Maria Hidayati, TEFLIN Secretary general, had the honor of representing the association at the invitation of China Daily for their prestigious event at the Belt and Road Youth Speaking Competition and the Belt and Road Forum. The event unfolded over the course of five days, from 13 – 17 October 2023, and spanned two different cities in China, specifically Jiangsu and Beijing. Before attending the Belt and Road forum, Maria Hidayati was requested to be one of the judges for the Belt and Road Youth Speaking Competition on 13 October 2023, hosted in Jiangsu Province.

The Belt and Road Youth Competition is held in conjunction with the 21st Century Cup National English Speaking Competition, which was established in 1996. The primary goal of this competition is aimed at giving young people the opportunity to have their voices heard on a global stage. Maria Hidayati was privileged to be a judge during the final stage of this National speaking competition, alongside other distinguished representatives from professional associations across the world. These associations include MELTA (Malaysian English Language Teaching Association), BELTA (Bangladesh English Language Teachers Association), ThaiTESOL (Thailand TESOL), NELTA (Nepal English Language Teachers’ Association), Africa ELTA (the Africa English Language Teacher Association), SPELT (Society of Pakistan English Language Teachers), IELTA (Iran English Language Teachers Association), and many more.

The theme for this year’s competition was closely aligned with the principles of Belt and Road Initiatives, which seek to establish pathways of connectivity, cooperation and commerce across continents. The speaking competition provides a platform for youth of all ages and nationalities as reported in an article by China Daily.

This significant involvement and representation of TEFLIN and Maria Hidayati at the Belt and Road Youth Speaking Competition and the Belt and Road Meeting exemplify the association’s commitment to fostering cross-cultural exchange and promoting the importance of English language teaching on the global stage.

Reported by Maria Hidayati