The 2021 Grouphorse Cup National English Speaking Contest Final, endorsed by the British Council, Cultural and Education Section of the British Embassy, and co-organized by the Chartered Institute of Linguists (CIOL) and Beijing Grouphorse Translations was held online on March 20, 2022.

The Grouphorse Cup National English Speaking Contest stays true to the original aspiration of educating the people, takes on talent building as its mission, empowers foreign language education, and fosters a generation of passionate learners. By featuring current and up-to-date contest questions, a rigorous, calculated structure, professional and fair judging, and a variety of practical rewards, the contest offers an engaging platform for the young Chinese of today to keep up with the times, show their awareness of the most current issues, and promote Chinese wisdom.

The final, held via livestream, was divided into 3 rounds: a speech on a set topic, an improvised one-on-one competition, and a championship final. With outstanding performances, the 24 contestants in the final showed off their advanced English language skills, swift adaptability, and vast knowledge.

Professional Judges

A Jury Panel was set to guarantee a fair and impartial contest. The judging lineup was as follows:

Chair of the Jury Panel

Wan Jiangbo – Professor at the College of Foreign Languages and Literature, Fudan University, Vice President of China’s English Speaking and Debating Teaching and Research Committee.

Members

Xu Yanan – Senior Advisor at Grouphorse, Former Director-General of the Department of Translation and Interpretation at the MFA, and Former Chief of the Chinese Translation Service of the Documentation Division of the Department for General Assembly and Conference Management (DGACM) at the UN.

Ren Xiaoping – Former Deputy Director-General of the Department of Translation and Interpretation at the MFA, and Vice Principal of China Foreign Affairs University.

Wang Jianqing – Deputy Director of the Translation Office of the Department of Foreign Affairs at the MOC.

He Yong – Former Chinese Language Supervisor of the UN Chinese Language Program (UNCLP), and Professor at Nanjing University.

Ma Hongqi – Deputy Director, Professor and Doctoral Supervisor at the College of Foreign Languages, Nankai University.

Lindsey Lee – Assistant to the President of Grouphorse Group, and Former Senior Translator and Interpreter of the Department of Translation and Interpretation of the MFA.

Hong Ye – Visiting Professor at Nanjing Medical University, and Former Champion of the “21^st Century Cup” National English Speaking Competition.

Robin White – Specialist at the British Council, Cultural and Education Section of the British Embassy.

Tim Osborne – Lecturer at Zhejiang University.

…and more.

Yang Ling, Lecturer at Nanjing Normal University, and Kelsey Charles, Lecturer at Beijing Language and Culture University, were responsible for asking contestants questions about their speeches.

Contest Highlight

After 3 rounds of fierce competition, Chi Haoyang from Inner Mongolia Normal University was the ultimate winner of the championship. Zhang Yuting from Zhejiang University was the runner-up, and Yin Yue from Central South University came in third place. The First Prize (for 2 contestants), Second Prize (for 3 contestants), and Third Prize (for 16 contestants) were also awarded. The Best Style Award was presented to the most popular contestant, who was chosen via a limited period of online voting.

The organizing committee also provides special rewards to contestants and excellent instructors, as follows:

• Impressive prize money;

• Letters of commendation issued by members of the British royal family – Prince Michael of Kent;

• Fully funded one-week visit to London;

• Opportunity to visit the Chartered Institute of Linguists;

• Direct recommendations for internship opportunities at internationally focused institutions;

• Job recommendations for world-renowned companies;

• Access to express, exam-free admission channels at prestigious British and American schools.

Comments from Judges

Wan Jiangbo, Chair of the Jury Panel for the contest final, had lots to say about the competition from her professional perspective, strongly acknowledging the significance and outcomes of the contest:

During the pandemic, joint efforts were made by the contestants, judges and organizing committee, and the contest itself was a great success. The efforts made by Grouphorse Group to organize this excellent contest showcasing Chinese youngsters’ foreign language proficiency and insights are particularly commendable. Contestants demonstrated the deep concerns, critical thinking and global vision of the young generation with regard to future global development with thought, intellect, presentation skills, and talent. Their wonderful speeches also deserve to be praised!

The foreign judge of the contest final, Robin White, also strongly acknowledged the significance of the first Grouphorse Cup National English Speaking Contest. According to him, despite the complicated process and numerous technical problems involved in organizing online contests, this one was successful due to the careful preparation and unremitting efforts of the organizing committee, as well as the cooperation of each contestant and judge. The scoring rules were interpreted in detail before the final, ensuring a smooth grading process. The high English proficiency of the contestants certainly made a deep impression on Robin. After the contest, he once again expressed his utmost appreciation to the organizing committee, and sincerely congratulated the contestants on their brilliant performances!

Speeches by Grouphorse President and CIOL CEO

Tang Xing, Chairman and President of Grouphorse Group, and John Worne, CEO of Chartered Institute of Linguists, delivered speeches at the closing ceremony of the contest.

As the world undergoes great changes, Tang Xing emphasized the necessity and urgency of foreign exchange. He said:

“Grouphorse Group is a United Nations vendor for language services dedicated to cultivating first-class translators and interpreters with a global vision. Upholding our commitment to facilitating global communication for better international relations, Grouphorse has devoted to pushing for exchange and mutual learning between global civilizations. We will continuously improve our strengths in culture and global communication, constantly innovate paths to explore new mechanisms for cultivating foreign language talents, collaboratively integrate education with industry, and promote the development of China’s foreign language industry, and foreign exchange and cooperation.”

John Worne expressed his pleasure at being able to co-organize this contest with Grouphorse Group:

“It would be hard to think of two more important families of languages to learn, speak and master than the English family of languages and the Chinese family of languages. Chinese and English are spoken to a useful level by over 1.5 billion people. The best communication is always person to person, and every person who can speak another language adds to the sum of possibilities for the Chartered Institute of Linguists’ motto. Everyone competing today should be proud of themselves. Prince Michael of Kent has kindly agreed to personally sign certificates to the winners, that is a Royal stamp of approval.”

The 2021 Grouphorse Cup National English Speaking Contest provided a stage on which language learners could express themselves and practice their language skills while taking part in a brilliant, exciting competition for the audience to enjoy, thus effectively promoting English language education and academic exchange. The contest itself has also set new examples with regard to schedules, topic selection and reward systems for contests all over the world.

Together with the China Interpreting Contest and China Written Translation Contest (both of which are organized by Grouphorse Group), the Grouphorse Cup National English Speaking Contest has also made substantial contributions in reinforcing the global competence of foreign language learners in the new era.