2009 CCTV Cup ESC enters final round

The winners of the 2009 "CCTV Cup" English Speaking Contest will be unveiled on November 15. After three months of intense competition between thousands of university students from China's 29 provinces, municipalities, autonomous regions and Macao, 23 competitors have entered the final round. At 8pm on November 15, CCTV-9 will broadcast live the final round of the competition as well as the awarding ceremony for the champion. During the final round, audiences outside the competition site can vote for the "Winner of Internet Popularity" at English.CCTV.com. The final votes are also readily available on line.

This annual contest is co-sponsored by CCTV-9 and the Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press (FLTRP). Preparations for the 2009 contest started in May. Preliminary contests were organized at universities and semi-finals at provincial and municipal levels following strict standards. The contests were fair and intense and fully supported by both the collegiate foreign language teaching research associations and the organizer institutions, which guaranteed the universality and authority of the competition.

Secretary of the CPC leading group of China Publishing Group and FLTRP Honorary President Li Pengyi said that the "CCTV Cup" English Speaking Contest has been successfully held seven times. It has played a significant role in stimulating the interests of university students in learning English, improving their capabilities of using English and promoting the English teaching development of higher education institutions.

A team leader said that the competitors this year generally have a better command of English, and all universities have provided strong support. Most of them hired foreign teachers to give their competitors comprehensive training. A second-time competitor said that she had competed in the "21st Century Cup" English Speaking Competition. In comparison, the "21st Century Cup" is more academic while the "CCTV Cup" focuses on comprehensive abilities.

After the final, the 23 competitors and their mentors will visit the U.S., U.K. and other countries for cultural exchanges and training.