to me march 28th was a lucky day. it was on that particular
                  evening that i found myself at central stage, in the
                  spotlight. winning the "21st century·ericsson cup" seventh
                  national english speaking competition is a memory that i shall
                  treasure and one that will surely stay.
                  more important than winning the cup is the friendship that has
                  been established and developed among the contestants, and the
                  chance to communicate offstage in addition to competing
                  onstage. also the competition helps boost public speaking in
                  china, a skill hitherto undervalued.
                  for me, though, the competition is a more personal experience.
                  habitually shy, i had been reluctant to take part in any such
                  activities. encouraged by my friends, however, i made a
                  last-minute decision to give it a try. in the course of
                  preparation i somehow rediscovered myself, a truer me.
                  i found that, after all, i like communicating with other
                  people; that exchanging views can be so much fun—and so much
                  rewarding, both emotionally and intellectually; that public
                  speaking is most effective when you are least guarded; and
                  that it is essential to success in every walk of life.
                  at a more practical level, i realized knowing what you are
                  going to say and how you are going to say it are equally
                  important. to take the original ideas out of your head and
                  transplant them, so to speak, to that of others, you need to
                  have an organized mind. this ability improves with training.
                  yet there should not be any loss or addition or distortion in
                  the process. those ideas that finally find their way into
                  another head need to be recognizably yours. language is a
                  means to transmit information, not a means to obstruct
                  communication. it should be lucid to be penetrating.
                  in china, certain public speaking skills have been unduly
                  emphasized. will it really help, we are compelled to ask, to
                  bang at the podium or yell at the top of your lungs, if you
                  have come with a poorly organized speech, a muddled mind, and
                  unwillingness to truly share your views?
                  above all, the single most important thing i learnt was that
                  as a public speaker, you need to pay attention, first and
                  foremost, to the content of your speech. and second, the
                  structure of your speech: how one idea relates and progresses
                  to another.
                  only after these come delivery and non-verbal communication:
                  speed control, platform manner, and so on. pronunciation is
                  important, yet of greater importance is this: is your language
                  competent enough to express your ideas exactly the way you
                  intend them to be understood?
                  i was informed afterwards that i was chosen to be the winner
                  for my "appropriately worded speech, excellent presence and
                  quick-witted response". in so remarking, the judges clearly
                  showed their preference: they come to listen for meaningful
                  ideas, not for loose judgments, nor easy laughters.
                  some contestants failed to address their questions head on.
                  some were able to, but did not know where to stop—the dragging
                  on betrayed their lack of confidence. the root cause was that
                  they did not listen attentively to the questions. or they w