The year 2024 brought the Olympics to Paris, marking the first time since the pandemic that people from all over the world could come together to participate in and watch sports. This global event serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of sports in our lives. All of this year’s essay topics will focus on sports and physical activity.

Essay Topics by Level:

我最喜欢的运动 (My Favorite Sport)

• Proficiency Level: Beginner 

•  Prompt: What is your favorite sport or physical activity? Discuss the positive aspects it brings to you, your family, and your community. Be sure to explain with whom, when, and why you enjoy it so much, along with its specific benefits.

运动的好处 (The Benefits of Sports)

• Proficiency Level: Intermediate 

• Prompt: What benefits do sports and exercise bring to you, your family, and your community? While increased physical health and strength are obvious advantages, there are many additional benefits in other areas of our lives. For example, Olympic athletes learn teamwork and determination through practicing their sports.

运动让我… (Sports Allow Me To…)

• Proficiency Level: Advanced 

• Prompt: What does practicing a sport allow you to accomplish? What challenges have you overcome through practicing a sport or physical activity? Be sure to elaborate specifically on the challenge(s), what you did, and the outcome. Challenges can take many forms, including mental resilience, teamwork, leadership, setting and achieving goals, etc. For example, Olympic gymnast Simone Biles withdrew from several events during the 2020 Olympics but returned in 2024 to win 4 medals and become the most decorated gymnast in history.

• It is the teacher's responsibility to place the essay contest participants in the most appropriate category commensurate with the student’s background and training. CLASS reserves the right to disqualify a contestant who provides false background and training information.

Category:    

Teachers, please choose your student’s category from the list below:

  *The Heritage Speaker Category is defined as follows:

• This category consists of students whose home language includes all dialects of Chinese.

   - OR - 

• Students who have learned Chinese through extended residence abroad (for example, more than one year) within the past FIVE years. 

• These students, REGARDLESS OF THE COURSE IN WHICH THEY ARE PRESENTLY ENROLLED, MUST BE PLACED in the Heritage Speaker category. 

(*Adapted from the Connecticut COLT Poetry Contest)

Division:

The division is determined by a student’s starting entry point in learning Chinese and their current level

Example of group coding: 

• A student in C-II-7 means this is a seventh grader who has been in an immersion program since elementary school.    

Links:  

Student Essay Pledge and Writing Packet

Essay Contest Rules and Category Descriptions 

Student Entry Form (completed by teacher, one per entrant)

Grading Rubrics