This year is the second time that 20-year-old Sun Yiting, a student at Chongqing University, participated in the "21st Century Cup" National English Speaking Competition. However, it is her first time reaching the finals, fulfilling a dream she has held since the third grade when she first took part in the competition.

From Oct 17 to Monday, Sun joined hundreds of contestants from around the world to gather in Wuxi, East China's Jiangsu province, where the 29th"21st Century Cup" National English Speaking Competition, the 6th Belt and Road Youth English Speaking Competition, and the 7th "21st Century Cup" National Youth English Speaking Competition were held.

For several years, Sun has followed the impromptu speaking topics for the competition. She appreciates how these topics connect to current events and social issues, allowing participants to share personal stories and present youth perspectives on today's world and its future.

"I pay special attention to topics related to women," Sun said, reflecting on her childhood experiences in school speech competitions, where, despite being equally matched with the boys, they were often selected over her.

In her speech, Sun shared a story from the film Young Woman and the Sea (2024), which depicts Gertrude Ederle, the first woman to swim across the English Channel, breaking gender barriers as she boldly pursued her dreams.

Sun's delivery was also confident and assertive. "I want to show that women can be not only elegant and sweet but also successful through the power of their voices," she said. Sun achieved her goal by winning the crown at the grand final.

In fact, all the champions across the three categories were female. Khaurisa Sarah Makhubele, a 20-year-old South African student at the University of the Western Cape, won the championship in the Belt and Road competition. Meanwhile, Wang Yuting, 23, from Nanjing University, claimed the title in the youth category.

This was Makhubele's first visit to China, and what impressed her most about the competition was the opportunity to share cultures with peers from countries like Russia, Hungary, and New Zealand. "It's inspiring to be in a room with passionate people, and it makes you feel passionate too," she said.

For Makhubele, public speaking is a way to give a voice to those who are often unheard.

"It's very sad to see people dying every day and to witness children my age who can't attend university like I can. I truly want to be their voice because right now, I have the ability to speak," she said.

Global connections

With the slogan "Let the world hear you", the competition has not only promoted diverse voices but also brought together young people from around the globe. "It's about the genuine relationships formed among participants from various backgrounds, united by their shared passion for public speaking," Wang said.

Chen Xiyuan, 20, a student at Beijing Foreign Studies University, echoed this sentiment. "Many of my closest friends were made through this competition," she said.

This is Chen's 10th year participating in the "21st Century Cup". The competition has played a significant role in her personal growth, shaping her worldview and encouraging her to focus on national and social developments, as well as China's interactions with the world.

"Diversity sparks ideas. We should welcome different viewpoints and allow them to flourish. While we have a shared vision for global development, we can achieve that goal through various ways," she said.

Xue Shuyun, 22, a recent graduate of Zhejiang Normal University, shared that participating in the competition helped her step out of her social comfort zone and inspired her to embrace the concept of peer learning.

"As new ideas keep emerging, we don't have to wait for educational institutions, textbooks, or teachers to update their knowledge; we can learn right away from the peers around us in different fields," she said.

As a recent graduate, Xue has launched an English education studio. Her team of about 20 young professionals from various fields, each with their own specialties, is dedicated to teaching English to peers of similar age groups.

Xue has found that public speaking not only encourages her to critically analyze issues but also enhances her leadership skills, enabling her to express her ideas clearly and confidently.

"Many young entrepreneurs have excellent ideas but often struggle to articulate them fully or inspire others to join their efforts, which can lead to those ideas missing the opportunity to become a reality," she said.

Jansen Kosasih, 21, an Indonesian student studying psychology at Tsinghua University, is also discovering the transformative power of public speaking. For him, public speaking is a way for people to connect and learn from one another through the topics they discuss, the insights they share, and the personalities they express.

"I think that's one of the best ways to build connections. The greatest thing about this competition is that I'm sure I'll make more long-lasting friends, and it'll be the start of many new friendships for the future," he said.

[email protected]