Publicly speaking, some of the best French in B.C. comes from Langley.
Ten Langley students reached the provincial finals in this year’s French public speaking competition, Concours d’art oratoire.
Ten thousand students from across B.C. took part in this year’s competition.
Elise Shak of École Noel Booth Elementary took first place and the RésoSanté prize for health subject in the Grade 7 Late Immersion category for her talk about Le Cannabis.”
Seraphina Rizkallah of École Walnut Grove Secondary took second place in Grade 10 Immersion for her talk on L’importance de l’empathie.
Kevin Zhang, also of École Walnut Grove Secondary, placed third in Grade 9 Immersion with his talk, Ce qui m’ennuie.
Other provincial finalists from Langley:
Mackenzie Kelly of École James Kennedy Elementary, Grade 6 Immersion, Coco Chanel;
Linnea Johnson of École Alex Hope Elementary, Grade 6 Late Immersion, La nourriture;
Danika White of École James Kennedy Elementary, Grade 7 Immersion, Les cigarettes électroniques;
Janine Klopfstein of École Brookswood Secondary, Grade 8 Francophone, Les forêts;
Mikayla Brown of École Walnut Grove Secondary, Découragez le découragement;
Megan Whynott of École Walnut Grove Secondary, Grade 11 Immersion, Contre ses lèvres je goûte de la revolution; and
Lucia Bot of École Brookswood Secondary, Grade 12 Immersion, La moralité.
“Concours is an outstanding showcase and celebration of excellence in French language education,” said Greer Cummings, President of Canadian Parents for French BC & Yukon.
“Through participation in Concours, students develop their public speaking and relationship building skills in French, and ultimately the confidence to express their ideas clearly. These capacities are highly valued in today’s global society, making these students more adaptable and employable in a dynamic and competitive landscape. As effective communicators, these students will become the leaders of tomorrow. We are so proud of all our Concours participants. Bravo à vous toutes et tous pour votre belle participation!”
This year marked the 36th anniversary of the Canadian Parents for French BC & Yukon-sponsored Concours d’art oratoire. The provincial finals were hosted Saturday, May 4, at SFU Surrey.
Canadian Parents for French BC & Yukon is a parent-led 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 that involves about 85,000 students annually across Canada.
Students pick a topic that interests them and present a three- to five-minute speech, en français.
The provincial competition is open to all students, Grades 6 through 12, who are learning French through programs such as French Immersion and Core French.
