American student Pierce Gissler McDonnell took first place on Tuesday in the 2022 Foreign Students Chinese Public Speaking Competition in Taipei. He presented a speech on the topic “How I see Taiwanese religion” that described a ritual ceremony in central Taiwan.
McDonnell was one of 54 contestants from 16 different countries. American Clay Skaggs came in second this year with a speech about whether it’s okay to tell a white lie. His speech was based on experiences with his partner.
The speech competition is held annually in November at Taipei’s Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall. Director Wang Lan-sheng (王蘭生) says the contest aims to encourage students from abroad to achieve their Mandarin learning goals. The event also gives visibility to Mandarin education programs in Taiwan.
The competition tests students learning Chinese as a foreign language. Participants are evaluated according to their speech, gestures, expressions, and other skills. Winners receive cash, a certificate, and media coverage as a reward.