On Sunday 17 August, a team of QAHS students proudly represented the Academy at the LTQ Gold Coast Languages Speech Contest at Griffith University, Gold Coast Campus. They were joined by hundreds of students from across the region in celebrating language learning and cultural diversity.
In total, 30 QAHS students represented the Academy across five languages. Competing in Mandarin were Lam Nguyen, Lina Nguyen, Shirin Golsefid, Nina Kishi, Liza Gratchev, Xin Yu Tan, Ella Qu, Matteo Zhang, Jiaqi Ge, Demi Li, Alice Yao and Alice Wang. Our French entrants were Siena Walker, Hana Truswell, Mehrnaz Shivaee Garryz, Ruby Smith, Adriana Smith and Chloe Chan. In Japanese, QAHS was represented by Ava Prince and Astha Singh while in Russian our competitors were Ava Prince and Maria Sophia Narizhnaya. Finally, in Spanish, Timothy Wissa, Cerise Pangaruy, Sofia Bedra, Eura Keum, Nur Medina Ahmad Hizwani, Johanna Lee, Olivia O'Connor-Horrill, Annabelle Dan Marica and Zia Kao showcased their language skills on the regional stage.
Our students performed exceptionally well across multiple languages, earning impressive results and sharing their reflections on the meaningful experiences gained.
Results
Mandarin
- Background Division (Years 11–12)
🥇 1st Place – Xin Yu Tan
🥈 2nd Place – Alice Yao - Background Division (Year 10)
🥉 3rd Place – Demi Li - Non-Background Division (Years 11–12)
🥈 2nd Place – Liza Gratchev - Non-Background Division (Year 10)
🥈 2nd Place – Shirin Golsefid
🥉 3rd Place – Lam Nguyen
French
- Year 10 Accelerated French
🥇 1st Place – Hana Truswell
🌟 Highly Commended – Siena Walker - Year 11 AB Initio French
🥇 1st Place – Ruby Smith
🥈 2nd Place – Adriana Smith - Year 12 AB Initio French
🥇 1st Place – Chloe Chan
Russian
- Year 10 – Russian as a Foreign Language
🎖️ Ava Prince – Certificate of Recognition - Year 10 – Russian Dominant Background Speaker
🎖️ Maria Sophia Narizhnaya – Certificate of Recognition
Spanish
- Year 10
🥇 1st Place – Eura Keum
🌟 Highly Commended – Sofia Bedra - Year 11
🥇 1st Place – Annabelle Dan Marica
🥈 2nd Place – Johanna Lee - Year 12
🥇 1st Place – Zia Kao
🥉 3rd Place – Olivia O'Connor-Horrill
Student Reflections
Demi Li (Year 10, Mandarin – 3rd Place, Background Division)
“At the recent LTQ Gold Coast Languages Speech Competition at Griffith University, I had the privilege of representing QAHS in the Background Speakers Year 9 & 10 division, where I achieved 3rd place. My speech explored my interest in Chinese medicine, a passion I discovered through the SL Mandarin course at QAHS under the guidance of Ms Cheng. In addition to competing, I also volunteered as a marshaller for the Year 7–12 Non-Background section, which was an immensely rewarding experience. The day gave me the opportunity to strengthen my language skills while giving back to the competition. I'd love to participate again next year!"
Lam Nguyen (Year 10, Mandarin – 3rd Place, Non-Background Division)
“The LTQ Speaking Competition was a very meaningful experience for me, not only helping me develop my language skills but also giving me a new way to express myself. In preparing my speech, I was very grateful for the support of Ms Lin, who assisted me in writing and refining my delivery. Although I felt nervous on the day, everything went smoothly, and I was proud to achieve 3rd place in the Non-Background Mandarin category. With even more preparation, I believe I could have performed better, but I am very thankful for the encouragement of my teachers and friends throughout this journey."
Liza Gratchev (Year 11, Mandarin – 2nd Place, Non-Background Division)
“Participating in the MLTAQ Languages Speech Competition for Chinese was a really enjoyable and valuable experience. Preparing my speech gave me the greatest learning opportunity, as I not only discovered new words but also applied the vocabulary I had learnt in class to a real-world context. Although refining and polishing the speech to make it delivery-ready was challenging, the chance to present it made all the effort worthwhile. Overall, the competition was a fantastic opportunity to immerse myself further in the Chinese language, and it has also given me greater confidence as I approach my upcoming language exams."
Matteo Zhang (Year 10, Mandarin – Background Division)
“The competition was a great learning experience that helped me recognise how important confidence is in shaping how others perceive you. To prepare, I regularly recorded myself practising and rehearsed aloud, which really consolidated my speech. What made the biggest difference, though, was the support of my teacher, who organised lunchtime practice sessions and guided us through the preparation. I thoroughly enjoyed the competition—it not only broadened my knowledge of Mandarin but also strengthened my language skills."
Acknowledgements
A special thank you to Mrs Joanne Cheng, who volunteered her time on the day as a coordinator and judge, and to our Group 2 Language staff for their dedication in preparing and supporting students in the lead-up to the competition.
Congratulations once again to all QAHS competitors for their outstanding efforts and achievements in this prestigious regional event.
Dion Obst
HOD Global Connect