Perfecting the Art Oratoire on the Toronto and Mississauga Campuses

Throughout February, all Grade 7 students in Toronto and Mississauga, and students in Levels I and II, stood up in French class to deliver an original speech each had written on an individually chosen topic. Long part of the TFS curriculum, the exercise was conducted as part of the Concours et Festival d’art oratoire, an annual French public-speaking event for students from Grades 4 to 12, who are studying French as a second language in an Ontario school, including public, separate and independent schools. The event is now in its 25th year as a provincial competition.

While the Concours et Festival d’art oratoire is organized around four categories of French knowledge and study – core, extended, immersion and FSL Plus – as a result of TFS’ bilingual program, the students competed in either immersion or FSL Plus.  The students were further divided by grade, resulting in four groups: Grade 7 Immersion, Grade 7 FSL Plus, Level –II Immersion and Level I-II FSL Plus.

After the in-class contest, one student was chosen to represent his or her class at the school level. Held in three sessions during the last week of February, the class winners spoke in front of their peers and a panel of judges comprised of teachers, academic administrators and other staff. The timed speeches were graded on presentation, expression, coherence and use of language, and on the responses given to the judges’ questions about their topic. 

After conferring over their notes, and much lively discussion, the four winners were informed on Friday, February 26th: for Grade 7 Immersion, Garima K.  from Mississauga; Grade 7 FSL Plus, Natalie C., also from Mississauga; L I-II Immersion, Isabelle S., and; L I-II FSL Plus, Sophie K.

Keeping up the excitement, on Monday, March 1st, all four winners went to the independent schools’ final held at St. Mildred’s-Lightbourn School in Oakville. When the speech-making dust settled, Sophie K. was declared the winner of the Grade 8-9 FSL Plus category. She will go on to the provincial competition on May 8th at York University’s Glendon College.

Thanks to Mme Odile Téphany, who organized the competition, and to all TFS judges. And special congratulations and bonne chance to Sophie K. for the upcoming contest in May!