A Maple Ridge – Pitt Meadows School District student has earned top honours at the provincial Concours d’art oratoire, a French public speaking competition that gives students across Canada a chance to develop confidence and fluency in a second language.
Elizabeth Sali, a student at Laity View Elementary, placed first in the Grade 7 early French immersion category at this year’s B.C. and Yukon semi-final on May 2 at Simon Fraser University.
“It makes me incredibly happy and proud of myself,” Sali said. “I think it is a great reward for my hard work…. I like challenges and this competition was a good challenge to take on.”
The annual competition, organized by Canadian Parents for French (CPF), draws thousands of students across the country. Students research a topic of their choice, then write and deliver an original 3- to 5-minute speech in French, before answering judges’ questions on the spot.
Judges evaluate organization, language quality, pronunciation, fluency, delivery, and how students respond to questions in French.
“Students are not simply reciting a memorized speech,” said Jennifer Simon, principal and coordinator of French programs for SD42.
“They are communicating ideas, thinking critically, and responding spontaneously to judges’ questions in French. Those are very different skills, and Elizabeth demonstrated all of them with confidence and skill.”
Sali moved from competing at the classroom level to school, district, and now the provincial level, where she went up against 200 other students and won gold.
“Reaching the provincial level represents a very high level of oral proficiency, preparation and confidence,” said Simon. “Winning gold at the provincial level is an exceptional accomplishment.”
Sali’s speech explored infant sleep safety, including three common sleeping positions, their pros and cons, and recommendations from professionals.
“I practiced every day by presenting my speech to my friends and family members,” Sali said.
At school, she had guidance from French district helping teachers Sandra Turbide and Pooja Pabari. At home, she had help from her mother, who is also a French teacher.
“We’re so proud of her,” said Pabari. “She worked hard and we worked hard with her to ensure she had all the components of a great speech…. It’s such a great accomplishment!”
Pabari and Turbide worked with Sali and other students over six sessions to build their speeches and work on refining pronunciation, pacing, fluency, expression and preparation for the question period.
“Public speaking is a difficult thing to do. Imagine doing it in a second language,” said Turbide. “The personal benefits are immense, it builds confidence, improves communication skills, develops critical thinking and reduces anxiety – fear and anxiety – over time.”
Sali has seen some of these benefits in her French language skills already.
“It helped me a lot to improve my pronunciation in the French language and to [expand] my vocabulary,” she said. “It also made me feel more confident talking in French.”
The benefits of the competition go even further, added Simon.
“The concours gives students an authentic reason to use French in a way that is personally meaningful, and that is when language learning truly comes alive,” Simon explained. “It gives students an opportunity to discover that their ideas and their voice matter. That is incredibly meaningful.”
“In French, we say ‘bon courage’ rather than ‘good luck,’ because courage is what it truly takes to step into something challenging and grow through the experience. That feels like exactly the right phrase for what the concours asks of every student who steps forward.”