“21世纪·爱立信杯”全国英语演讲比赛冠军得主演讲稿

TomeMarch28thwasaluckyday.ItwasonthatparticulareveningthatIfoundmyselfatcentralstage,inthespotlight.Winningthe"21stCentury·EricssonCup"SeventhNationalEnglishSpeakingCompetitionisamemorythatIshalltreasureandonethatwillsurelystay.

MoreimportantthanwinningtheCupisthefriendshipthathasbeenestablishedanddevelopedamongthecontestants,andthechancetocommunicateoffstageinadditiontocompetingonstage.AlsothecompetitionhelpsboostpublicspeakinginChina,askillhithertoundervalued.

Forme,though,thecompetitionisamorepersonalexperience.Habituallyshy,Ihadbeenreluctanttotakepartinanysuchactivities.Encouragedbymyfriends,however,Imadealast-minutedecisiontogiveitatry.InthecourseofpreparationIsomehowrediscoveredmyself,atruerme.

Ifoundthat,afterall,Ilikecommunicatingwithotherpeople;thatexchangingviewscanbesomuchfun—andsomuchrewarding,bothemotionallyandintellectually;thatpublicspeakingismosteffectivewhenyouareleastguarded;andthatitisessentialtosuccessineverywalkoflife.

Atamorepracticallevel,Irealizedknowingwhatyouaregoingtosayandhowyouaregoingtosayitareequallyimportant.Totaketheoriginalideasoutofyourheadandtransplantthem,sotospeak,tothatofothers,youneedtohaveanorganizedmind.Thisabilityimproveswithtraining.

Yetthereshouldnotbeanylossoradditionordistortionintheprocess.Thoseideasthatfinallyfindtheirwayintoanotherheadneedtoberecognizablyyours.Languageisameanstotransmitinformation,notameanstoobstructcommunication.Itshouldbelucidtobepenetrating.

InChina,certainpublicspeakingskillshavebeenundulyemphasized.Willitreallyhelp,wearecompelledtoask,tobangatthepodiumoryellatthetopofyourlungs,ifyouhavecomewithapoorlyorganizedspeech,amuddledmind,andunwillingnesstotrulyshareyourviews?

Aboveall,thesinglemostimportantthingIlearntwasthatasapublicspeaker,youneedtopayattention,firstandforemost,tothecontentofyourspeech.Andsecond,thestructureofyourspeech:howoneidearelatesandprogressestoanother.

Onlyafterthesecomedeliveryandnon-verbalcommunication:speedcontrol,platformmanner,andsoon.Pronunciationisimportant,yetofgreaterimportanceisthis:Isyourlanguagecompetentenoughtoexpressyourideasexactlythewayyouintendthemtobeunderstood?

IwasinformedafterwardsthatIwaschosentobethewinnerformy"appropriatelywordedspeech,excellentpresenceandquick-wittedresponse".Insoremarking,thejudgesclearlyshowedtheirpreference:theycometolistenformeaningfulideas,notforloosejudgments,noreasylaughters.

Somecontestantsfailedtoaddresstheirquestionsheadon.Somewereableto,butdidnotknowwheretostop—thedraggingonbetrayedtheirlackofconfidence.Therootcausewasthattheydidnotlistenattentivelytothequestions.Ortheywerethinkingofwhattheyhadprepared.

AsIsaidinmyspeech,"Itisvitallyimportantthatweyoungpeopledomoreseriousthinking...totakethem[issueslikeglobalization]onandgivethemhonestthinkingisthefirststeptobepreparedforbothopportunitiesandchallengescomingourway".Weneedtorespondhonestly.

Acompetitionlikethisdrawstalentedstudentsfromalloverthecountry.Andofcourse,Ilearntmorethingsthanjustaboutpublicspeaking.Sinceinthefinalanalysis,publicspeakingisallabouteffectivecommunication.Andthisgoestrueforallcommunications,whatevertheirsetting.

Andthefollowingisthefinalversionofmyspeech:

GLOBALIZATION:

OPPORTUNITIESANDCHALLENGES

FORCHINASYOUNGERGENERATION

Thirtyyearsago,AmericanPresidentRichardNixonmadeanepoch-makingvisittoChina,acountrystillisolatedatthattime.PremierZhouEnlaisaidtohim,"Yourhandshakecameoverthevastestoceanintheworld—twenty-fiveyearsofnocommunication".Thirtyyearssince,ChinaandAmericahaveexchangedmanyhandshakes.Thefundamentalimplicationofthisexampleisthattheneedtocommunicateacrossdifferencesincultureandideologyisnotonlyfeltbythetwocountriesbutbymanyothernationsaswell.

Aswecanseetoday,environmentalistsfromdifferentcountriesaremakingjointeffortstoaddresstheissueofglobalwarming,economistsareseekingsolutionstofinancialcrisesthatrageinaparticularregionbutnonethelesscrippletheworldeconomy,andpoliticiansanddiplomatsaregettingtogethertodiscusstheissueofcombatingterrorism.Peaceandprosperityhasbecomeacommongoalthatwearestrivingforallovertheworld.UnderlyingthismightytrendofglobalcommunicationistheechoofE.M.Forsterswords"Onlyconnect!"

WiththeITrevolution,traditionalboundariesofhumansocietyfallaway.Ourculture,politics,societyandcommercearebeingsloshedintoonelargemeltingpotofhumanity.Inthisinterlinkedworld,therearenooutsiders,foradisturbanceinoneplaceislikelytoimpactotherpartsoftheglobe.Wehavebeguntorealizethataworlddividedcannotendure.

Chinaisnowactivelyintegratingintotheworld.OurrecententrytotheWTOisagoodexample.Fordecades,wehavetakenprideinbeingself-reliant,butnowwerealizetheimportanceofparticipatinginandcontributingtoabroadereconomicorder.FromaprecariousroleintheworldarenatoourpresentWTOmembership,wehavecomealongway.

Butwhatdoesthewayaheadlooklike?Insomepartsoftheworldpeoplearedemonstratingagainstglobalization.Aretheyjustified,then,incriticizingtheglobalizingworld?Insteadofnarrowingthegapbetweentherichandthepoor,theysay,globalizationenablesthedevelopednationstoswallowthedevelopingnationswealthindebtsandinterest.Globalization,theyargue,shouldbeaboutacommoninterestineveryothernationseconomichealth.

WeareremindedbyKarlMarxthatcapitalgoesbeyondnationalbordersandeludescontrolfromanyotherentity.Thishasbecomeareality.Multinationalcorporationsareseekingthelowestcost,thelargestmarket,andthemostfavourablepolicy.Theyareoftenpowerfullobbyistsingovernmentdecision-making,ruthlessexpansionistsintheglobalmarketandadevastatingpresencetolocalbusinesses.

ForChina,stillmorechallengesexist.Howarewegoingtoensureasmoothtransitionfromtheplannedeconomytoamarket-basedone?Howtoconstructalegalsystemthatissoundenoughandbroadenoughtorespondtotheneedsofadynamicsociety?Howtomaintainourculturalidentityinanincreasinglyhomogeneousworld?Andhowtodefinegreatnessinourriseasapeace-lovingnation?Globalizationentailsquestionsthatconcernusall.

LikemanyyoungpeoplemyageinChina,Iwanttoseemycountrygetprosperousandenjoyrespectintheinternationalcommunity.Butitseemstomethatmerepatriotismisnotjustenough.Itisvitallyimportantthatweyoungpeopledomoreseriousthinkingandbroadenourmindtobiggerissues.Theremightneverbeeasyanswerstothoseissuessuchasglobalization,buttotakethemonandgivethemhonestthinkingisthefirststeptobepreparedforbothopportunitiesandchallengescomingourway.Thisisalsooneofthethoughtsthatcametomewhilepreparingthisspeech.