US official congratulates Vietnamese students at English speaking contest

Le Quy Don Gifted High School from Quang Tri province has been selected as the winner of the 2021 Speak to Lead English Speaking Contest.

The English speaking competition was organised by the US Embassy in Hanoi in conjunction with Hanoi University and Hocmai Education, Inc.

Twenty-eight gifted high schools competed in two virtual preliminary rounds, which focused on social inclusion,gender equality, food safety, environmental protection, STEM development, and people-to-people ties between the US and Vietnam. The top six teams of 18students from Khánh Hòa, Lào Cai, Quảng Ninh, Quảng Trị, Thái Bình, and Gia Lai then competed in the final in-person round in Hanoi.

Through out the competition, high school students demonstrated their English knowledge and public speaking skills through presentations on the role of education in addressing social issues and furthering youth empowerment in Vietnam.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the final round, Chargé d'Affaires Damour congratulated the teams for advancing to the final round of the competition, which she considered a significant achievement given the talent of the competing teams.  She emphasized that all of the teams were already winners as they are an excellent example of Vietnam's potential.

"I strongly believe that the practical experience you received from this contest will inspire you to continue enhancing your English skills and deepening your knowledge about social issues. You are all young leaders who will contribute to your local communities and strengthen the bilateral relationship between the United States and Vietnam," she said.

While all teams demonstrated very high levels of ability, the judges' panel determined that Le Quy Don Gifted High School from Quang Tri Province was the winning team of the competition, while Thai Binh Gifted High School and Lao Cai Gifted High School were the1st and 2ndrunners-up, respectively.