Speech skills a possible ticket to China

Scholars from Nairobi and Egerton universities win top awards in language and cultural knowledge

Twenty-seven-year-old Methody Owaki beat 15 contestants to emerge as overall winner of the 2015 Chinese Bridge Sino African Friendship Knowledge competition held at the University of Nairobi on Oct 14. The competition evaluates the language abilities of Mandarin students at higher learning institutions.

Owaki, a master's degree student at the University of Nairobi, concentrating on teaching Chinese as a second language, will represent the country in the continent-wide competition in South Africa in December. Finalists will be eligible for an all-expenses-paid trip to China, courtesy of the Chinese government.

Guo Hong, director of the Confucius Institute at the university, says he was elated by the judges' decision, which validated Owaki's diligent efforts in polishing his Mandarin pronunciation skills, a key factor in the competition.

"He has been a member of the university's Confucius Institute choir and dance club for about three years now, which gives him an added opportunity to practice," Guo says. "We have seen his efforts in mastering the language. It is not easy, but he has proved today that where there is a will there is a way." The university institute hosted the competition.

Owaki overcame stiff competition from Elvis Njau, 21, of Egerton University in western Kenya, whose presentation drew plaudits from the panel of judges consisting of Chinese scholars and officials from Chinese companies.

"I admired his speech, which I think was well done," Owaki says.

Participants were drawn from four Kenyan universities that have Confucius institutes. They were required to present a two-minute speech about China-Kenya bilateral relations and an activity showcasing their talent.

Most competitors sang famous Chinese folk songs that moved the audience such as love songs popularized by the late singer Teresa Teng.

Owaki went a step further by playing a traditional Chinese drum. The winner hails from Busia, a town in western Kenya that borders Uganda, about eight hours' drive from Nairobi. He says drumming is popular in his community. "It therefore was natural for me to try it out," he says. Owaki completed his undergraduate studies in linguistics and literature at the University of Nairobi.

Njau, the first runner-up, says he harbors a deep passion for Chinese culture, which draws him to participate in competitions. "This is an opportunity to push our efforts into perfecting our skills," he says. He was a finalist in the previous bridge competition, in May.

Njau says he was able to hone his skills against tough competition when he traveled to Beijing in June to compete in the global finals. Most participants at that level were accomplished and had often started learning Chinese from an early age. He was in his third year of Mandarin at the time. "Despite this, the competition unites us in celebrating our diverse cultures brought together by the rich Chinese culture."

The international relations student says he had only three days to prepare for the competition, the date of which was announced with little forewarning. His teacher, Zhang Tongtong, says the short period pushed them to their limits. Egerton University fielded three competitors.

"The students definitely rose to the occasion and prepared in every way they could. This is impressive to see the zeal and energy invested by both students and teachers to showcase what they have learned in class to a big audience," says Zhang, who has lived in Kenya for eight years.

Zhang, an education graduate of Jiangxi Normal University, says Kenyan students are persistent and she has seen this at every educational level. Besides teaching at the Egerton Confucius Institute, she instructs students at two primary schools on the university campus that have Mandarin classes and serve children of campus staff and the surrounding community.

She thinks the introduction of optional Chinese language in the national education syllabus is a big step. "I think the government is creating a conducive environment to tighten its bilateral relationship with China. Kenyans will be more welcoming to Chinese visitors in the future and vice versa."

In April, the government announced that the language would be taught as an option in public schools starting in 2017, starting with those entering the first years of primary and secondary school.

Zhang says that while most Chinese know relatively little about Africa, she is optimistic that will change as Kenya and other countries send more students to China for competitions and on scholarships.

Guo adds that there is a need to have an exchange program bringing Chinese students to Kenyan universities.

"An exchange program would be an eye-opening experience for both Kenyan and Chinese students. I think it is the way to go."

Guo says the competition is a precursor to the summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, to be held in Johannesburg on Dec 4 and 5. She believes the competition is one way of making students more aware of the milestones China and Africa have achieved in the past decade.

Education exchange programs constitute an important focus of their cooperation, she says, and she is happy that there have been tremendous achievements toward bridging cultural gaps through education. "I think more commitments will be made during the event but at least the foundation is laid."

Facts

University of Nairobi Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Student Affairs Professor Isaac Mbeche announced that plans are in an advanced stage to release a $9.7 million grant from the Chinese government to develop an African headquarters for Confucius institutes at the university. He says it would be a center of excellence and set high standards for all centers in the continent.

lucymorangi@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily Africa Weekly 10/23/2015 page26)