Q & A

Yes, we offer diverse contest categories, accommodating students from various backgrounds.  For students without mandarin background, they can sign up for Western Drawing, Pencil Calligraphy, and PinYin Phonetics if they learned how to write down PinYin based on what they heard.  We also have CFL Read Aloud contest specifically for Chinese as Foreign Language students. 

我們提供許多參賽項目，讓不同背景的學生都有機會參與。沒有中文背景的學生，西畫、鉛筆書法和拼音比賽都是非常好的選擇；如果是CFL班級的學生，可以報名僅限CFL學生參加的CFL朗讀比賽。

Yes, we offer diverse contest categories, accommodating students with various needs.  For students who do not want to spend time preparing for the contests but want to have the experience, they can sign up for Western Drawing and Pencil Calligraphy. Most of students do not need to drill themselves for ZhuYin and PinYin Phonetics, Reading Comprehension, Bilingual Translation, Writing Composition and Chinese Typing contests although some practice certainly will build greater confidence in students.  

我們提供許多參賽項目，即使是不想花時間準備比賽的學生，也有適合他們的比賽。對完全不希望花任合時間在準備比賽的學生，可以報名西畫比賽和鉛筆書法；一般來說，注音和拼音比賽、閱讀測驗、雙語翻譯、中文作文和中文打字這些項目不會需要學生花太多心思準備，但事前的練習會讓學生在比賽當天更有自信。

We group our contestants following ANCCS (Association of Northern California Chinese School) rules so our winners can advance to ANCCS Academic contests.  While we recognize that some contestants started NPMS later and do not acquire as much Mandarin learning, the maturity of older contestants can make a difference to their performance comparing to younger contestants.  The judges would not take contestants' ages, grade level or their classes into consideration when scoring.  Contestants can not reveal any identifiable personal information including their name during the read aloud, the speech, on the test paper or in their drawings. 

我們依據ANCCS(北加州中文學校聯合分會)的學術比賽規則來分組，各組的第一名才能符合晉級參加ANCCS學術比賽的資格。我們了解有些學生比較晚才開始在北半島學習中文，這些學生學習的時間比較短，但卻要跟自己同年且學習中文比較久的學生比賽；但我們相信，當和年紀小一點但學習中文時間相同的學生相比時，年紀大點學生成熟度同樣會為他們帶來比賽的優勢。比賽評審在計分時，不會考慮參賽者的年齡、年級和班級；參賽者在比賽時，也不允許在朗讀演講、試卷或圖畫紙上說出或做任何可以辨識參賽者身份的提示與記號。

The Academic Contests will be hosted at the Hilldale High School.   We will post the maps of classroom for different groups and categories on the day of contests.  Regular Chinese class will be dismissed 15 minutes early at 11:30am.  The contestants will line up to check in to the contest classrooms at 12:15pm. 

學術比賽仍會在Hillsdale高中舉行，我們在比賽當天，會公布不同組別和比賽項目的教室地圖。學術比賽那三週的中文課將會提早十五分鐘在11:30下課，請參賽學生12:15在比賽教室排隊報到。

Please prepare some light lunch or snacks for your children.  They  have 45 minutes take a quick bite between 11:30am to 12:15pm before Academic Contests.

請幫孩子準備簡單的中餐或點心，參賽學生在11:30-12:15間有45分鐘可以在比賽前先吃點便餐、填個肚子。

ZhuYin and PinYin Phonetics generally takes around 45 minutes or less.  Pencil Calligraphy, Western Drawing (Group D), Reading Comprehension, Bilingual Translation, Chinese Writing Composition and Chinese Typing takes one hour.  Western Drawings for Group A, B, C is a 1.5 hour contests. Participants of the above categories can exit early if they finish their work or drawings early.  The duration of Read Aloud and Mandarin/Cantonese Speaking depends on the number of the participants.  Participants draw their turns and younger participants who perform first will be escorted out by volunteers in batch. 

注音和拼音比賽一般只需要45分鐘左右。鉛筆書法、西畫(Ｄ組)、閱讀測驗、雙語翻譯、中文作文和中文打字的比賽時間約為一小時，西畫(ＡＢＣ組)的比賽時間為一個半小時，完成試卷或繪畫作品的學生可以提早交卷離場。朗讀比賽和演講比賽的時間長度會依參賽人數而有不同，參賽者在報到時會先抽順序籤，先朗讀和演講的參賽者，我們會請志工批次帶學生離開賽場。

No. No parents are permitted on site for any Academic Contests.  Parents can not stay in the hallway either.  All families will wait at the courtyard. 

不可以。學術比賽的所有項目皆不允許家長在場；比賽時間，家長也禁止在走廊上逗留，請所有參賽者家庭在中庭等待。

No. No parents are permitted on site for any Academic Contests.  We will at least assign one judge who is good with young kids in the younger age group.  The judge will help young participants to  try their best. 

不可以。學術比賽的所有項目皆不允許家長在場；我們在年齡比較小的組別，至少都會安排一位對幼兒有經驗的評審，這些資深的評審會鼓勵小朋友盡全力。

Yes, the contestants of Read Aloud contest have to carry the scripts and read from the scripts (while maintaining eye contacts with judges now and then).

在朗讀比賽中，參賽者不時需要眼睛看著評審，但他們還是必須持稿朗誦， 

不可以。學術比賽的所有項目皆不允許家長在場；我們在年齡比較小的組別，至少都會安排一位對幼兒有經驗的評審，這些資深的評審會鼓勵小朋友盡全力。

No, contestants are not allowed to carry the scripts with them during their speech.  Practices will help them more comfortable with themselves on stage and experience they cumulated from the speech contests will benefits them in the future. 

國語粵語演講的參賽者在演講時，不允許帶稿或持稿。大量的練習會幫助參賽者不那麼緊張，演講比賽所累積的參賽經驗也會對他們將來的公眾演說有很大的幫助。

Participants in Western Drawing Contests can bring any art medium they are comfortable with using to finish the drawing in the assigned timeframe. 

西畫比賽的參賽學生，可以帶任何他們習慣使用、且能在指定時間完成作品的任何媒材。