Job Discussion Forums

[Cool Teacher]

Hi there everyone,

Do you do high school and junior high school speech contests with your students? How much help do you give them to prepare? Do you write the speeches for them or do you let them write the speeches even if there are loads of mistakes?

Do you think students who are bilingual can join as well or do you thnk that is unfair? Or is it unfair to not allow them?

Thanks for your help.

[kzjohn]

For some years, I've been a judge for these, rather than someone who helps. Also for drama contests. IMO, anyone should be able to join. (tho anyone who wins should bow out of that contest in following years)

[Maitoshi]

Why would it be unfair for a bilingual to participate in a speech contest?

Wouldn't this be a bit like saying it's unfair for the tall kids to compete in a basketball game?

Why should a winner one year have to stop competing in the next? Could you imagine if other competitions were held in this way?

These kinds of statements make no sense to me ...

[Cool Teacher]

Thanks guys. Yeah, I agree tha bilingual students should eb allowed to particiapate and only wonder if there was some disagreement about this because I have seen some rules wehre this is not allowed.

[nightsintodreams]

What do you mean bilingual? Someone with one parent who speaks English and has learnt it from a young age? Someone who has lived in the States for a number of years?

If so, then yes, I do think that's unfair and they shouldn't be allowed to compete.

If you mean someone with Braziliean parents though for example, who's learnt Portuguese and Japanese fluently, then yes that it OK IMHO.

[move]

To write a speech for a student would deprive them of the chance to use their language abilities in a real-life situation. I would guide them through the many rewrites necessary to produce an acceptable speech, although that is likely the more time-consuming option.

I know what you mean about bilinguals, but how do you define that? Someone who lived overseas for over five years? Someone born overseas? Someone who went to an international school? Someone with Eiken over ~~ level?

My school has created two categories for the speech contest, recitation and student-created. The student-created one is for higher level students, but anyone can try to qualify for it.

[Cool Teacher]

[Cool Teacher]

[rxk22]

Why can't bilingual kids enter? You just score them differently/give everyone else a handicap, based on their English experience.

[Maitoshi]

[marley'sghost]

Just thought I'd toss in a related anecdote. Some years back we had a new student from the Philippines at my JHS. (I'm an ALT). The kid wanted to enter the city English speech contest. There was some discussion about the "fairness" as this girl's spoken English, while not fluent, was superior to that of English teachers. I should add there was no malice or jealousy or racism in the discussion. The teachers were just trying to get their heads around this new situation.
I made an argument along the lines of a violin concert. Say the student's parents were concert violinists and she grew up in the orchestra pit of the New York Philharmonic. You couldn't say no in that situation could you?
I also added the point that the speech contest in question was city-wide and it was a big city. I mentioned a private student of mine at the time, perfectly bi-lingual, fancy private school, and folks shelling out 4-man a month for a private English tutor. (good money, I miss that gig) I was even coaching him for his speech contest if I remember correctly. My boy would have kicked this girl's butt, no contest. It was a safe bet that there were plenty of other rich, returnees in town capable of the same thing. She did enter, but I switched schools by the time of the contest, never found out how she did.

[RM1983]

Is there some rule that bilingual kids cant enter the city speech contests? Ive got 4/5 at my schools but dont think any of them entered. My student that did enter and win , isnt bilingual but was living abroad for most of her childhood and is pretty much native-level anyway.

Is this some racist conspiracy against hafus?

[Cool Teacher]

Thanks for the input this is very good stuf..

[cat mother]

In my city there is a special category for bilingual kids, returnees, haafus, and so on, and they compete against each other.

[Maitoshi]