By Xie Xiaoyu Source: Xinhuanet

15 April 2017·1.45pm

http://sg.xinhuanet.com/2017-04/15/c_129538544.htm

The Inaugural Award Ceremony for International Chinese Proficiency Competition (Singapore and Malaysia) was held on Thursday, 13 April 2017 in Singapore. The competition, held in 2016, was divided into 2 categories: Adults and Pupils. Among the prize winners from Singapore and Malaysia, 33 were adults and 41 pupils. They received certificates of award and shared prize money totalling SGD 22,000.

A section of the prize winners in adult category joins the special guests for a group photograph (Photo courtesy of Confucius Classroom (Crestar))

 

“While we share the joy of the prize winners, we can also feel the expectations and responsibilities that come with the rewards,” said Ms Zhang Yuan, Vice General Manager of Chinese Testing International Co. Ltd (CTI), who flew in from Beijing specially for the award ceremony. CTI specialises in Chinese language testing services and is affiliated to Confucius Institute Headquarters / Hanban.

During the award ceremony, three of the winners shared their thoughts and feelings on the competition and Chinese language learning.

“It’s very meaningful to have such a competition in Singapore. It not only helps to promote Chinese language in Singapore, but also sparks interest and enthusiasm of the general public in learning Chinese,” said Ms Li Meiling, the grand prize winner of adult category.

“To me, HSK is not just a mere test or a mere certificate; it is a kind of learning experience, a kind of enjoyment, a kind of pleasure. Many listening materials and reading texts selected for the test are of great value as they are excellent language materials for my daily conversations. They have become a part of my language treasury,” said Ms Mak Yu Fei, the youngest candidate in the adult category, who is studying in Nanyang Girls’ High School. Chinese Proficiency Test (HSK) Level 6 was the competition format for the adult category.

“This competition was a rewarding experience as it has helped me to have a better understanding of my Chinese proficiency and to further improve my language ability more effectively. I am more confident in learning Chinese language now,” said Ms Chan Wen Jun, a Malaysian Chinese, who won the first prize in the Pupils Category.

Winners of the Pupils Category with special guests at the event(Photo courtesy of Confucius Classroom (Crestar))

Before the award and prize giving ceremony for the competition, Ms Li Yanan, General Manager of Research and Development Department of CTI, also presented to some 20 teachers with their certificates for their success in the examination for the Certificate for Teachers of Chinese to Speakers of Other Languages (CTCSOL) programme.

The CTCSOL recipients at the certificate award ceremony are pictured above with the special guests. (Photo courtesy of Confucius Classroom (Crestar))

Designed in accordance to Standards for Teachers of Chinese to Speakers of Other Languages, CTCSOL is a standardised test introduced by Confucius Institute Headquarters/Hanban. It assesses the suitability of candidates to serve as international Chinese language teachers based on their abilities in the following 5 domains: Basics in Chinese Language Teaching, Chinese Language Teaching Methodology, Instructional Design and Classroom Management, Chinese Culture and Cross-cultural Communication, Professional Ethics and Disciplinary Development. In Singapore, many international schools have adopted CTCSOL as a qualification reference or as a benchmark for recruiting Chinese language teachers.

The two presentation ceremonies were organised by Confucius Classroom (Crestar), with the support of Chinese Testing International Co. Ltd and HSK Centre (Crestar).

Confucius Classroom (Crestar) is organising the 2nd International Chinese Proficiency Competition (Singapore and Malaysia) this year to encourage more people to learn the language. Registration will close on 28 April 2017.