Mandarin Arena Debuted at Yuan Ze University – International Students Showcased Passion and Skill

The "Mandarin Arena King" competition, organized by the Mandarin Learning Center of Yuan Ze University, brought language and culture together in an exciting arena-style showdown. 

Nearly 150 students from various countries formed teams to participate, creating a vibrant and unprecedented event that showcased the enthusiasm and confidence of international students in learning Mandarin.

The Mandarin Learning Center Director, Yu-Lan Huang, explained that the competition was designed to encourage students to enhance their practical Mandarin skills and cross-cultural understanding. Using the Blooket online gaming platform, the questions covered various topics, including Mandarin grammar and sentence patterns, Taiwanese customs and traditions, culinary culture, and traditional festivals, offering engaging and educational content. "We hoped that through their learning journey in Taiwan, students would not only improve their language skills but also gain a deeper understanding of Taiwanese culture," Huang said. "In the future, they can bring these beautiful local customs back to their home countries and share Taiwan’s unique charm with the world."

Sai-Yin Zheng, a student from the College of Management, stood out in the competition and won first place. She excitedly shared, “It was such a fun, thrilling, and surprising competition! Every student at the event was fully engaged and serious about answering the questions. The atmosphere was both intense and joyful. I hope there will be more events like this in the future so we can keep challenging ourselves and improving our Mandarin.”

Jiao-Lin Xu from the Philippines and Ming-Yu Cai from the English Program for Engineering tied for fourth place. They expressed their gratitude, saying, “We’re truly thankful to the Mandarin Learning Center for organizing such a creative competition. Through the online game platform, over a hundred students were able to compete simultaneously. It was a rare and valuable experience, and for the first time, we realized that learning Mandarin could be so much fun!”

Huang further added that the competition not only improved students' language abilities but also promoted cultural exchange and team spirit. Throughout the event, students observed and learned from one another, encouraging each other with great enthusiasm and demonstrating strong learning outcomes. Most importantly, by integrating content about Taiwanese culture, students were able to experience the beauty behind the Mandarin language. The center plans to continue offering diverse and innovative learning activities, enabling students to learn with joy and grow through practice.