On the afternoon of November 9, 2022, the 1st SJTU Academic Vocabulary Competition for Graduate Students, which was co-hosted by the Graduate School of Shanghai Jiao Tong University and the School of Foreign Languages, kicked off in Room 121 and Room 214 of Chenruiqiu Building on Minhang Campus. Mr. Liu Canhua, Director of Graduate School of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Mr. Shang Biwu, vice dean of the School of Foreign Languages, and Mr. Li Hongde, director of Postgraduate College English Teaching Center, attended the competition.

Liu stressed that students should set lofty goals, improve their professional knowledge and academic communication ability, and strive to realize the Chinese Dream. A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. The enrichment and mastery of vocabulary is an important part of upgrading one’s academic communication ability. Liu wished the students a good result in the competition.

Shang said that Shanghai Jiao Tong University is an excellent platform and stage for students to realize dreams and ideals. As the saying goes, a tall building starts with a single brick. To shine in the international arena, one must learn to use words accurately and appropriately, so as to fully express oneself in English and tell China stories well. Shang Biwu took the example of international academic experts to explain the principle of using language to express academic thoughts and establish the scholarly identity. 

The contest was organized by the Postgraduate College English Teaching Center of the School of Foreign Languages. Mr. Li Hongde, director of the center, delivered a speech. He introduced the competition’s original goal, participation and its rules. Students from 19 schools, including science, agriculture, medicine, humanities and social sciences, enrolled in the competition. 

The competition is a closed-book written test, in which 100 academic English vocabulary questions needs to be completed within 30 minutes. The questions are divided into three levels of difficulty: high, medium and low. Some questions test the breadth of vocabulary, others the depth of vocabulary, others the discrimination and use of vocabulary, and so on. To meet the needs of epidemic prevention and control, there are two venues, Room 121 and Room 214.

After half an hour fierce competition, Wu Zhuomu from the School of Naval Architecture, Ocean and Civil Engineering and Liu Yiying from the School of Marxism won the first prize. Yuan Guangping, Li Zhiyao, Deng Wanqing, Li Xinyi, Wang Jianglin and other five students won the second prize. Seven contestants, including Fan Jingru, Huang Yuxuan, Chen Xin, Zhang Wei, Ding Tong, Xie Wenjun and Zhao Yuzhe, won the third prize.

Li Hongde made a concluding speech. He said that the high number of applicants for the vocabulary competition showed the students' learning enthusiasm and their acknowledgement of academic English teaching. He hoped that students will continue to use vocabulary as the foundation to boost their written and spoken academic English communication skills. .