The “FLTRP·ETIC Cup” “Understanding Contemporary China” National Foreign Language Proficiency Contest Guangdong Provincial Semi-Final was recently held at the Beijing Normal University-Hong Kong Baptist University United International College (UIC).

Six contestants from the Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech) achieved great success, winning four gold medals, three silver medals, and three bronze medals.

Four contestants and groups advanced to the national finals, with Jinxing JIANG excelling and earning first place in the provincial semi-final.

From left to right: Instructor Yu CHU, Aoxuan WEN, Yili HUANG, Jiankang CHANG, Jinxing JIANG, and Instructor Xiao SHI

This year’s competition, which retained the theme of “Understanding China, Communicating with the World”, introduced a renewed format, merging the previous Speech, Writing, and Reading contests into the International Communication Skills Contest to assess students’ comprehensive English proficiency and communication abilities.

The students from SUSTech demonstrated significant advantages under the new structure, reflecting their excellent command of the language, comprehensive skills development, and profound understanding of contemporary China.

In the Comprehensive Proficiency Contest, Jinxing JIANG secured first place and a gold medal, advancing to the national finals; Jiankang CHANG achieved fourth place with a gold medal and also advanced, while Yili HUANG earned a silver medal. In the Speech Contest, Jinxing JIANG claimed another gold medal, with Jiankang CHANG and Yili HUANG earning bronze medals.

SUSTech students also excelled in the newly introduced Translation and Interpreting contests. Competing alongside students majoring in English and translation, their strong language skills and in-depth understanding of Chinese topics led to them securing multiple awards. Minjun WANG won a gold medal in the Translation Contest and advanced to the national finals, while Yicheng ZHANG secured a silver medal. In the Interpreting Contest, Aoxuan WEN earned a bronze medal.

A Short Video Contest, a new addition this year, encouraged contestants to explore the theme “Digital China” and share creative stories. A total of 334 participants submitted 102 short videos in the provincial round. A Chinese video made by international student Calin Tan Kai Lin won a gold medal and advanced to the national finals. An English video jointly created by Wenjun CHEN, Yangshu WANG, Boyu JIANG, and Keyao JIANG earned a silver medal and also advanced, while another English video co-produced by Jingxiao MA, Yitao ZENG, Antai ZHANG, Nan JIANG, and Ziang XIE secured a bronze medal.

The “FLTRP·ETIC Cup” is one of the most influential national foreign language competitions, featuring a variety of contests and a comprehensive assessment of student’s language proficiency. This year, approximately 50,000 contestants from 69 universities across Guangdong Province participated. During the preliminary round, 368 students from SUSTech competed, winning 20 gold medals, 57 silver medals, and 94 bronze medals.

The outstanding performance of SUSTech students in the national English competition fully reflects the effectiveness of the University’s distinctive English education system. Promoting learning through competition is an important dimension of SUSTech’s English education outside the classroom.

The Center for Language Education at SUSTech offers lectures, personalized tutoring, and resources to develop students’ skills and prepare them for international communication challenges.