English Language Fellow Alejandra Burgess helped prepare students for public speaking tournaments and a spelling bee in Chile to promote English language learning in a fun and competitive way.
Schools from four provinces of the Aysén region participated in these tournaments, which were organized by their PIAP (an English Opens Doors program). Fifth and sixth graders competed in a spelling bee, while seventh and eighth graders competed in the public speaking portion of the tournaments.
Programs like these competitions encourage English usage in a rewarding environment. “The prestige of being on a team promotes healthy competition and self-motivation to use English,” Burgess said.