On May 18th 2017, the twentieth “Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press” National College English Debate finals took place at the Beijing Diplomatic Academy. It is the first time SUSTech sends a team to participate in this event, and after a week of intense debating, SUSTechers Wang Jiuzhou and Xu Yizi took home the national third prize, while their instructor, SUSTech Language Center teacher Liu Lisa was awarded first prize.
SUSTech students Wang Jiuzhou and Xu Yizi
SUSTech Language Center Instructor Liu Lisa
The National College English Debate Competition is jointly organized by the Communist Youth League Central Committee, the National Union and the Beijing Foreign Studies University, and is the largest spoken English competition in China. The 20th “Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press” Regional Division is divided into East, West, North and South China, and the top participants will go on to the finals which are held in Beijing. The debates not only require good oral English and debating skills, but also a broad international perspective and extensive knowledge of social, political, economic and cultural affairs.
As one of the few science and technology university teams, the SUSTech candidates faced stiff competition against English majors from the Peking University, Tsinghua University, Fudan and other top mainland China institutions as well as teams from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan. In total, 120 colleges and universities were present for the finals. In the face of a strong opposition, the SUSTechers carefully planned their responses, with solid English skills and careful logical arguments to fully demonstrate the style of the university, and managed to land third prize. Liu Lisa explained how she “uses TED speeches in her classroom to cultivate students’ critical thinking”, a technique which won her praises and first prize among the instructors. During the course of the competition, she introduced how to design captivating and practical oral classroom activities revolving around TED speeches, so as to introduce students to critical thinking, a method which judges and teachers found particularly innovating and efficient.
SUSTech’s foreign language teaching is still in the initial stage, and the aim of participating in this competition is to help students develop their horizons, and give the English teachers a more effective and innovative approach to language training, overall providing valuable experience to both students and teachers.
Contributed by: Language Center
Edited by: Jeremy Welburn
