A meeting of minds

Pool of opportunities

Bayley, who won the 12th "Chinese Bridge" Proficiency Competition for Foreign College Students in 2013, further demonstrated his language skills with logical and in-depth arguments.

Moreover, he also found a stage outside the studio to strut his stuff-last year, he was offered a job by a We-Media platform launched by a group of foreigners which aims to culturally bridge the gap between China and Western countries. His main work is to write scripts and record videos for the platform.

Last month, Bayley and seven colleagues traveled to cities in northern, southern, eastern and western China to film videos exploring conditions and customs through the eyes of foreigners.

"I got this opportunity mainly because of my performance in Informal Talks, and all these adventures have really enriched my life here," he says.

Iranian participant Mohammadjavad Estilaf, 31, is relishing the opportunities that his appearances on the show have given him.

A former business Chinese major at East China Normal University, Estilaf showed his comic talents by mimicking his teachers in front of his classmates. He was encouraged to develop his talents further. He seized an opportunity to take a postgraduate program in broadcasting and hosting at the Shanghai Theatre Academy in 2010.

Two years later he began to host TV shows on the International Channel Shanghai using English, Mandarin and the Shanghai dialect, which gained him a loyal following among Shanghai natives.