Julian Panero (left), GW Chinese major, placed 1st in the 11th Annual Chinese Bridge Speech Competition preliminaries, Washington DC site.
The 2012 competition of the DC site was held on April 15, at the University of Maryland Confucius Institute, with 10 competitors from six universities. Competitors were required to perform a formal speech, answer quiz questions on Chinese language and cultural knowledge, and perform a talent related to Chinese culture. Two students from Georgetown University won the second place.
The 1st place winners at regional preliminaries are expected to join others from other countries all over the world to compete in Beijing on the International Chinese Bridge Contest in the summer, which will be aired on Chinese national television!
The GW candidates have been extremely competitive in recent contests. Caleb Dependahl competed in 2010 and won the third place. In 2011, Tim Quinn and Caleb placed the first and second respectively. In this year's contest, Julian's outstanding performance in all three parts of the competition again placed GW at the top. Dr. Julia Xiaoning Chen (right) was the coach of the three GW winners.
Story Contributed by Tim Quinn Videos by Miaochun Wei
At the beginning of this semester, having just come back from study abroad, I was eager to find avenues to keep up with my Chinese and keep honing my language skills. When Wei Laoshi approached me and asked me if I wanted to compete in the Hanyuqiao competition, I agreed without hesitation. I didn’t even know what Hanyuqiao was at the time, all I knew was that it would give me extra opportunity to practice Chinese outside of my literature class with Professor Liana Chen. When I agreed to participate I didn’t know who I would be working with nor did I know what I would be doing. I got an email from Professor Xiaoning Chen and I still remember our first meeting. We talked and she asked me about what I would like to do for the competition – I hadn’t a clue.
(Photo by Phyllis Zhang)
A few weeks went by and before I knew it I had a piece to practice complete with singing and tongue twisters. Chen Laoshi was strict, but I appreciated every moment of it and I am convinced that she has helped me immensely in maintaining and furthering my Chinese language capabilities. Given her impressive resume and her experience as an emcee, even a native mandarin speaker would be envious of the time I got to spend training with her.
In the weeks before the competition, I never even thought for one moment I had a chance at winning. I had entirely convinced myself that regardless the outcome I had decided to compete solely for the experience. It wasn’t until I got on the stage to give my speech that I fully came to realize just how much a help Chen Laoshi had actually been. Naturally, I was happy when I saw my scores (and I was even happier when I found out I won!) yet the most rewarding part of this experience hasn’t been the outcome, but rather the experience itself.
I am looking forward to going to China to participate in the next stages of this competition. However, what I look forward to more is coming back. Chen Laoshi has agreed to keep practicing with me during her time in Washington DC and it is this for which I am most grateful and excited. Yes, the awards and the recognition have been great. But the best part of participating in this year’s Hanyuqiao competition without a doubt has been the fact that it has given me the opportunity to meet and work with so many of our Chinese department’s wonderful faculty, especially Professor Xiaoning Chen. It was an absolute honor to represent GW and to represent such an excellent staff of dedicated and hardworking people. --Tim
The George Washington University B.A. International Development/Anthropology Class of 2012
Story contributed by Caleb Dependahl Videos by Miaochun Wei
Photo by Jianxin Cui
Participating and placing in the 10th Chinese Bridge Speech Competition was even more enjoyable than last year! I am very happy that I could bring honor to GWU and specifically our Chinese Department once again. One thing that makes our Chinese Department stand out from the rest is our amazing faculty. The amount of support and encouragement I’ve received from every single professor is amazing.
My experience preparing for this year’s competition differed greatly from my experience last year. Due to a heavier workload, I originally had no plans to compete in Chinese Bridge again. However, a few weeks before the competition our Director, Phyllis Zhang, along with several other smiling professors just happened to ask me – repeatedly – if I would be competing in the 汉语桥 coming up. I knew that resistance was futile and decided to jump in and enjoy the ride! Professor Chen Xiaoning was immediately assigned to whip me in shape, and before I knew it I was memorizing speeches and distracting anyone unlucky enough to be down the hall from our practice room!
I give all of the credit to three professors, without whom I would never have competed or done as well as I did. First, I would like to thank Prof. Phyllis Zhang, Director of GW Chinese Program, for urging me to compete these past two years. She has continued to push me to challenge myself and realize my full potential, and for that I am truly grateful. Next, I would like to thank Professor Wei Gengyun again, the visiting fellow from China (2008-10). It was she who helped me prepare for the 汉语桥 last year, and if it weren’t for her I never would have attempted my first “没有快板的快板”. She helped me discover a talent I never knew I had. Finally, I never would have done so well this year without the help of Professor Chen Xiaoning, another visiting fellow from China. Her guidance, patience and encouragement have brought me to the point where I am ready to bring my skills to the next level.
I would also like to thank Professor Wei Miaochun for videotaping our performances, and Professor Dong Hongyuan for driving us to and from the competition.
I sincerely thank you all!
-- Caleb
Caleb Dependahl is a Junior in the Elliott School of International Affairs, double majoring in Asian Studies and Chinese Language and Literature
(Photos by Prof. Jianxin Cui, Confucius Institute, UMD)
Tim Quinn (GW Chinese minor) and Caleb Dependahl (GW Chinese major) placed 1st and 2nd respectively in the 10th Annual Chinese Bridge Speech Competition preliminaries, Washington DC site. The competition of the DC site was held at the University of Maryland Confucius Institute, with 12 competitors from seven universities. Competitors were required to perform a formal speech, answer questions testing Chinese language and cultural knowledge, and perform a talent related to Chinese culture. The 1st and 2nd place winners of each region are sent to Beijing to represent the USA competing on the International Chinese Bridge on Chinese national television! Look forward to seeing their performances after this summer!
Dr. Julia Chen is currently a visiting fellow from China. Once a TV program host in Hubei TV Station, China, Dr. Chen used her pro skills to coach the two GW competitors. (Photo by Phyllis Zhang)
比赛前一天,我问崑天和永凯,要是没得奖,你们会失望吗? 他们说,我们不会在意,我们更在意这个学习的过程。我的心一下子放下了。现在，我常常想起的不是他们获奖的瞬间，而是在这间不大的办公室里，我们字斟句酌、反复锤炼的一个个场景…… On the day before the competition, I asked Tim and Caleb, if you guys don’t win will you be upset? They told me that winning didn’t even matter, what matters was the experience and what they had learned during the preparation process. I immediately was able to relax. Now, when I reflect on this experience, I generally don’t think about that award winning moment. Instead, I think of the time spent in that small office, practicing over and over, carefully weighing every word...... -- Julia Chen
Prof. Miaochun Wei had taught Tim before Tim went to the ACC program in China.
This is our third year that GW students have participated in Chinese Bridge Speech Contest, and we have the best performance this year. I have felt really delighted to see every contestant contribute tremendous time and efforts preparing for it with our teachers. They all exemplify GW spirit, increasing interest in learning Chinese language and culture, and above all, the mutual understanding of Chinese and Americans. I hope that their victory motivates both Tim and Caleb to continue further studies in Chinese, as well as encourages more of our students to pursue excellence in the global community in the future. --Miaochun Wei
Prof. Miaochun Wei (left), Tim Quinn, Prof. Julia Chen (center), Prof. Phyllis Zhang (front, served as judge in this competition). Caleb Dependahl, Prof. Hongyuan Dong (right, served as judge in the previous competition).
Mr. Caleb Dependahl, a GW student double majoring in Asian Studies and Chinese language and literature, participated in the 9th Chinese Bridge Proficiency Competition and won the third place prize and special performance award. He impressed audience with his sense of humor as well as his exceptional speaking skills. Here is the speech part of his competition (videotaped by Phyllis Zhang).
At the reception after the contest in the Education Office of Chinese Embassy in Washington DC, Caleb was asked to give his talent show performance again. His Chinese fluency and humor impressed everyone. (Left, Xu Lin,Director General of Hanban/Confucius Institute Headquarters, China. Photo by Gengyun Wei, a Hanban visiting teaching fellow, who coached Caleb for this competition.)
with contributions from Caleb Dependahl and Amanda James
Photos by Phyllis Zhang and Gengyun Wei
The 9th Chinese Bridge Chinese Proficiency Competition at the Washington site was held on April 16 at the University of Maryland. Twenty American students from eight universities competed in this event. Two GWU students, Caleb Dependahl (戴永凯）and Amanda James (蒋爱梦）participated in the competition. Caleb won the Third Place Prize and also a Special Performance Award (the only one among the six winners to win this special performance award). Amanda received Honorable Mention. Their excellent performance impressed all the participants and audience. The First Place Prize winner was David Hunsaker from Brigham Young University.
Amanda James, Chinese Language & Literature Major at GWU.
"Participating in the 2010 Chinese Bridge Competition was a fantastic experience. I spent several weeks preparing for the presentation, studying questions about Chinese language and culture, and getting ready for the talent portion of the contest, but even in putting in all that time I had a blast! Wei Laoshi put in a huge amount of time and effort to help me prepare, and getting together with her to study and go over things was so much fun and really rewarding. Not only was preparing fun, but it also expanded my knowledge of Chinese culture and helped me improve my Chinese language skills. The competition itself was great as well. There were twenty different students there from all over the country and all with different backgrounds. It was fun getting the chance to talk with them and hear about their experiences with Chinese and see their presentations. Some had lived in China for several years, and others had only just started studying in college a few years ago, so there were people there at varying levels, but we could all understand each other and our learning experiences and enjoy each others presentations and talents. I truly had a great time, learned a lot, and met some fantastic people!" --Amanda
Caleb Dependahl, Asian Studies; Chinese Lang. & Lit. Double Major at GWU
"大家好！ I can honestly say it was an honor to represent The George Washington University at the 9th annual Chinese Bridge competition. I have felt completely welcome and at home in the Chinese Department since my first week at GW. As I started preparing for the competition, I felt that I was not only participating to improve my Chinese, but that it was also a small opportunity for me to thank everyone in the Chinese Language Department.
I started preparing for the 汉语桥 competition at least two months before the event. From day one I practiced under the guidance of Wei Laoshi (魏耕耘老师). I know for a fact that if it weren't for her, I never would have attempted the performance I later gave and succeeded in. I don't know how many hours I spent preparing alone and with Professor Wei, but it all paid off in the end!
I wasn't sure what to expect from my fellow competitors at the Chinese Bridge competition. I had only heard that the year before there was a very clear line between the students with advanced Chinese and beginner level Chinese. I was pleasantly surprised to find several other students with a higher level of Chinese like me! The competition was very competitive and very close. In the end I finished amongst the top competitors, but more importantly, I have become close friends with some of the other students I met. Furthermore, my performance at the Chinese Bridge competition has led to several other opportunities that I never even expected!
I strongly encourage any student with interest to participate in the next Chinese Bridge competition. Through it, I discovered talents that I never knew I possessed, and realized that my potential in Chinese is far greater than I was aware of. It's difficult to truly communicate to American students the value of knowing the Chinese language. If I've learned anything thus far, it is that you never know where Chinese may take you!" -- Caleb
Gengyun Wei, Coordinator of the GW Competition Team
Ms. Gengyun Wei or Wei laoshi [center], was the coordinator of the GW competition team. A star teacher at her home school (Beijing Language and Culture University), Wei laoshi has been teaching at GWU as a Visiting Teaching Fellow for two academic years (2008-09, 2009-10). She also coordinated the first GW team for this international event in Spring 2009, and won a Third Place Price. This year, Wei laoshi spent a lot of time with the two GW competitors, helping them improve their presentations and language performance. She enjoyed working with these two excellent students. "My time was well spent and worthwhile! Nothing could make me happier than when I saw how they were appreciated by so many people at the Competition. That gave me the greatest joy for being a teacher!"
Other GW faculty members also attended the competition to cheer for the competitors. Ms. Jun Zhang (far left) was Caleb's teacher last fall. Ms. Gengyun Wei (second from left) was Caleb's tutor for this competition. Ms. Miaochun Wei (center) helped videotape part of the event, and Prof. Hongyuan Dong served as judge of this event with four other Professors from other universities. Prof. Phyllis Zhang, Director of the GW Chinese language program, also attended the morning session of the competition.
