SCOLAR invites entries to debating competition
The Standing Committee on Language Education and Research (SCOLAR) invites entries to its debating competition for junior secondary students to be organised for the first time this school year.
The SCOLAR Debating Competition for Junior Secondary Students aims at raising the students' motivation for language learning, better training their skills of language usage (in particular in listening and speaking), sharpening their logical thinking capability and organisation skills, as well as helping them build up their self-confidence and a sense of team work.
"This competition differs from the conventional ones. Two special sessions, namely 'Q&A by Designated Positions' and 'Think-tank Challenge', will be included in the competition, with the aim to better train the logical thinking and responsiveness of students. Participating students are expected to provide immediate responses to the arguments and rebuttals raised by their opponents in the two special sessions," a spokesperson for SCOLAR said today (19 October).
"This could encourage more interaction between the affirmative and negative sides during the competition that to meaningfully achieve our objective on training the students' language skills and analytical mind," he said.
Students from Secondary 1 to 3 should form teams on a school basis under four districts, namely Hong Kong, Kowloon, New Territories East and New Territories West. The competition will take place from February to July 2006. Participating teams will go through three rounds of preliminary contest within districts, and the two winning teams in each district will enter the inter-district competition in the quarter-finals. The grand final will be held in July 2006.
SCOLAR will also organise a series of debating workshops for teachers of participating schools so as to strengthen their training skills in debating and enhance their knowledge on using debating in language teaching. SCOLAR will arrange other debating training sessions for teachers with the Task Force of Language Support of the Education Manpower Bureau.
The competition will be conducted in Cantonese. Enrolment starts today and are open until 7 November. Enrolment forms and competition guidelines are available on the SCOLAR website at http://www.language-education.com. For further enquiries, please contact the SCOLAR Support Unit at 3165 1189.
Established in 1996, SCOLAR advises the Government on language education issues and the use of the Language Fund.