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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¡ªandsomuchrewarding,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¡ªthedraggingonbetrayedtheirlackofconfidence.Therootcausewasthattheydidnotlistenattentivelytothequestions.Ortheywerethinkingofwhattheyhadprepared.

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

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

¡¡¡¡Andthefollowingisthefinalversionofmyspeech:

GLOBALIZATION:
OPPORTUNITIESANDCHALLENGES
FORCHINA'SYOUNGERGENERATION

¡¡¡¡Thirtyyearsago,AmericanPresidentRichardNixonmadeanepoch-makingvisittoChina,acountrystillisolatedatthattime.PremierZhouEnlaisaidtohim,"Yourhandshakecameoverthevastestoceanintheworld¡ªtwenty-fiveyearsofnocommunication".Thirtyyearssince,ChinaandAmericahaveexchangedmanyhandshakes.Thefundamentalimplicationofthisexampleisthattheneedtocommunicateacrossdifferencesincultureandideologyisnotonlyfeltbythetwocountriesbutbymanyothernationsaswell.

¡¡¡¡Aswecanseetoday,environmentalistsfromdifferentcountriesaremakingjointeffortstoaddresstheissueofglobalwarming,economistsareseekingsolutionstofinancialcrisesthatrageinaparticularregionbutnonethelesscrippletheworldeconomy,andpoliticiansanddiplomatsaregettingtogethertodiscusstheissueofcombatingterrorism.Peaceandprosperityhasbecomeacommongoalthatwearestrivingforallovertheworld.UnderlyingthismightytrendofglobalcommunicationistheechoofE.M.Forster'swords"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,globalizationenablesthedevelopednationstoswallowthedevelopingnations'wealthindebtsandinterest.Globalization,theyargue,shouldbeaboutacommoninterestineveryothernation'seconomichealth.

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

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

¡¡¡¡LikemanyyoungpeoplemyageinChina,Iwanttoseemycountrygetprosperousandenjoyrespectintheinternationalcommunity.Butitseemstomethatmerepatriotismisnotjustenough.Itisvitallyimportantthatweyoungpeopledomoreseriousthinkingandbroadenourmindtobiggerissues.Theremightneverbeeasyanswerstothoseissuessuchasglobalization,buttotakethemonandgivethemhonestthinkingisthefirststeptobepreparedforbothopportunitiesandchallengescomingourway.Thisisalsooneofthethoughtsthatcametomewhilepreparingthisspeech.WhereIsGod?¡¡¡¡Acouplehadtwolittleboysages8and10whowereexcessivelymischievous.Theywerealwaysgettingintotroubleandtheirparentsknewthatifanymischiefoccurredintheirtowntheirsonswereprobablyinvolved.¡¡¡¡Theyboys'motherheardthataclergymanintownhadbeensuccessfulindiscipliningchildrensosheaskedifhewouldspeakwithherboys.Theclergymanagreedbutaskedtoseethemindividually.Sothemothersenther8-year-oldfirstinthemorning¢Ÿwiththeolderboytoseetheclergymanintheafternoon.¡¡¡¡Theclergymanahugemanwithaboomingvoicesattheyoungerboydownandaskedhimsternly"WhereisGod?".¡¡¡¡Theyboy'smouthdroppedopenbuthemadenoresponsesittingtherewithhismouthhangingopenwide-eyed.Sotheclergymanrepeatedthequestioninanevensternertone"WhereisGod?"Againtheboymadenoattempttoanswer.Sotheclergymanraisedhisvoiceevenmoreandshookhisfingerintheboy'sfaceandbellowed"WHEREISGOD?"¡¡¡¡Theboyscreamedandboltedfromtheroomrandirectlyhomeanddoveintohisclosetslammingthedoorbehindhim.Whenhisolderbrotherfoundhimintheclosetheasked"Whathappened?"¡¡¡¡Theyoungerbrothergaspingforbreathreplied"WeareinBIGtroublethistimedude.Godismissing-andtheythinkWEdidit!"