Special reports /
SOTY 2015: What does it take to be a master of languages?
The Student of the Year Awards is Hong Kong's most prestigious secondary school event of the year. Organised by Young Post and the South China Morning Post and sponsored by the Hong Kong Jockey Club, the awards are now entering their 38th year. With the support of the Education Bureau of the Hong Kong Government, Student of the Year and its satellite awards are a way for schools to acknowledge the achievements of outstanding senior-level students.
News - Special reports
SOTY 2018: Favourite inspirational quotes of this year's winners
SOTY 2018: Massachusetts Institute of Technology opens new horizons for Grand Prize and Scientist & Mathematician double winner
SOTY 2018: Asian Games winner, Tokyo Olympics qualifier and Diocesan Girls' School student Tinky Ho just does what comes naturally - swim
SOTY 2018: Visual Artist Judges reveal the qualities required in this category, and the balance between intuition and intellect in art
SOTY 2018: It takes more than putting on a good show to be Performing Artist winner
SOTY 2018: Best Improvement judges are looking for progress, not perfection
Chinese doctor needs surgery to save hand after hospital knife attack
Hong Kong cabbies push for fare hike, subsidies amid protest downturn, cite new survey showing public satisfaction
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson seeks post-Brexit deals at Africa summit
Student of the Year Linguist category finalists aren't just eloquent speakers, they have a solid frame of reference to draw on, and a real love of languages
By Wong Tsui-kai March 03, 2016
46885274-e02f-11e5-98b2-952ea680dc16imagehires.jpg
Candidates from the SOTY Linguist category (Putonghua) are all passionate about language, but they also know how it relates to the wider world around them and can explain how that affects their lives.
Wong Tsui-kai
Blogger, Content Creator, Reporter
YP reporter. Only looks like Batman, not actually Batman.
Hong Kong protests: Closed-door talks between university students and police cancelled
Ocean Park Hong Kong to stop dolphin show
The 2010s: Malala Yousafzai, Billie Eilish and other influential teens of the decade
Hong Kong protests: 'Rioters are trained overseas' says government security minister John Lee Ka-chiu
Biggest Hong Kong news stories 2019: Students were most interested in protest-related reports
Hong Kong protests: Carrie Lam says no once again to independent police inquiry
The Hong Kong University student and pro-democracy advocate leading a district
Pro-democracy district councillor Beatrice Chu resigns from Democratic Party
The scientific study of language can give you an insight into many aspects of human behaviour, so it's no surprise that so many students aspire to be great linguists. Particularly in a city that is as competitive and as culturally diverse as Hong Kong, mastering languages is a serious talent, and the finely honed skills of Hong Kong's most articulate were put to the test at the final judging for the Student of the Year Linguist category.
Some standard expectations were that candidates should be capable of giving a good presentation and be able to answer questions on it, demonstrating that they can think on their feet.
But one of the judges, Associate Professor at City University's Department of Linguistics and Translation, Dr Peppina Lee Po-lun says that they don't have the same standards or expectations for Cantonese, English and Putonghua.
Dr Peppina Lee Po-lun was impressed by this year's candidates.
"Canto is typically the native language of these students, and in that sense making a speech in your native language is both easy and hard," she explains. "As we have higher expectations when it comes to Cantonese, we have tougher requirements for the content of the speech. We expect depth and an explanation of how language affects your life; not just quotes from other people."
She was also impressed by the high level of English and Putonghua the candidates demonstrated. "Their Putonghua was near native. No problems with pronunciation, grammar or word choice," she said. "When it came to English, we had to be aware of 'Chinglish' in their speeches and answers. I was still impressed by their depth, though. They are exceptional students."
But speaking well was not the only thing the judges looked at. "A background in debate is not necessarily an advantage, as you can't be persuasive without accurate knowledge and good content. Reading complements debate," said Lee.
Lee advises prospective candidates to draw from their own experiences. "A successful speech is not a mechanical object put together with different quotes," she says "It's their own thing. The Q&A is where we check if what was said affected their lives."
Thomas Lee has a piece of advice for everyone.
Another judge, and professor and chairman of the department of Linguistics and Modern Languages at Chinese University, Thomas Lee Hun-tak, describes the differences between the typical candidates and the elite. "The top few are very able in their responses. They can show their love of language and their ability to understand and use it in a complex way."
The depth of their ability is something that sets them apart. He expands on this by adding that students need to have a solid frame of reference to write a good speech. "A successful speech is not just self explanatory; it needs to refer to the classics. These links make a speech more appealing.
"For example, in the Putonghua category some students spoke with a classical flare that showed not just the depth of their knowledge but their ability to express their understanding of the beauty of language," he added.
His final advice is also a critique of modern students. "Read more. Students that read are the exceptional ones. Absorb what you learn from books and apply it to your lives. That's where creativity comes from."
And he is quick to add that school books don't count. As he explains, "Textbooks now lack actual text. It's short text with fill in the blanks like a power point. Not reading means you don't understand the context of a word and the concept it explains. For example, Martin Luther King's 'I have a dream' speech is often referenced by students. But how many of them know the origin of the phrase 'Five score years ago' in the speech? Would they know it's a reference to Lincoln's Gettysburg Address?"
Can we just talk this out?
SOTY,
Cantonese,
Putonghua,
Thomas Lee,
Peppina Lee,
Gettysburg Address,