by Mahmoud Fouly
CAIRO, May 26 (Xinhua) -- At the theater of Confucius Institute for Chinese learning at Cairo University, students representing 13 Egyptian schools nationwide presented a fascinating performance during the "Chinese Bridge" contest in Chinese language proficiency.
At the Chinese-speaking competition on Saturday, every participant began with a themed speech, followed by a quiz, and concluded by showcasing their talents, such as reciting a poem, singing a song and doing a voiceover, all in Chinese.
Nora Ahmed, who came from the Egyptian Chinese Friendship School in Giza province near the capital Cairo, won first place.
"I am happy that I attached importance to learning Chinese. I surely see that the Chinese language is a cultural bridge between Egyptian and Chinese cultures," the 18-year-old winner told Xinhua, expressing her hope to work with Chinese companies and travel to China in the future.
Lu Chunsheng, minister counselor at the Chinese Embassy in Egypt, presented Ahmed with the award on stage.
"The contesting students didn't only show great efforts in learning the Chinese language but also a desire in their hearts to learn about Chinese culture," Lu told the attendees.
Among the 13 contestants, two won second place, three attained third place, and seven received certificates of encouragement.
Rodaina Bassem, a 15-year-old preparatory school student, was among the third-place winners.
"I feel that Chinese is a special language. Also, my father used to travel to China on business repeatedly, so he has encouraged me to study Chinese as a second foreign language," said Bassem.
Backstage, Egyptian teachers of the Chinese language rehearsed with their students before each performance.
"Teaching Chinese in Egyptian schools is a very successful experience that has been greatly welcomed. Some think it is a difficult language, but all the students have found it very interesting," said Reny Osama, an Egyptian teacher.
Rehab Mahmoud, director of the Confucius Institute of Cairo University and top judge of the competition, said the students' performance level demonstrated the fruitful growth of teaching Chinese in Egyptian schools.
"This is attributed to many factors, including the full support of the Chinese Embassy, the full support of Egypt's Ministry of Education, the great efforts of Egyptian teachers, and the desire of students to learn Chinese due to their awareness of its importance in the world," the director said.
