Chinese New Year 2022
Posted on: February 1st 2022School News
With Chinese New Year being celebrated today and Beijing Winter Olympics fast approaching, 9 Sixth Form pupils took part in an interview run by China Centre TV on Wednesday 19th January .
This was a unique opportunity for our boys to convey a message of friendship in Mandarin on a national media source with an audience of well over a billion viewers in China.
Chinese is a well-established subject offered to boys at MGS from Year 7 – 13. It remains a popular subject in our school with around 140 boys learning it this year. Every two years, there is normally a China trip which occurs during October half-term visiting multiple places including Beijing, Shanghai and Xi’An.
Head of Chinese, Ru Lan, commented: "It was an exciting and nerve-racking experience for our boys who are passionate about Chinese and Chinese culture. They were nervous in front of the camera as many of them are quite introverted, and speaking a foreign language in front of the camera is even more daunting.
It was very interesting for me to see that on the day of filming, it was much more challenging for our boys to smile than to speak Chinese. This opportunity provided our boys a unique chance to say their warm wishes in Mandarin to Chinese people including the friends they made in China on a national media.".
Their interview can be found at the following link:
http://news.cri.cn/20220128/d51b5140-9be8-d321-258b-4bd1a864fa8c.html
The boys send their warm wishes for Chinese New Year (The year of the Tiger) and the Beijing Winter Olympics!
{English transcript as the boys appear in the video appears below}
Edward: Wishing you prosperity and wealth! (a common way of saying ‘Happy New Year!)
Myles: I wish you a happy new year! May the new year bring you health and happiness for the whole family!
Oscar: I wish you luck in your work and may you be promoted to higher and higher positions in the year of the tiger!
Felix: I wish that all Chinese students perform brilliantly in the year of the tiger! May all your wishes come true!
Daniel: May your business boom and grow with success! May wealth come generously to you!
Rishi: I wish you peace and safety! May all go as well as you wish!
Lucas: I wish you happiness, peace and health!
Usman: I wish you good luck in the year of the tiger!
Myles: Let’s celebrate Chinese New Year and watch the Winter Olympics together!
Edward: I wish that all the athletes participating in the Winter Olympics achieve excellent results!
Everyone: We wish the Beijing Winter Olympics great success!
Usman: Together for a shared future!
Yousuf: Together for a shared future!
Lucas: Together for a shared future!
{English translation of news article appears below}
With the year of the Tiger and Winter Olympics fast approaching, activities of extending well wishes for the Beijing Winter Olympics hosted by the CCTV European HQ are ongoing. At local time 26th January, Manchester Grammar School students sent the European HQ their warm wishes.
Manchester Grammar School is one of the most prestigious schools in the UK, with over 500 years of history, and over 1500 students currently at the school. Chinese is offered as a curriculum subject in the senior school and many students have a strong interest in China or traditional Chinese culture.