26 May 2022 - The 18th Biliteracy & Trilingualism Composition and Speech Competition

‘The 18th Biliteracy & Trilingualism Composition and Speech Competition’ – it is clear to see from the name of the competition that it involves both writing skills and speaking skills. Looking back, I would say that this competition was quite a challenge, because I had never been particularly good at English writing or Cantonese. I encountered many difficulties. For example, I couldn’t clearly and correctly pronounce certain words in Cantonese, and I couldn’t make my English essays seem profound or sophisticated due to my limited vocabulary and grammar knowledge.

However, I was in fact confident when I stood on the stage, because I had to be. Confidence is the most important thing when delivering a speech. You don’t even have to memorise all your lines – all you have to do is be confident.

Throughout the competition, I got to meet people who had interests and talents in many different areas, and I realised that there are so many people out there in the world, shining in their own way.

In contrast to the formal and serious competition, I thoroughly enjoyed the prize-giving ceremony. My friends and I stayed behind afterwards and took photos with other competitors, and we added each other’s Instagram accounts. It was a short but warm moment. Despite the intense competition, every competitor was so nice, and they were so different from their competitive, onstage personas. 

Giving a speech in front of a few hundred people isn’t an easy thing to do. Nevertheless, it was my favourite part, because at that moment, there was a spotlight just for me. It’s hard to describe that kind of feeling, but it felt like that moment in time was just for me. So, when I made my speech, I didn’t think of the competition nor the judges. All I did was enjoy that moment. It’s a feeling I believe all of you will get to know when you stand on the stage, and I hope that day will come soon.

Angelica Zhang Wan - S3MT (34), The junior lever winner of the The 18th Biliteracy & Trilingualism Composition and Speech Competition

Please click the following link to the awarded articles: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/13-0ymLKInKRRiNFLk9VX8DiVMktyJ3DP?usp=sharing