Throughout ancient and modern history, many influential leaders have been expert speakers. Liu Xie wrote in Wen Xin Diao Long Lun Shuo: "Sometimes the argument of one person is more important than the treasure of nine tripods; A silver tongue is better than a million troops. " This is the charm of public speaking. Yew Wah International Education School of Shanghai Lingang, upholding holistic education, will not neglect the cultivation of public speaking, which is a comprehensive ability that integrates confidence, knowledge and thinking. Recently, the school held a Chinese speech contest themed "Weight of Time”.

This speech contest included three stages: preliminary, semi-final and final. All students from Grades 6 to IGCSE 2 were included in the contest. The preliminaries were held within each class, and students who performed well in the class preliminaries entered the grade semifinals. After the semifinal selection, a total of 11 students entered the finals.

The final was held in the auditorium on December 13, which was the same day as the Open Day of the Secondary School. As a result, in addition to the students in Grades 6 to 8, a large number of parents also joined as the audience.

The contestants came on stage according to the order decided by drawing lots. Some of them were humorous, while others were rational; some were impassioned, while others were calm and powerful. From different perspectives, they explained to us their understanding of time, life, self-confidence and many other issues. Let's take a look back at some of the moments in the contest that resonated with us.

When we look up at the infinite night sky again, remember there are numerous mysteries waiting for us in the vast depths of the universe. Behind the bright stars, there are more unknowns waiting for us to explore. Time really has weight. I want to quote a line from the science fiction movie Star Trek: "To boldly go where no man has gone before." This is the core of the Star Trek spirit, the spirit of human pioneering. So, young people, believe in the weight of time, believe in yourself, and go ahead towards the infinite future!

6D Jenny Liu

The weight of time is not to be ignored, from the ancient times to the day that humans set foot on the moon, from the time humans learnt to use tools to the time we created cloning technology. Time is like a magic elf, which has changed into a kind of power: the thrust to send people out of the atmosphere, the pull to bring people to the sea floor, or the strain of exploring time. Who can ignore the weight of these great and mighty powers, and who are like these mighty giants?

7A Johnson Jin

Like those snowflakes falling from the branches and the silently rooted bamboo, we accumulate our power silently to enrich ourselves in every seemingly ordinary day. I believe that one day, we will be able to bloom, and show our own brilliance!

8C Amy Ma

When I entered Secondary School, I began to feel the academic pressures. I could not fall behind in TOEFL, IELTS, A Level, English, Chinese or Science. Each course cost me a lot of energy. Now I truly learnt that time is fleeting; it’s gone in the blink of eye. I began to face up to it and to race against it. I began to get up early to study TOEFL, and went to bed late studying English and Maths.

8C Ellen Li

We need a pair of eyes for beauty to help us internalise our talents and encourage our souls so that we can find the beauty hidden in ourselves and discover our true potential. I believe that even the knife has the ambition to become a sword, and the candle with a small light has the hope of the light of the sun and the moon. I hope all of you can say proudly like Audrey Hepburn: “Of course I will not try to grab the moon; I will let the moon run to me.”

IGCSE 2 Vicky Lin

If you do not know the true face of Lushan, it’s only because your body is in this mountain. How can you witness the beauty of other cultures without lifting your head and standing tall? If you cannot appreciate the natural and unrestrained charm of traditional Chinese painting, how can you comprehend the delicate colour of western oil painting? If you cannot appreciate the flexible traditional dance, how can you enjoy the graceful ballet? If you haven’t tasted all the styles of Chinese cooking, how can you experience the delicacy of western food? Only when we sit on equal footing can we have cultural exchange. Only when we are confident in our own culture can we discard the dross and pick up the essence, face up to other cultures, learn from each other, and see the beauty of inheritance and innovation.

IGCSE 2 Susan Feng

In this competition, each student showed their own unique style. They're confident, they're calm, they talk, and they shine. The children's powerful speeches won the unanimous praise from the judges and the audience.

The competition concluded with the host's soulful recitation: "Growth is a gradual process, a process of constantly discovering your own shortcomings and disadvantages. That's where the light comes in. Every setback and every failure is like the weight of time on our shoulders, but it is time that brings us these cracks, and ultimately makes us better."

Go out into the world with that confidence, to explore, to create, and to be a better version of yourself. We firmly believe that the world in the future will be more wonderful because of you!