When I was asked to go to China to be a judge on “Star of Outlook English Talent Competition,” I assumed I’d be joining a nerdy little program, like those on the nascent PBS a half-century ago. Something like “The Letter People,” with 26 anthropomorphic characters representing the alphabet, or “Science Demonstrations,” with a wild-haired scientist who declared, “Physics is my business.”

Nope. “Star of Outlook” says some seven million contestants, from kindergarten to college age, took part in this edition of the program and that it has had about 100 million participants since it began two decades ago. It’s a bit like “America’s Got Talent,” but it’s more than entertainment. It’s a chance for young Chinese people to speak out on important issues — and it’s a recognition of the importance of the English-speaking world. At least, for now.

I and five other American, British and Canadian judges spent a week of 12-hour days last year in Beijing evaluating 50 finalists, who gave carefully rehearsed three-minute TED-like talks, then answered questions from us. Some tried to stand out by wearing costumes (robot, karate master and empress among them).

We were looking for compelling personal stories while also considering their knowledge of English, their pronunciation, the subject matter and logic of their talk, and we adjusted for their age. As if being on national TV were not pressure enough, they faced a studio audience made up solely of their families (usually, just their mothers).