While it is a daunting task to deliver a speech in front of strangers, whether you are a newbie or a pro, it is great to know that the English learners in Fremont, California were able to pass the hurdle. What is more heartening is that they delivered their speeches in a language that they have just learned.
The students were taking part in the English Learner Speech Contest at the Fremont Union High School District (FUHSD). It is an annual competition for students taking English language classes in the five district high schools. The contest was launched in 2008 with an initial participation from 150 students. Now there are more than 300 students who are non-English speakers taking part in the contest.
The founder of the contest, Welton Kwong, who is also the English Learners Program administrator for the district, said that the competition allows every student to experience speech delivery and to know what it feels like to have their hard work come into fruition. For the competition, the participants choose their topic and do research on it for a month or so, and then they have to memorize a three-to-five-minute persuasive or informative speech.
The speeches cover a wide range of topics, including how to become a ninja to the outbreak of Ebola in Africa. The participants went through several rounds of preliminaries before they were separated into groups of eight. From there they delivered their speeches yet again before the judges select the first three winners. Judges were composed of adults and other students. They judged the speeches on language, focus, organization, content delivery and originality.
Students who participated in this year’s speech competition came from several countries. James Park, who is Korean, arrived in the United States only in June last year. The junior high student at Monta Vista High in Cupertino, California is this year’s first place winner. His speech was about the conflict experienced by a parent and child, which is a topic close to his heart. He said he made the speech because he wanted to encourage other children to value their parents before they pass away.
The communications director for the FUHSD, Sue Larson, said that learning how to write speeches and delivering them to the public in English helps these English learners to gain confidence in expressing themselves in a language that is new to them. It gives them the chance to show that they have the capability to achieve by presenting a difficult task, which will later be of help to them when they face tough situations.
Larson added that the contest gets full support from the community. There Rotary Club, students, school district staff, community volunteers and more than 140 board members regularly support the event.
Kwong added that the competition was created to provide inspiration to the English learners, giving them an outlet to prove that that are capable of English-language speech delivery like native English speakers. He said he founded the competition so that students will have the confidence and mental ability to take on challenges and for the members of the community and school administrators and staff to see what these students are capable of achieving.
Image credit – Fremont Union High School building from Fremont Union High School District
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