St. Joseph's Student Won the 3^rd Place in National Competition

Sebastian Leacock (Year13) demonstrated his outstanding Mandarin speaking skill at the Final of the 2010 National Chinese Speaking Competition at the British Museum in London on 4 March 2010. He competed against 95 other contestants (including the students who have Chinese family background) from schools across the UK. Sebastian, who is from an English background and has only studied Mandarin for 3 years in SJC, achieved the 3^rd place in the competition. The 1^st and 2^nd places were won by contestants from Chinese background.

The competition is organised by the British Council and funded by the HSBC Global Education Programme to support and promote the teaching of Chinese as a modern foreign language in UK schools. The finalists have already taken part in X-Factor style regional heats in London and Newcastle, with only the best being invited to attend the final at the British Museum on 4 March. Of 300 students who applied, only 95 made it through to the final.

The judging panel includes the Chair of the Edexcel Board of Examiners for the Chinese GCSE, Chinese academics and representatives of HSBC and the Embassy of the People's Republic of China.

Congratulations to Sebastian Leacock!