Les Joûtes Oratoires sont invitées à l’Institut Français!
The Debating Competition in French supported by ISMLA took place across
the academic year for the Sixth Form in three areas: North London and
the North of England in November and the South in early February. The
London event organised at Highgate School was won by a superb team from
North London Collegiate. Wycombe Abbey came second. The same month,
Cheadle Hulme School organised the competition for the North and
Stockport Grammar School won the French contest while the South
competition was won by St Paul’s Girls School with Sevenoaks School
coming close second.
The winners and the runners up of each area were invited to the Institut
Francais in London on Tuesday 17th March to compete in the National
Final over three titles:
- En démocratie la presse doit jouir d’une liberté sans limite.
- La domination de l’anglais rend l’apprentissage d’autres langues
inutiles.
- Le principe des mères porteuses est immoral.
Competitors were made to feel very welcome by the staff at the Institute
and we were very honoured and grateful to the French Cultural Attaché
and his team for their presence and skilful adjudication!
From the first minutes judges and audience alike were simply amazed by
the debating skills and linguistic flair of the competitors, their
ability to play at will with ideas and concepts at the speed of light,
all in French! There were some outstanding individual performances
mixing at will solid rhetoric backed by thorough research punctuated
with humorous anecdotes or quotes. Un vrai régal!
The Grand Final saw St Paul’s Girls and Sevenoaks Schools debating an
unprepared title:
« En temps de crise, les Jeux Olympiques de 2012 ne sont pas une
priorité en angleterre » It was a close contest in which both sides
showed some superb debating techniques and “agilité d’esprit”. Despite a
real humorous zest and panache from Sevenoaks, St Paul’s Girls’
methodically organised ideas, instinctive "sens de la formule" and a
little “je ne sais quoi” gave them a decisive advantage and final
victory. A truly outstanding team! Félicitations!
ISMLA offered a £200 prize to the winning pair and £100 to the runner
up. Across the country all participants (including teachers!) thoroughly
enjoyed taking part and students now certainly feel suitably prepared
for their looming oral examination.
I would like to thank Francoise Lucas from Cheadle Hulme School, Simon
Brian from Highgate School for their continuous support throughout the
various stages of the competition this year. My thanks also go to
Vincent Gleize and his team from the Consultat de France for hosting the
final event at the Institut Français.
Next year, we would like more schools still to take part and open the
competition, where possible, to other languages. Regional heats take
place in the Michaelmas term and the National Final is in March. If you
are interested to find out more about the competition please contact me
at: pxp@sevenoaksschol.org.
Merci et à l'année prochaine!
Pierre Pillet.
Invitation pack (right click to download Word file)