The Eleventh "21st Century·Macao Star Cup" National English Speaking
Competition was held April 6-8, 2006, in Macao.
Co-sponsored by China Daily and Macao Polytechnic Institute, the event is
organized by 21st Century English Newspapers and MPI Organizing Committee.
It will be the first time for the competition has been held in the Hong Kong
and Macao region. Expected to boost cooperation in English language teaching
throughout Hong Kong, Macao and the mainland, the event also will mark the 25th
anniversary of China Daily.
Forty students from over 500 universities in China earned places in the
national finals after a composition contest and four regional finals held from
June to November 2005.
They will be joined finals by 10 contestants from the top 10 universities of
the 10th session. The organizing committee also will invite 8 contestants from
Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan plus 3 contestants from other Asian countries.
After Semi-finals on April 6-7, 24 finalists will compete on April 8 for top
prizes. The competition includes a prepared speech, an impromptu speech and a
question-and-answer session. The winner of the "Most Promising Speaker" award
will receive a scholarship to take part in the annual International Public
Speaking Competition in London during May 2006.
Judging the finals will be experts and professionals from the
English-Speaking Union (ESU), Teachers of English to Speakers of Other
Languages, Inc.(TESOL), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China, foreign
embassies and consulates, the media, domestic and overseas universities, as well
as other international organizations. More than 5,000 people are expected to
attend and the competition will be covered by major media in China.
Venue: Semi-finals: The Auditorium of Macao Polytechnic
Institute
Finals: The Auditorium of Macao Culture Centre
Time: April 6-8, 2006
April 6-7, 2006 (Thursday-Friday) Semi-finals
April 8, 2006 (Saturday) Finals
Structure:
- Semi-finals: prepared speech (4 minutes),
impromptu speech (2 minutes), and question-and-answer session (2 questions in 2
minutes)
- Finals: prepared speech (4 minutes), impromptu speech (3 minutes),
and question-and-answer session (3 questions in 3 minutes)
Topics of the prepared speech:
- Semi-finals: Learn to Understand Different Cultures
- Finals: Our Future: Dreams vs. Reality
- Impromptu topics will be announced after drawing lots at the scene.
Sponsors: China Daily Macao Polytechnic Institute
Organiser: 21st Century English Newspapers
MPI Organizing Committee
Co-sponsors: The English-Speaking Union (ESU), UK
Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages, Inc. (TESOL)
Educational Testing Service (ETS), US
University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations
Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Bell International, UK
Macquarie University, Australia
SMa School of Management, Singapore
Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press
McGraw-Hill Education, US
Prizes:
The Grand Champion, First and Second Runners-up and the First-prize Winners
will be awarded a study trip to Britain, Australia or Singapore;
The Second-prize Winners will receive a cash award of 1,500 yuan;
The Third-prize Winners will receive a cash award of 1,000 yuan.
Special Prizes:
The Most Promising Speaker will receive a scholarship to take part in the
annual International Public Speaking Competition in London in 2006;
The Macao Star Creativity Award Winner will receive 3,000 yuan;
The Most Humourous Speaker will receive 2,000 yuan;
The Most Graceful Speaker will receive 2,000 yuan;
The Outstanding Foreign Speaker will receive 2,000 yuan.
Prizes for Tutors:
Tutors of the Grand Champion and First and Second Runners-up will be invited
to attend the Annual International IATEFL (International Association of Teachers
of English as a Foreign language) Conference to be held in 2007 in the United
Kingdom. Tutors of fourth and fifth-place winners will be sponsored by Macquarie
University for a one-week study tour to Sydney.
All contestants and their tutors receive certificates and book prizes. The
top ten finalists will go to Hong Kong on April 9 to take part in the Mainland
& Hong Kong English Public Speaking competition of Hong Kong Federation of
Youth Groups.
Distinguished Guests
The "21st Century Cup" Competition has been successfully held for ten years.
It has become the most popular English competition in the nation. The
competition invites distinguished guests from all over the world to give
speeches and present awards.
原国务院新闻办公室主任 赵启正
Zhao Qizheng Former Director of the Information Office of the State Council
国务院新闻办公室副主任 王国庆
Wang Guoqing Deputy Director of the Information Office of the State Coucil
第29届奥林匹克运动会组织委员会执行副主席 蒋效愚
Jiang Xiaoyu Executive Vice-president of the Beijing Organizing Committee for
the Games of the XXIX Olympiad
中国日报社总编辑 朱灵
Zhu Ling Editor-in-Chief of China Daily
北京市副市长 张茅
Zhang Mao Vice-Mayor of Beijing Municipal Goverment
中国日报社常务副总编 黄庆
Huang Qing Managing Editor of China Daily
英国大使馆文化教育处文化参赞 沙利文
Michael O'Sullivan Cultural Counsellor, Cultural and Education Section,
British Embassy
国际英语联合会副主席 艾博雅夫人
Lady Joan Appleyard Deputy Chairman of the English-speaking Union
原国家教育部高教司司长 钟秉林
Zhong Binglin Former Director of the Higher Education Department of the
Ministry of Education.
