UCC student wins 'Chinese Bridge' Language Competition in Accra

A final-year student of the Confucius Institute at the University of Cape Coast (CI-UCC), Lilian Ama Serwaa Tobias, won the overall best performance award at this year’s 'Chinese Bridge' Language Proficiency Competition held in Accra last Friday. 

For her prize, Miss Tobias will have a fully sponsored trip to China to represent Ghana on the global stage of the competition later this year. This year's edition of the 'Chinese Bridge' Competition was the 17th edition and it was hosted by the Confucius Institute at the University of Ghana (CIUG).

As the name suggests, it gives contestants the platform to showcase their proficiency in the Chinese languageHeld on the theme: 'One World, One Family,' the competition featured 12 finalists from the Confucius Institute at the University of Ghana (CIUG), the Confucius Institute at the University of Cape Coast (CI-UCC) and the Confucius Institute at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (CI-KNUST). 

Contest

The "Chinese Bridge" language proficiency contest is an international competition organised by the Centre for Language Education and Cooperation in China. It provides a platform for Chinese learners worldwide to showcase their understanding and mastery of the Chinese language and culture.

This competition, often organised for university students, featured a category for secondary school students for the first time this year. Ms Margaret Amoabeng, a final year student of the University Practice Senior High School in Cape Coast emerged as the overall winner   of the SHS contest which took place on May 24.

She will also represent Ghana in that category at the global stage of the competition. In an interview with the Daily Graphic, Miss Tobias urged other Ghanaian students to seize the opportunities offered by all three Confucius Institutes in Ghana and also explore the possibilities that come with learning the Chinese language and culture. 

"I urge Ghanaian students to try and learn other international languages, especially the Chinese language because it opens up many opportunities in Ghana and around the world.

"Chinese businesses are establishing themselves in Ghana, providing job opportunities which will help reduce Ghana's unemployment rate," she added. She also gave assurance to try her best to win the global competition since a student from the University of Ghana won it last year.

 Cultural Exchange and Opportunities

 The Minister-Counselor of the Chinese Embassy in Ghana, Mr Li Yang encouraged the audience to utilise language as a tool for the promotion of cultural exchange.  "You will find great opportunities in learning Chinese in the future as China's economy grows very fast. Ghana will benefit more from China-Ghana trade cooperation.

"Naturally, the demand for Chinese speakers will grow and Chinese language students will be more popular among private sectors. Chinese-speaking students in Ghana have advantages and become popular in the talent market after graduation," Mr Li added.