Alexa Carrington Delivers Speech at the National Chinese Bridge Speech Competition

On Sunday, April 12th, Alexa Carrington went to compete in the National Chinese Bridge Speech Competition, hosted by the Confucius Institute and the University of Massachusetts, Boston. The competition was divided into two segments, the competition for college students took place in the morning, and the afternoon program featured the high school students. Students competing that day demonstrated impressive levels of proficiency and came from universities, colleges, and high schools throughout the country, including Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Washington DC, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, and of course, Maine. The ballroom in the U. Mass Student Center, where the event took place, was abuzz with excitement; every competitor in the room possessed a palpable passion for Chinese, and each one of them had a unique story to tell about his or her journey as a Chinese language learner. The event was, in essence, a grand celebration of Chinese language and culture, as it not only highlighted the accomplishments of the students who were invited to compete, but also included a talent show of these same students performing songs, dances, poetry readings, Chinese comedy sketches and more.

Alexa competed at the intermediate level for high school students and represented Waynflete beautifully. Her speech, entitled “像音乐的普通话,” was about her journey as a Chinese language learner and the role that television and music have played in helping her advance her skills. Not only did Alexa deliver her speech with poise and confidence, but she also fielded questions from the judges like a pro. The day was a great success in every way; Alexa came away with a 3rd place honor, and we all (her teachers and family members included) had the opportunity to experience this very special event for the very first time. When you see Alexa, please congratulate her on her courageous and successful performance.

Listen to her speech here: