Voicing their pride

Winners of a contest recounted, in English, the historical narratives related to the Communist Party of China and the country's development, showing off their talent during an award ceremony on July 20.

The students employed the English language to describe what they see and feel in their daily life, reflecting how the country has thrived in recent decades under the leadership of the Party, which last month celebrated the centenary of its founding.

The contest was organized by the Shanghai Student Moral Education Development Center and Shanghai International Studies University, under the guidance of the Party committee of the Shanghai Education and Health Working Committee and the Shanghai Education Commission.

Organizers say the contest was intended to help youths in Shanghai, birthplace of the CPC, draw strength from the fighting spirit of the Party throughout its growth, cultivate a global vision while having full confidence in their own culture, and contribute their vitality and wisdom to national rejuvenation and a better future for mankind.

"The goal of foreign language education is not merely to cultivate talented people who master the language. On top of that, we aim to cultivate young people with excellent intercultural communication skills and profound knowledge in a certain field. They must also have the capability of shouldering important tasks in the new era," said Jiang Feng, Party secretary of SISU.

"Ultimately we hope the youngsters can avail of the power of languages to enhance the appeal of their speeches and eventually the discourse power of the country," he said.

The first round of the contest kicked off in May, and more than 3,600 students from primary school to university age participated and just dozens of them made it into the final.

Zhang Lezhi, a fourth grader from Shanghai Aiju Primary School and a first-prize winner in the primary school group, told the story of how her family was involved in the reform and opening-up of the country under leadership of the CPC.

The girl said her great-grandfather, 95, once worked in Washington, inviting foreign investment to China; her grandfather was the founder of a snack company in the early 1990s, harboring a dream that all the people in the nation would have access to healthy and delicious food; and her father's job is to help domestic enterprises go global.

"In addition to English, I'm also learning French and Latin. My great-grandfather is always encouraging me to work for the country in the future," said the 10-year-old.

"I aspire to work as a diplomat one day to be a voice for China on the world stage," she said.

Tan Mengtian, a 16-year-old student from Shanghai No 2 Middle School, told the stories of revolutionaries who devoted their lives to the country and were finally laid to rest at the Shanghai Longhua Martyrs' Cemetery.

"We speak about them as we remember a history when China was weak and could be bullied by others. It helps us better understand how the country can retain its present development by learning more about the past," she said.

Tan said her idea for the topic was also inspired by movies and TV series centered around the Party history that have been shown this year.

"I hope to become a journalist in the future to stand at the tide of the times, keep learning, and communicate stories with positive values to society," she said.

Mei Deming, the contest's chairman of the jury and an expert with the Ministry of Education in the setting of English curriculum standards, said that it is the epitome of success for the country's foreign language education when youngsters can confidently use those languages to tell China's stories, especially ones related to the development of the CPC and the Party's leadership throughout the construction of a socialist country.

"A better understanding of the CPC is essential to understand modern China. We speak foreign languages to tell China's stories and communicate with foreigners about the common values of mankind," said Mei.

"Each of us is a witness to the motherland's development. By piecing together the small stories happening around us, we're actually creating the bigger picture of the country's prosperous and vigorous development," he said.

He added that they are considering the inclusion of expats studying and working in Shanghai in such contests in the future, as they, too, are witnesses and participants of the country's development.