From Malaysia to Beijing: The First 51Talk Global Youth Summit Comes to a Successful Close

The first 51Talk Global Youth Summit 2026 has successfully concluded in Beijing, bringing together young English speakers from China and overseas for five days of cultural exchange, learning and discovery.

 

12-year-old Ginnie joined the summit as a representative from Malaysia, alongside young participants from different countries and cultures. With her strong English speaking skills and confidence in expressing herself, Ginnie stepped onto the global stage and experience English communication in a real-world setting.

 

Young Voices, One Global Stage

 

One of the highlights of the summit was the speech presentation themed “My Hometown, Our Planet.”

 

10 children from China and 10 young learners from overseas were paired up to share their speeches on stage. Ginnie was paired with Leon from Shenzhen, China, bringing together two young speakers with very different stories to tell.

 

Ginnie shared her personal experience of a flash flood in Malaysia, speaking about extreme weather, rapid urbanisation and plastic waste. She also shared how she and her friends started a “Drain Patrol” to help keep local waterways clean, showing how small actions can make a difference.

 

Leon, meanwhile, introduced Shenzhen through a lively presentation, giving the audience a glimpse into the city’s technology, innovation and fast-paced development.

 

Together, Ginnie and Leon showed how two young voices can tell different hometown stories while connecting through one shared theme: our hometowns may be different, but our world is one.

 

 

Learning Beyond the Classroom

The five-day Beijing study tour took the young learners on a journey through the city’s history, culture, science and modern development.

 

They visited the Forbidden City, the Olympic Museum, the China Science and Technology Museum, the Great Wall and the Temple of Heaven, experiencing different sides of Beijing along the way.

 

From ancient architecture and traditional culture to science, technology and innovation, the journey showed the children how the past and the future can come together in one city.

 

For Ginnie, the experience was also an opportunity to discover a new culture, meet new friends and see the world from a wider perspective.

 

 

Connecting Young Voices Across Borders

For Ginnie and the other young participants, the Global Youth Summit was an opportunity to use English to share ideas, exchange perspectives and connect with children from different cultures.

 

At 51Talk, we believe English is more than a subject to learn. It gives children the confidence to express themselves, communicate with others and explore the world around them. Through regular 1-on-1 English learning with foreign teachers, young learners can build their communication skills step by step, at their own pace.

 

The first 51Talk Global Youth Summit brought this belief to life, giving young voices from different parts of the world an opportunity to meet, communicate and learn from one another.