This competition gives you the chance to test your Mandarin Chinese speaking skills in front of an audience of schools from all over the UK and a panel of illustrious judges.  

The competition is for UK secondary school students* who are non-native speaking learners of Mandarin Chinese who have learnt the language from scratch with no advantage. For full details of eligibility, please read the Terms & Conditions.

*UK, Channel Island and Isle of Man secondary school students, sixth form and FE college students in years 7-13 (England, Wales, Channel Islands and Isle of Man), years S1-S6 (Scotland) and years 8-14 (N. Ireland).  Students in England in the equivalent of years 7-9 e.g. in preparatory or middle schools are also eligible to enter.

In the Individual Language Ability section, with the following categories: Beginner; Intermediate and Advanced, the judges are looking for real communication and presentation, not rehearsed performance.  The winner of each category will be someone who has really got to grips with the Mandarin language appropriate to their level of learning.   

In the Group Performance section, for five or six participants from at least two year groups of the same school or college, the judges are looking for a group drama performance which has all the participants joining in and using the language.

Full details of what is involved in each section and category are in the Judging Criteria.

Prize
The prize of a week long cultural visit to Beijing (5-13 April 2012 inclusive) for the winning students is only a part of the attraction.  Winners and their teachers are clearly proud of their achievements and the kudos that winning brings, and everyone benefits from the rehearsals and presenting or performing in front of others. If you make it through the regional heats there is a whole day at the British Museum in London for the final, with extra activities provided to see Chinese exhibits and learn more about Chinese culture.

New school entrants are very welcome, even if you have only recently started to teach Mandarin on or off the curriculum.