More Chinese Value Communication Skills

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2001-10-31

Well-performed bid speeches helped bring China to the door of the long-awaited Olympic Games and allowed people an opportunity to touch upon the essence of public speaking, which is becoming increasingly popular in China.

Entrepreneurs from Shell and Lucent as well as groups of university students swarmed to a public speaking seminar recently offered by a visiting American scholar at China's prestigious University of International Business and Economics (UIBE).

Stephen E. Lucas, Professor of Communication Arts at the University of Wisconsin, lectured on China, Globalization and public speaking, at UIBE during his first China tour.

Lucas's audience expressed their belief that an increasingly globalized China needs to learn more about western style communication skills, especially public speaking techniques, so as to better stage Chinese culture worldwide.

Chen Sudong, deputy president of UIBE, said a change from the cautious Chinese tradition of public speaking may greatly facilitate business activities between China and other countries.

Very few universities, however, now offering courses of public speaking and no specific agencies providing such training to the public.

Many Chinese educators said communication skills, particularly public speaking techniques, should be included as part of the Chinese education plan so as to better adapt students to the trend of globalization.

Zhang Qiang, a student from Peking University, said that after China's entry into the World Trade Organization (WTO), Chinese people will have more contact with the outside world.

Therefore, communication and interpersonal skills will become as indispensable as a mastery of the English language and computer literacy, according to Zhang.

Wang Peng, manager of a Chinese online recruitment company said now more Chinese enterprises require employment applicants to be successful communicators.

Superior educational backgrounds can not offset candidates' lack of communication competence, Wang said.

China has a long tradition of considering eloquence as hallmark of intelligence. As China remains the fastest-developing economic power worldwide, more Chinese people have to learn how to voice their thoughts in a globally accepted way.


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