The third Public Speaking Competition in English for Gozitan students, run by the Gozo branch of the English Speaking Union in association with Rotary Gozo has taken place at the Gozo College Secondary School.

The competition was held over two evenings, with the Junior Section, 7 eleven year old students from the Bishop’s Conservatory Secondary School and the Gozo College Middle School competing on the first evening.

This was followed by the Senior Section the next evening, when it was the turn of 5 students from the Gozo College Senior School and Sir M A Refalo Sixth Form College.

The winner of the Junior Competition was Eliza Stellini, with Daniel Grech and Kyle Saliba in second and third places.

Winner in the Senior Competition was Presley Clark, with Elena Attard and Nicole Micallef in second and third places.

Members of the audience, many of whom attended on both days, showed their warm appreciation for the variety of style and content of the speeches they heard.

The pre-prepared speeches were on the general theme of the Competition – ‘Think globally, act locally.’ Whilst the junior speakers concentrated on issues of global warming and the ways in which it could be tackled, senior contestants used a wider approach to the competition theme, with topics as varied as ‘The value of happiness and how to achieve it,’ ‘Intolerance and the rise of extremism’ and ‘Post-crossing – the value of exchange of post cards internationally.’

In the Senior competition, the prepared speeches were followed by impromptu speeches on a topic selected by each speaker from a choice of three given during the first interval.

The topics selected included ‘Something I’ve always wanted to do but haven’t yet,’ ‘An important lesson I have learned,’ ‘If I could travel through time,’ ‘What school doesn’t teach us’ and ‘Is travelling good for you?’The organisers said that these speeches were delivered with a spirit and humour which perhaps gave the audience a greater insight into their character than did the pre-prepared speeches.

Last summer, for the first time, two of the senior students had, with help of grants from Rotary Gozo, attended the annual residential ESU London Debate Academy in England.

Whilst waiting for the Judges to return after their final decisions, they gave an enthusiastic account of their experiences. It is hoped that the number of Gozitan students attending this Debate Academy can be increased this year.

Judges for the Junior Competition were: Doris Cini, former Head Teacher and Education Officer; Frank Muscat, who has been involved in local education for many years, and presented the prizes; David Gahan, former headmaster in the UK.

Judges for the Seniors were: Dr Anthony Galea, winner of the JCI International World Public Speaking Competition 2018 who presented the prizes; Frank Muscat; Pia Zammit, Director of Education for the Malta Branch of the ESU, perhaps better known in Malta as an actress and voice-over artist.

On each night the Judges praised all contestants for the very high standard of presentation, emphasising that selection of the three first placed had been very difficult and, ultimately, a matter of drawing fine distinctions in contests in which every entrant had the ability to prove a winner.

Volunteers from ESU Gozo, who run annual Summer Schools and work with the Gozo College Middle School and Bishop’s Conservatory Secondary Schools in developing oracy skills, said that they are delighted by the progress made by Gozitan students over the last 3 years.

They explained that Gozitan students will be competing next year in the heats in Valletta to select the Maltese representative for the ESU International Public Speaking Competition in London.

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