By Wanjiku Mbugua

On Friday, March 15, students of the Chinese Club and the Confucius Classroom at USIU-Africa had a day of fun and experiential learning through a Mandarin spelling bee competition held at the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, LT 8 from 9.00 am to 2.00pm.

This year being the Chinese year of the Dragon, it is believed to be auspicious, bring wealth, happiness, and good luck. It was a good year to celebrate the 5th anniversary of Chinese spelling bee in Kenya. The event was colorful and highly competitive. The event attracted other students of Chinese from other institutions from all levels of education that is primary, high school and tertiary level whom we shared a series of edutaining activities with. This event promoted student engagement between learners of Chinese language at USIU-Africa and other students of Chinese.

The annual Chinese spelling bee competition serves as a testament to the growing interest in Chinese language learning and cultural exchange within Kenya. By bringing together students from diverse backgrounds, the event not only promotes linguistic proficiency but also fosters mutual understanding and collaboration, laying the foundation for stronger ties between Kenya and China.

This year, the event attracted support from other likeminded stakeholders such as the Embassy of China in Kenya, China Africa Economic & Trade Chamber of Commerce in Changsha County-China, Kenya China Alumni Network, Chinese Language Teachers Association of Kenya (CLTAK), and Confucius Institutes in Kenya.

During the Mandarin spelling bee, tertiary level students were tested in grammar, spoken, written, listening, translation and Chinese culture.

USIU-Africa bagged three (3) wins in the HSK level. For HSK level 2, Austin Wachira bagged the first place; HSK level 1, Stephanie Mwelu and Irene Aruka bagged the first and second place respectively.