanban, CLASS, and the University of Massachusetts China Institute. To protect the integrity of the contest and the privacy of the judges and contestants, the names of the judges will not be distributed. All contact with the judging panel must be directed to the China Institute.
 
The following are important dates leading up to the competition:
Feb. 28, 2010: Contest opens for submissions
March 6, 2010: Contest closes. No submissions received after midnight (Eastern Standard Time) will be accepted.
March 30, 2010: Speech Contestants Finalist Notification
April 24, 2010: Speech contest is held in Marlborough, MA, USA.
 
Interested students should visit www.mandarincontest.com for complete contest rules and to apply.
 
About the Sponsors 
CLASS (Chinese Language Association of Secondary-Elementary Schools) is a highly respected professional associated for Chinese language professionals dedicated to providing information on Chinese language and culture. CLASS offers a platform for K-12 teachers to communicate with each other, exchange ideas, and network with members for the purpose of encouraging more students to learn Chinese. The main goal of CLASS is to ensure that the teaching of Chinese becomes an integral part of the mainstream American educational system.
http://classk12.org
 
HANBAN (Chinese Language Council International)
The Chinese Language Council International is composed of members of 12 state ministries and commissions in China. A non-governmental and non-profit organization affiliated to the Ministry of Education of China, Hanban is committed to making the Chinese language and culture teaching resources and services available to the world, to meeting the demands of overseas Chinese learners, and to continuing the formation of a world of cultural diversity and harmony.
http://www.hanban.edu.cn/hbsm.php
 
The University of Massachusetts China Institute
The purpose of the University of Massachusetts China Institute is to maximize the potential of the University of Massachusetts and the Commonwealth in responding to the emerging impact of China in the world. The China Institute works through The University of Massachusetts Confucius Institute at Boston to promote the teaching and understanding of Chinese language and culture and to support Chinese language education in Massachusetts.
http://www.umasschinainstitute.org

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