Concours d’art Oratoire 2021

A big félicitations to Jourmae Abengoza and Louisse Garcia, two grade 12 students from École Secondaire Sisler High School, who both won awards in different categories at the national Concours d’art oratoire competition this year.

Concours d’art oratoire is a public-speaking contest that is organized by Canadian Parents for French and is open to students from Grades 3 to 12 and includes the categories of Early Immersion, Late Immersion, French: Communication and Culture (Core/Basic, Extended/Enriched, Advanced), Française and Impromptu.

In 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Concours virtuel! was a piloted event, offered as an alternative platform for student submissions. This year, videos with the top 3 placements in their home province or territory were registered to qualify for judging at the national finals. Jourmae won third place for her speech “D’où je viens?”, about growing up in the 1970s.

Jourmae was given a generous bursary of $8,000 from Canadian Parents for French to put towards her studies. 

Over 360 students from across Canada shared their Concours virtuel videos this year. 

Louisse also won third place for her speech “Une Autre Partie de Moi: Caroline” about silencing your inner critic. 

Both students have participated in the concours competition since elementary school, and will be continuing their French learning next year at the Université de Saint-Boniface.

Jourmae would like to become a lawyer, and Louisse has dreams of becoming a French teacher. 

We are so proud of both of you!

“Concours d'Art Oratoire made a big impact in my life growing up in the French Immersion program. This competition is not just a contest to me, but it shaped me to be the confident public speaker that I am today because it helped me practice my writing and speaking skills.”
- Jourmae Abengoza

“If I had to take out one thing from competing in the National Concours Virtuel, it would be to not look at it merely as a competition, but rather as a learning experience. Though winning can be something so exciting, how we come out of it afterwards to become stronger French speaking individuals, holds a greater victory than winning in this competition.”
- Louisse Garcia