General Competition Guidelines

Each language school team that participates will receive a certificate of participation regardless of overall performance.

Poetry, Level II (maximum 3 students)
Poetry, Advanced (maximum 3 students)
Extemporaneous Speech, Level II (maximum 3 students)
Extemporaneous Speech, Advanced Level (maximum 3 students)
Spelling, Level II (maximum 3 students)
Spelling, Advanced Level (maximum 3 students)
Each language per school may submit ONE Poster and/or ONE Video for competition. If a school sends competitors in three languages (French, German, Spanish), the school can submit three posters/DVDs (one in each language)

Scoring guidelines for each event are different; but, each event carries the same maximum number of 15 points per person:

Zero (0) points will be given if participants do not show up for a scheduled event without explanation, if a team (usually in Poster or Videos) is disqualified by the judges, or if a participant cannot spell any word in the first round.

At the end of the day, points will be totaled for each school (by language) and divided by the number of events in which the school (in each language) participates. Thus a large school that can field five or six activities will not have an advantage over a small school that can field only three or four teams. To be considered, the school has to participate in, at least, three (3) competitions.

In addition to the schools, individual performance of students competing in Spelling and Poetry as well as group performances in Poster and DVD will be recognized.

IMPORTANT: Only language programs that can field a minimum of THREE (3) teams in that language are eligible for the winning prize in that language. Only language programs that can field at least one POSTER or one VIDEO in a language are eligible for the first prize. All schools who participate will receive a Certificate of Participation.

The top three schools per language ranked by the average number of points will be announced 1/2/3 prize winners. In case of exact mathematical ties, duplicate certificates will be awarded.

POETRY

A maximum of three (3) students per school per language per level will recite poems from the list provided (see separate language webpage). Most poems should require no more than one to two minutes recitation time. Students may select any poem from the list provided for their specific level. No substitutions are allowed.

Students at Level II may have the text of the poem with them, but may not simply read it off the text copy. Students at the Advanced Level must, however, MEMORIZE their poems.

The recitation will be judged on the basis of pronunciation, clarity of recitation, and the ability to show that the student understood the poem well enough to “act” it out. Bland, lifeless readings will receive no points on “Expression.”

A student may bring other students or a teacher to the recitation for encouragement or to act as an audience, but these may not prompt the student’s recitation.

Rating Sheet – Poetry

To be filled out by student ↓ Language:				To be filled out by judge ↓
Level: Level II	ß circle one à	Advanced	Scores (circle)
School:			1. Pronunciation and Intonation (phrasing, rhythm, pauses, etc.)1 2 3 4 5
			2. Expression (performance as it relates to content, added affects, personalization, originality; shows that the poem is understood)1 2 3 4 5
Name of student:			3. Overall Performance:1 2 3 4 5
			Sum: __ /15

Extemporaneous Speech

A maximum of three (3) students per school per language per level will respond with an extemporaneous speech to a prompt by the judges. The situations are appropriate to the proficiency level. Students at the intermediate level (Level II) might be asked what they did last weekend or what they are planning to do this summer, while students at the advanced level could be asked about their plans after finishing high school.

The situations are written out on cards in the target language. The student will draw two cards and will decide to which one to respond.

The response will be judged on the basis of

Organization of thoughts, communication of ideas, insight into and transmission of meaning (max. 5 points)
Delivery (use of voice, gestures, facial expressions, eye contact, intonation, phrasing, … – up to 5 points)
Language use (fluency, pronunciation, correct grammar, does the student feel comfortable with the language – up to 5 points)

A student may bring other students or a teacher to the competition for encouragement or to act as an audience, but these may not prompt the student’s speech.

Rating Sheet – Extemporaneous Speech

To be filled out by student ↓ Language:				To be filled out by judge ↓
Level: Level II	ß circle one à	Advanced	Scores (circle)
School:			Organization of thoughts, communication of ideas, insight into and transmission of meaning, 1 2 3 4 5
			Delivery: creativity, use of voice, gestures, facial expressions eye contact, intonation, phrasing, etc.; 1 2 3 4 5
Name of student:			3. Language: fluency, pronunciation, correct grammar or usage; student feels comfortable with the language?1 2 3 4 5
			Sum: __ /15

SPELLING

Each language per school may have two different teams for Spelling, one for Level II and one for the Advanced Level. Each Level will be tested separately. Each team has three students. In the first round, each student in a team will be asked to spell four (4) words. If a student misses two words, that student is eliminated from further competition. Students who spell at least two words each correctly receive these points and move to the second round.

The second round is like the first, except that now, each student has to spell five (5) words correctly. If they do spell all five words correctly, they move on to the third round and receive five (5) points. If one word is misspelled in this round, the student is expelled but receives the earned points.

In the third round, each competitor will be given six (6) words to spell. If he/she misspells one single word, he/she is eliminated but will keep the earned points from this round and all previous rounds. The maximum number of points for spelling (4+5+6) after successfully mastering all three levels is fifteen (15) points.

Rules for Spelling are:

The standard French/German/Spanish alphabet, as well as other orthographic conventions, is enforced.
Team members may correct themselves while spelling, either by clearly correcting an individual letter or by starting over. Once a word has been said the second time, the spelling will be considered finished and will be judged as such. The decisions of the judges are final.

Team members MUST say

For French:

Judge: « Comment écrit-on “nuage”? » → Team member : « nuage – n-u-a-g-e – nuage »

à, è, ù: “a – accent grave”, “e – accent grave”, “u – accent grave”
é: “e – accent aigu”
ç: “c – cédille”
ë, ï: “e – tréma”, “i – tréma”
â, ê, î, ô, û: “a – circonflexe”, “e – circonflexe”, “i – circonflexe”, “i – circonflexe”, “o – circonflexe”, “u –
circonflexe”

hyphens: ex: arc-en-ciel “a – r – c – trait d’union – e – n – trait d’union – c – i – e – l ”

For German:

Judge: „Wie buchstabiert man ‚Tisch‘“ → Team member: „Tisch – Großes T-i-s-c-h – Tisch“

Capital letters must be called out as such (Großes A, Großes Z usw.). Misspelling will be called for a word that must be capitalized. Likewise, words that are not normally capitalized (except as first words in a sentence) will be considered misspelled if they are erroneously capitalized.

“a-Umlaut”, “u-Umlaut”, “Großes-O-Umlaut” usw. for the Umlautbuchstaben in German!
“ß” must be pronounced “ess-zett” without exception. Words that must be spelled with a “ß” will be considered misspelled if spelled “ss.” The new spelling rules will be in effect!

For Spanish

Judge: ¿Cómo se escribe en español “Andes”? Team member: Se escribe A mayúscula – ene- de- e- eseStudents do not need to distinguish between upper case and lower case, except when spelling proper nouns, last names, or geographical locations (i.e. continents, countries, cities, mountains, rivers), where they need to indicate that the first letter is upper case by saying ‘mayúscula.’ For example:Judge: ¿Cómo se escribe en español “Europa”? Team member: Se escribe E mayúscula – u -ere- o – pe- a.Judge: ¿Cómo se escribe en español “europeo”? Team member: Se escribe e – u – ere- o – pe – o.Students should call out accentuated vowels by saying “con acento” for — á, é, í, ó, ú. For example:
Judge: ¿Cómo se escribe en español “amazónico”? Team member: Se escribe a- eme – a -zeta – o con acento – ene – i -ce – o.

If the word is a proper name that begins with an accented letter, students need to indicate that the name begins with a ‘mayúscula’ as well as specifying that it carries an orthographic accent. For example:

Judge: ¿Cómo se escribe en español “Ángela”? Team member: Se escribe A mayúscula con acento – ene- ge- e – ele -a.

Students should identify “ñ” as eñe

Students should know how to say “u con diéresis” for words that require ü. For example:

Judge: ¿Cómo se escribe en español “agüita”? Team member: Se escribe a- ge- u con diéresis – i – te – a.

The following combinations must be spelled as ordinary sequences of letters, specifically:

“ll” — doble ele

“rr” __ doble ere

“ch” ___ ce, hache.

For these letters, please use the following:

“y” — i griega

“b” — b alta or be

“v” — v baja or uve

Rating Sheet – Spelling

To be filled out by student ↓ Language:			To be filled out by judge ↓
Level: Level II	ß circle one à	Advanced	Scores (=correct words)
School:			__ /4
School:			__ /5
Name of student:			__ /6
Name of student:			Sum: __ /15

POSTERS

Posters should attempt to work with and around this year’s motto (“Language as the Road Map to Culture”), but judges will evaluate the overall quality of the work according to the Scoring Guidelines, not whether or not a Poster sticks slavishly to the motto.

Each language per school may submit only ONE (1) Poster for the actual competition, but may bring others to display, space permitting. If you bring more than one poster, the competing poster must be clearly marked as such.

The posters may either be prepared by individual students or may be done as class project. No distinction is necessary between various proficiency / class levels. This is one area where even Level I students can participate. All posters represent the respective Foreign Language program entire school.

Poster size: standard size, between 18″ x 24″ and 24″ x 36″. The name of the student(s) or class, the teacher, the language, and the school must be written clearly on the back of each poster. You may, however, identify your school on the front of the poster, if you wish.

Teachers should approve the content and format of each poster. Posters that contain racist or sexist material will be removed from competition and awarded zero (0) points. Students should be encouraged to emphasize the positive aspects of learning French, German, or Spanish in particular or Foreign Languages in general.

Posters should be brought to the Anderson Center and be given to an usher who will take them to where they will be displayed.

The decisions of judges will be final and binding.

All posters remain the property of the schools and the students who produce them and should be removed at the end of the day. Posters left on Campus will not be returned.

Rating Sheet – Poster

To be filled out by student ↓ Language:				To be filled out by judge ↓
Level: Level II	ß circle one à	Advanced	Scores (circle)
School:			1. Visual language (design as it corresponds to message or idea, cooperation of medium, color and design to achieve expression of idea)1 2 3 4 5
			2. Content (articulation of design and idea, richness of content)1 2 3 4 5
Name of student:			3. Overall Quality:1 2 3 4 5
			Sum: __ /15

DVDs

DVDs should try to work with and around the motto (“Language as the Road Map to Culture”), but judges will judge the overall quality of the work according to the Scoring Guidelines, not whether or not a Video sticks slavishly to the motto.

Each language per school may prepare only ONE (1) DVD for the contest.
Videos may be prepared by individual students or done as class project.
Video length: five (5) minutes running time, DVD only.
The name of the student(s) or class, the name of the teacher, and the school should be clearly written on the DVD.

Teachers should preview the DVD for content. Videos that contain racist or sexist material will be removed from competition and the school awarded zero points for the effort. Students are encouraged to emphasize the positive aspects of Foreign Languages.

DVDs should be brought to Anderson Center and be given to an usher who will take them to where they will be judged.

The judges’ decisions will be final and binding.

All DVDs remain the property of the schools and the students who produce them.

TECHNICAL GUIDELINES

Whenever possible, use a brand new DVD for recording footage, editing and copying.
Your performance should be the only file on the DVD!
Write the language, school name, and length of the production in minutes & seconds on the DVD.

Rating Sheet -DVD

To be filled out by student ↓ Language:				To be filled out by judge ↓
Level: Level II	ß circle one à	Advanced	Scores (circle)
School:			1. Pronunciation, intonation, phrasing, pauses, rhythm, etc.1 2 3 4 5
			2. Expression (performance as it relates to content, added affects, originality)1 2 3 4 5
Name of student:			3. Use of the film medium (distance, angle, affects as they reflect and emphasize movement and idea)1 2 3 4 5
			Sum: __ /15