The Chinese Bridge Competition ‘汉语桥’比赛

Contestants for the UK final of the Chinese Bridge Competition

It is often said that Chinese is one of the most difficult languages for English speakers to learn.

But the ten UK finalists of the Chinese Bridge competition have defied this belief.

They spoke with such accuracy and fluency that anyone who couldn't see these young Brits would assume they were Chinese.

Yang Li went to the event and spoke to the three top prize winners. One of them highlighted the biggest difference between Chinese and English, the second gave us a good tip for learners of English; the third shared his favourite Chinese idiom.

What is the drive for more and more UK college students to learn Chinese?

And can language really be a bridge to a better world?