Who are the Most ‘Harrovian’ Speakers?

Let’s Meet the Winners of the First Harrow Zhuhai Bilingual Speech Contest!

Following Harrow’s long-lasting tradition of speeches, the first Harrow Zhuhai Bilingual Speech Contest was launched in the last two weeks of April and sparked an overwhelming response from the whole school and many Harrovians signed up for the competition.

A bilingual speech contest, as the name implies, means that all participants must complete two single speeches in two separate languages in order to compete. This was a big challenge for the participants. Not only did this mean that the contestants had to demonstrate their fluency in Chinese as well as their accuracy in English, but it also meant that they had to prepare two speeches at the same time in completely different languages and on different topics.

Mr. Constantine Yu, Head of Marketing and Admissions of Harrow Zhuhai who has worked as a spokesperson for many international companies, and a member of the ToastMasters International, said:

“Although Chinese speeches and English speeches are both forms of presentation, the criteria for language styles and content creation varies significantly. A Chinese speech can be refined through the use of idioms and optimized language structure using prose. It requires the speaker to master the Chinese language and its history. In contrast, English speeches will avoid the use of colloquialisms, but rely on clear logic and accurate choice of words. The speaker’s personal style, and occasionally humour, will add a lot of points to the English speech. This will require the speaker to have an in-depth understanding of English vocabulary and cultural traits.”

Such a seemingly tough challenge was not difficult for Harrow students. After the registration was opened, students from all grades enthusiastically applied and finally 60 students registered for the competition. With the two fixed themes – “My Chinese Dream” and “I am Harrovian”, our young contestants made full and thorough preparations for their speeches. They presented brilliantly on the spot, either calmly or passionately. Many of the contestants were humorous and expressive through their thorough speeches in both English and Chinese.

After a total of 4 stages of fierce competition in Chinese and English, the winners of this speech contest were finally born!

Gold Awards

Silver Awards

Bronze Awards

Top 3 of Chinese Speech

Top 3 of English Speech

“When a young man has his own ambition, he shall not fear the uncertainty of the world”. Harrow is where the youngsters are soaring, and the Chinese dreams are realized. The first Harrow Zhuhai Bilingual Speech Contest has come to a successful end, and we look forward to seeing more of our Harrovians to shine on the school stage and beyond!