HAN YU PIN YIN COMPETITION

GAMBANG — UMP Mandarin Language Society (MLS) successfully organized the Han Yu Pin Yin Competition last Saturday, June 10, 2023. Esteemed judges for the competition included Ms. Lee Cheng May from Centre of Modern Language, Ms. Zhang Xian, and Ms. Bai Guan Yi from Confucius Institute at UMP.

This programme was designed to improve the pronunciation and spelling skills of non-Chinese students in Mandarin Language. It also aimed to boost the students’ confidence and motivate them to learn Mandarin to the advanced levels.

Significantly, this event turned out successful as it also garnered participation of students from different backgrounds, including Malay and Indian students.

Before the competition, the participants were divided into 5 groups, each consisting 3 to 4 members. Afterwards, Wong Sing Yee, MLS President, gave a brief introduction on Han Yu Pin Yin to all participants, allowing non-Chinese participants to recall what they learnt before on how to pronounce and spell the Chinese phrases correctly.

The competition comprises 2 segments. The first involved pronunciation, in which each participant was tasked to pronounce 2 different phrases in front of the judges. Following this, the judges then demonstrated the correct pronunciation.

The second segment focused on the spelling Pinyin part where the judges pronounced the phrases twice and then each group had 20 seconds for the first round, and 40 seconds for the semi-final and the final round to spell out the Pinyin.

At the end of the competition, 5 winners (1st place, 2nd place, 3rd place and 2 consolation prizes) were chosen based on the highest marks given by the judges in the final round. Cash prizes were awarded to the winners in recognition of their dedication and knowledge of Mandarin Language.

To express gratitude for all the judges, the programme director presented them with certificates of appreciation, acknowledging their efforts and commitment in making the event a success. The programme later ended with a photo session involving all participants and the judges at 5.30 P.M.

May this event contribute to enhancing the Mandarin language proficiency of the non-Chinese students', with a particular emphasis on refining their skills in Chinese Pinyin pronunciation and spelling.

Prepared by: Kang Mei Feng