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Nanaimo-Ladysmith Student Wins Top Award At Provincial French Public Speaking Competition

Vancouver -- 10,000 students from across British Columbia competed, 240 made the provincial finals, and one student from Nanaimo-Ladysmith took home a top award in this year's pan-provincial French public speaking competition, Concours d'art oratoire.

"In addition to the cultural and language benefits, Concours d'art oratoire helps students develop their creative and public speaking abilities, as well as self-confidence," said Patti Holm, President of Canadian Parents for French BC & Yukon. 

"It's an incredible feat to make it to the Provincial finals -- taking home a medal is a real achievement. We congratulate everyone who participated; they are all winners. Félicitations!" added Concours d'art oratoire chief judge, Dr. Renée Hamilton-Clark.

This year marked the 32nd anniversary of the Canadian Parents for French BC & Yukon sponsored Concours d'art oratoire. The provincial finals were hosted Saturday, May 2nd at SFU Surrey.

We thank all the local volunteers and teachers, as well as the BC Ministry of Education, Canadian Heritage, and le Conseil scolaire francophone de la Colombie-Britannique for their financial support. 

2015 Provincial finalists from Nanaimo-Ladysmith:

Liam Tessler – Grade 6 Francophone – “Les legos” - École Pauline Haarer
Naomi De Jong - Grade 6 Francophone - "Le thé" - École Océane
Elijah Pelletier – Grade 7 Francophone – “Nintendo” –École Pauline Haarer
Jocelyn Maguire – Grade 6 Late Immersion – “La grande plaque de déchets du Pacifique” –
   École Quarterway
Aidan Metz – Grade 7 Francophone – “Les montagnes russes” – École Pauline Haarer

Provincial Winner from Nanaimo-Ladysmith:

 

 

Malaika Abay
Grade 6 Early Immersion
"Michael Jordan"
École Quarterway

(3rd Place)

Chief Judge
Renée Hamilton-Clark (right)

Click Here For High
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Images are shared with permissionClick here for the list of all provincial winners and click here for a short video from a prevous year's provincial competition. For more information please contact: 

Jensen Edwards
Communications Specialist — Summer Student (media@cpf.bc.ca)
Canadian Parents for French BC & Yukon
Phone: 778.329.9115 (poste - ext. 318) Toll Free: 1.800.665.1222
www.cpf.bc.ca | Twitter

Background

*Canadian Parents for French BC & Yukon is a parent-lead registered non-profit dedicated to creating quality and accessible French second language opportunities for all youth.

*Concours d'art oratoire is a pan-Canadian French public speaking competition -- an estimated 85,000 students participate annually across Canada.

*Student participants choose, develop, and present a 3 - 5 minute speech, en français. Students are free to select a subject/theme that interests them. 

*The provincial competition is open to all students, grades 6 through 12, who are learning French through programs such as: French Immersion, Core French, and the native Francophone School Board (SD93). For each grade there are the three categories.

*The competition typically progresses through the following stages: 1) Students participate in their local classroom 2) Top students move on to the school district competition 3) Top students move on to the provincial comeptition 4) Top students in grade 12 move on to the national competition.

*Concours is judged by French speaking volunteers, i.e. University/College professors, teachers, native Francophones, and French immersion graduates. For the official rules of Concours d'art oratoire click here.

*French immersion enrolment in British Columbia has increased every year for the past 16 years. As of 2013/2014 there were over 48,000 students, or 8.8% of the entire study body, in French immersion. 

*There are 180,000 students in BC in the Core French program. There are over 5,000 in the native Francophone school board. For the latest French student enrolment trends in BC & YK click here.