2026 Chinese Bridge Newsletter
On 17 May 2026, five students from the MLC School Year 8 Chinese class, Fedra Nikolakopoulos, Vy Truong, Maeve Suwanto, Stella Lee Speyer and Lauren Cheng, attended The 19th Chinese Bridge – Chinese Proficiency Competition for Foreign Secondary School Students. The Chinese Bridge Competition aims to inspire young students to learn Chinese as a second language and to enhance their understanding of Chinese language and culture. It also provides a platform for communication among young people in China and around the world.
Fedra Nikolakopoulos and Vy Truong participated as contestants, while the other three students attended to support them and learn from the experience. Both Fedra and Vy performed very well and were awarded Merit Certificates.
As part of the competition, Fedra and Vy each prepared and presented a speech on the topic “Fly High with Chinese”. Both students spoke with confidence and expression, and it was inspiring to see them share their learning in front of an audience.
After the speeches, the talent show took place. Contestants performed either individually or in pairs. Fedra and Vy worked together during class to create a unique performance that combined tai chi movements with a dance to the popular Chinese song 小苹果, which means “Little Apple”. Their performance showed creativity, teamwork and a strong connection to Chinese culture.
For all of us, the experience was meaningful and memorable. We enjoyed watching students from different schools and backgrounds come together through their shared interest in Chinese language and culture. It helped us understand that learning Chinese is not only about vocabulary and grammar, but also about communication, confidence, creativity and cultural appreciation.
The competition truly reflected the theme ‘Fly High with Chinese’. It encouraged us to see Chinese learning as something that can take us beyond the classroom and connect us with a wider community.
We would like to thank Ms Helena Wang for organising this wonderful opportunity and supporting us throughout the experience.
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– Maeve Suwanto
Year 8