Latest Chinese Bridge competition showcases skills of young foreign participants, Xu Lin reports.

Chinese Bridge hostess Li Yangwei talks with candidates from all over the world via the internet. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)

Some foreigners, who are fluent in Mandarin, might also sing popular Chinese songs, recite old poems, play traditional instruments and be able to identify the meaning of the same Chinese word in different contexts.

Such scenes are commonly seen during Chinese Bridge, a Chinese-speaking and performance competition, which is open only to foreign participants. The program was launched in 2002 by Confucius Institute Headquarters, with the aim of promoting Chinese language and culture in the world.

The annual gala was recently broadcast on Beijing Radio and Television Station. The competition includes Chinese proficiency for foreign college students and secondary school students, and a Chinese show for foreign primary school students.

During the Chinese show, 10-year-old Zoey Alexandra Cardamone, who's from the United States, read aloud a Tang Dynasty (618-907) poem, sang a song and performed in Chinese a classic scene from William Shakespeare's tragedy Hamlet.

Over 5,000 primary school students from 41 countries participated online in the 2022 contest and 51 candidates made it to the online finals.

When Zoey showed her passion for language at age 5, her parents, who spent their honeymoon in China, chose one of the world's most-spoken languages for her.

"They think it's one of the most useful languages, hoping that I can learn about different cultures and lifestyles and become a citizen of the world," says Zoey, winner of the 2022 Chinese show for foreign primary school students in the program.

Candidates of previous Chinese Bridge competitions are invited to sing a song during the latest competition. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)

At the Chinese immersion school where she studies in the US, Zoey finds it difficult to learn mathematics, because many courses, including mathematics are taught in Chinese, but the math tests are in English. She finds Chinese reading more difficult than listening or speaking, as the vocabulary is so large that she may encounter unknown characters. Once her Chinese teacher asked her class to make a book on their own with drawings and words to practice writing, and Zoey wrote a long story.

Her favorite festival is Lunar New Year, because it's when people bid farewell to the old year and welcome the new year and have family reunions. The school organizes a grand event at that time every year, when all students are dressed up in exquisite costumes to perform dragon and lion dances, sing songs and join other activities.

"I like Peking roast duck and dumplings very much," she says. "I hope I have the opportunity to taste more delicious Chinese dishes."

Chinese dancers perform onstage. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)

Another candidate Perovic Ksenija, 19, who's from Montenegro, fell in love with the Chinese language and culture when she took her first Chinese class in 2018.

"I was amazed by its long history and traditional culture," says Ksenija, the winner of the 2022 Chinese Bridge competition for secondary school students. It's challenging yet fulfilling for her to master the different tones of Chinese, so she practices a lot for improvement.

"I've not only broadened my knowledge horizon, but also made good friends when learning Chinese. I also get to learn calligraphy, play guzheng (Chinese zither) and enjoy the tea culture, which all have greatly enriched my life."

For the program's director, Zhang Wei, and his team, it's their first time getting in touch with foreign primary and middle school students for the contest.

"All the candidates have greatly impressed me," Zhang says.

Candidates had to answer questions on various fields about China, such as ancient poems, proverbs and allusions, and hotly debated topics online. Zhang says they were unexpectedly amazed that the children had such a deep understanding of Chinese culture and history.

"When the program guests asked them some questions that even a Chinese person may find it difficult to answer, these young candidates were able to share their own opinions and provide details," he says.

Chinese singers perform onstage. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)

He was also impressed by the scene of candidates in the unique costume of their own country and showing their talents.

"As a mature program, Chinese Bridge continues to offer a platform for young Chinese learners from all over the world to communicate with each other and enjoy the delight of learning Chinese and experiencing Chinese culture," he says.

The 2022 program started in August and most recordings were done online due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The hosting team in Beijing had an emergency plan in case of technical issues with candidate networks. All candidates stayed online for at least an hour before the formal recording began. If a candidate suddenly went offline during the recording of question-and-answer sessions, the hosting team would use previously recorded scenes and contact the candidate timely so that they knew the answers the candidate gave.

Perovic Ksenija, 19, from Montenegro, won the 2022 Chinese Bridge competition for secondary school students. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)

Other than Chinese, foreign guests who previously took part in Chinese Bridge were also invited to the studio for the televised show, where they were able to have onscreen communication with the candidates. While all guests could only comment on candidates in previous contests, in 2022, they could also choose the category and difficulty level of questions for the candidates to answer.

"At Chinese Bridge, candidates are not only competing with each other but also sharing with the audience their experiences of Chinese culture," says Yue Qi, a professor at International Chinese Education Center, Communication University of China, who was one of the guests last year.

"The primary school students sang classic Chinese pop songs with affection, touching us with their innocent voices. It was just like a marvelous concert."

According to her, young children have an advantage when learning a second language, especially in listening and pronouncing words. At a later age, it's relatively difficult to practice a language with a different pronunciation than their mother tongue.

She says organizing interesting teaching activities can make learning Chinese more effective and increase one's enthusiasm. For example, it's easier for young students to sing ancient poems as they remember the lyrics.

"For foreigners who want to learn Chinese, interest is the best teacher. They should brush up their listening, speaking, reading and writing skills at the same time. While they can improve listening and speaking after class, they have to receive a systematic training for reading and writing in class," Yue says.

Contact the writer at xulin@chinadaily.com.cn