Students at the Sri Lankan International School of Jeddah (SLISJ) took part in the 15th Annual English Day competition, which concluded last week. The competition included creative writing, a spelling bee, impromptu speeches, an oratory and poetry for students from pre-grade to Grade 10.

Judges for these competitions were professional Toastmasters, university lecturers and external teachers from other schools in the Kingdom. The competitions were evaluated according to criteria for oratory and impromptu speech, which included audibility, gestures, timing and memory, while the criteria for poetry included facial expression and vocals.

“The English Day competitions have helped to enhance the public speaking abilities of students and have reduced their stage fear and nervousness,” said M.R.M Aslam, acting principal of SLISJ.

“These events also aid students to develop their writing skills and lead to success in public exams and future careers,” he said.

He added that the judges were very much impressed by the students’ performances. “The students were very much delighted to know their ranks and had the opportunity to discuss their weaker points with the judges,” said Aslam.

Results of the competitions were displayed on the school’s notice board as soon as the competitions were over. Winners will be awarded at the annual awards day, which is held every year by the school to honor the students with the best performances and winners of the English Day competitions.

“I’m glad the competitions concluded successfully and the students showed great interest in them,” said Hassan Ilyas, chairman of the Board of Management at SLISJ.

“We are planning to hold such competitions as much as possible to help students build up their public speaking and language skills. I’m very much impressed by the level of talent and unique capabilities of the students in our school.”