to me march 28th was a lucky day. it was on that particular
evening that i found myself at central stage, in the
spotlight. winning the 21st century·ericsson cup seventh
national english speaking competition is a memory that i shall
treasure and one that will surely stay.
more important than winning the cup is the friendship that has
been established and developed among the contestants, and the
chance to communicate offstage in addition to competing
onstage. also the competition helps boost public speaking in
china, a skill hitherto undervalued.
for me, though, the competition is a more personal experience.
habitually shy, i had been reluctant to take part in any such
activities. encouraged by my friends, however, i made a
last-minute decision to give it a try. in the course of
preparation i somehow rediscovered myself, a truer me.
i found that, after all, i like communicating with other
people; that exchanging views can be so much fun—and so much
rewarding, both emotionally and intellectually; that public
speaking is most effective when you are least guarded; and
that it is essential to success in every walk of life.
at a more practical level, i realized knowing what you are
going to say and how you are going to say it are equally
important. to take the original ideas out of your head and
transplant them, so to speak, to that of others, you need to
have an organized mind. this ability improves with training.
yet there should not be any loss or addition or distortion in
the process. those ideas that finally find their way into
another head need to be recognizably yours. language is a
means to transmit information, not a means to obstruct
communication. it should be lucid to be penetrating.
in china, certain public speaking skills have been unduly
emphasized. will it really help, we are compelled to ask, to
bang at the podium or yell at the top of your lungs, if you
have come with a poorly organized speech, a muddled mind, and
unwillingness to truly share your views?
above all, the single most important thing i learnt was that
as a public speaker, you need to pay attention, first and