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The Chinese Language and Culture Centre (CLC) held its spring semester talent show on 22 May. Students from the different Chinese Language courses presented their Chinese proficiency in different forms, such as videos, live acts, and short presentations.

Group photo

In between the acts, there were games that students got to compete in, including Pictionary, “draw the nose on the face”, and balancing a ping pong ball on the paddle.

CLC lecturer Ms Candy Cai Jingjing and English Language Centre (ELC) Foreign Intern Ms Jamie Siemsen were the hosts.

Ms Candy Cai and Ms Jamie Siemsen

Winners of the lucky draw

CLC Associate Professor Dr Jenny Cui commented: “Learning Chinese in class is for using it to communicate in life, and Chinese Talent Show is an interesting way to apply the language they have learned. The students' performances were very creative. I think they deserve a big compliment.”

Students playing "draw the nose on the face" using Chinese to direct their partner

Ms Candy Cai explained that the Chinese talent show is a tradition of CLC. She explained that at the end of each semester, international students, intern, as well as teachers gather together to share the fun of learning Chinese. “After the final exam, many of them will continue to study, but it is here that friendships and happy memories will be made.”

Many international students and foreign interns attended the show

WPEO Foreign Intern Samuel Gates attended CLC’s Chinese Talent show and thought it was entertaining and demonstrated how the Chinese Language classes at UIC really help foreigners to understand and use the language.

Another tapestry won by French exchange student, Vincent

Elementary Chinese I class performing a scene from the movie, Kung Fu Hustle

Exchange student Meghan from Georgia Southern University won the final lucky draw prize

UIC exchange student, Sarah Buford, who is originally a student at Hendrix College in the US said how she felt like "our time from this semester together was being celebrated". She continued to say how she loved being able to show off what we had learned from the semester in a fun and relaxing way. "If there is one thing I will remember about the talent show, it is how much laughter there was."

Sarah Buford attempts to draw tofu during a round of Pictionary

ELC Foreign Intern Matt Breeze gave a talk during the show about ‘Memorizing characters through association’, which was well-received. Matt’s thoughts about the show were “The talent show was a lovely example of what exchange students and foreign interns learn here at UIC when they take Chinese classes”.

ELC Foreign Intern Matt Breeze sharing his knowledge of radicals in Chinese characters

UIC exchange student Sean Feeney who is originally a finance and computer science major at Concordia College in Minnesota, US, acted in a small play which was a scene taken from the 2004 comedy film, Kung Fu Hustle. He said that "The Chinese talent show was a great opportunity to see what other classes have been up to and reflect on my time in China. It is a great experience to end the year on."

Throughout the event, there were lucky drawings for students to win. Prizes ranged from fans, Miao Zu dolls, as well as Chinese style tapestries.

Colourful prizes and gifts for the audience members