German Read-Aloud
Festival 2025

In celebration of the German National Reading Day in November, the Goethe-Institut proudly presents the 1st edition of the German Read-Aloud Festival HK, taking place on November 16th, 2025 (Sunday).

This programme aims not only to reinforce cooperation among German education partners in Hong Kong but also to promote the read-aloud competence of German learners, as well as German culture and language, among local schools.

 

1. Preliminary Selection

In the first part of the competition, applicants must apply for the preliminary selection through our ONLINE APPLICATION PORTAL on or before October 26th, 2025. Late applications will NOT be considered.

For the preliminary selection, students are requested to submit a video of themselves reading aloud any part of a self-picked German literature piece or story in less than 60 seconds. The video should be submitted in MP4 format as instructed in the APPLICATION PORTAL.

The selection results will be announced 2 weeks ahead of the competition on November 16th.

2. Online Read-Aloud Workshop

If you are shortlisted for the competition on November 16th, the Goethe-Institut will send out the assigned reading materials via email 2 weeks in advance.

Shortlisted students will also be cordially invited to an Online Read-Aloud Workshop conducted by a professional German native teacher on November 10th (Monday). In this workshop, students' read-aloud competence will be trained comprehensively, including pronunciation, intonation, articulation, etc.

Participation in this workshop is NOT mandatory.

3. German Read-Aloud Competition

The German Read-Aloud Competition will take place on November 16th, 2025, at the Goethe-Institut (14/F Hong Kong Arts Centre, Wanchai). The competition for the Primary Stream will take place in the morning, while the Secondary Stream and University & GI Stream will be in the afternoon.

All students are reminded that NO recitation of the literature is required, as the competition primarily aims to focus on read-aloud competence in the German language.

With the presence of the German Consulate General, an award ceremony will be held at the end of the programme. Students who have completed the read-aloud competition will be awarded a certificate with marks of their performance, issued by the Goethe-Institut.

Adjudication will be based on the overall performance of the students, including:

• Delivery Skills: Clarity, fluency, pronunciation, intonation, pauses, and stress.
• Interpretation: Appropriate use of gestures and emotions.
• Audience Awareness: Engagement and interaction with the audience.

The jury team of the German Read-Aloud Festival consists of representatives from the German Consulate General and the Goethe-Institut, as well as German-speaking professionals who are independent from schools and educational institutions in Hong Kong.
 

To acknowledge the contestants' efforts, students who complete the Read-Aloud competition will receive a certificate detailing their performance, issued by the Goethe-Institut, along with specially prepared goodie bags. In addition, the top 3 contestants in each stream will be awarded prizes valued at up to 3500 HKD. A certificate of high distinction will also be awarded in the presence of representatives from the German Consulate General and the Goethe-Institut.

*In the event of any disputes arising at the German Read-Aloud Festival HK, the organizer, Goethe-Institut e.V., reserves the right to make the final decision.

For any enquiries regarding the German Read-Aloud Festival HK, please contact Mr. Maik CHEUNG (Educational Co-ordinator) at hinyung.cheung@goethe.de.