TKU Transportation Management senior Heng-xin Chang participated in the 4th ASCE TWIG Student English Presentation Contest of Civil Engineering Case Studies sponsored by ASCE Taiwan. Out of more than 40 participants, he captured the 3rd prize of NT$1,500 and a certificate. The award ceremony took place on Nov. 6, and among the top 5, he was the only winner from a private university.

The contest had both the undergraduate group and the graduate group. It started with a briefing in English and then followed with questions and answers in English. The organizers had the Contest to reward students and civil engineers in Taiwan for their efforts in learning English to meet the urgent needs in market changes and globalization. Heng-xin Chang’s topic was “Mining Association Rules in Bridge Deterioration Data.” He modestly said that although his speech was about engineering case study or introduction, he was familiar with it because it was related to his research subject. Thus he felt quite comfortable while preparing for it.

Recalling the whole process, he didn’t feel very nervous because participants were not as many as he had expected. For interested schoolmates, he suggested, “Although it is about engineering case study, it lays stress on your ability of English expression and briefing skills. You should look for topics closely relating to your familiar subjects, so you will feel more proficient and comfortable when speaking. For example, the 1st winner introduced an architecture that he had seen during his visit to Canada while the 2nd winner described his impress on Disney Opera House.” He smilingly said, “Don’t be nervous when the judges are asking you questions. Be well dressed, with neat manners and answer questions calmly, you may be the next prize winner.” ( ~Dean X. Wang )