NEWSLETTER THE ENGLISH-SPEAKING UNION

Mauritius Branch
Creating global understanding through English

Issue No. 36 June 2012

PRESIDENTS MESSAGE
This has been an eventful intervening period, during which we had the Public Speaking competition, the Spelling Bee Competition and the International Public Speaking Competition which I was able to attend in London in May. We have had various Council and sub-committee meetings during which important issues were discussed and our annual dinner was planned and a Chief Guest identified. We are now in a position to introduce Attendance fees for Council members and the Executive Committee members approved proposals to review the salary levels of our personnel. In the process, the Executive Assistant is now restyled Executive Manager. I was very impressed with the organisation and management of the International Public Speaking Competition at the HSBC Headquarters in Canary Wharf, London. The event ran like clockwork and was highly professional. The finalists were all very talented and the performance of the Winner and Runner-up was brilliant. They truly deserved their prizes. Mr Mohamad A. Vayid, GOSK, CMG, President of ESU-Mauritius In light of this experience, we need to prepare our candidates better and make them more effective as Speakers. Fortunately talent is not scarce in our schools and we have proved that we can compete with the best successfully. But standards are improving all the time and we cannot afford to rest on our laurels. Time is for better coaching and practice. I hope participating schools will take up this challenge. With all best wishes, Mohamad A. Vayid, GOSK, CMG President, ESU-Mauritius E-TEACHER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOP FUNDED THROUGH THE US DEPARTMENT OF STATE AND HOSTED BY THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND, BALTIMORE COUNTY CAMPUS JULY 21 TO AUGUST 11, 2012 Every year, five teachers are nominated by ESU and US Embassy to follow the E-Teacher Scholarship programme which is an innovative on-line graduate level programme offered by the US Department of States Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs to English teaching professionals worldwide. The best participants are then invited to travel to the States for an exciting 3-week programme, specifically designed by trainers from the University of Maryland and the University of Oregon. Mrs Aruna Beedassy, Educator at Phoenix State Secondary School, is amongst the 26 English as a Foreign Language (EFL) educators from around the world who have been selected on the basis of their outstanding performance in their respective online E-Teacher courses and regional distribution. ESU would like to congratulate Mrs Beedassy and wish her an enriching and exciting experience in the States.
Aruna Beedassy was chosen on the basis of her outstanding performance 1

Inside this issue

Page

2012 Public Speaking Competition.... 2 International Public Speaking Competition..... 3 Commonwealth Day Observance ... 4 Jubilee Time Capsule.. 4 Annual General Meeting ... 4 ESU Globe Education Cultural Seminar 4 ESU International. 4 National Spelling Bee Competition 5 E-Teacher Scholarship Programme .... 6 Tell A Tale Workshop. 6 Miscellaneous . 6 Toastmasters Annual Convention.. 7 The Global Debate & Public Policy Forum 7

ESU MAURITIUS 6TH FLOOR, KEN LEE BUILDING, 20 EDITH CAVELL STREET, PORT LOUIS, MAURITIUS TEL: (230) 208-8591 FAX: (230) 213 6543 EMAIL: esumau@intnet.mu Web: esumauritius.org

Creating global understanding through English

THE FINALS OF THE 2012 PUBLIC SPEAKING COMPETITION ORGANISED BY THE ENGLISH-SPEAKING UNION SPONSORED BY HSBC BANK (MAURITIUS) AND THE BRITISH COUNCIL The Finalists for the 2012 Public Speaking Competition were:
Sidharth Deepchand (right) of College du St Esprit, Winner of the 2012 Public Speaking Competition, with Yuri Mulleegadoo of Royal College Port Louis (runner-up)

Sidharth Deepchand of College du St Esprit Yashvi Ramparsad of Droopnath Ramphul S C Veeneshwary Choytun of Forest Side SSS Davina Mungroo of Loreto College Curepipe Simmy Runganaikaloo of Mahatma Gandhi SS-Solferino Sweta Daboo of Queen Elizabeth College Charline Franois of Rodrigues College Akshaye Dev Gunnoo of Royal College Curepipe Yuri Mulleegadoo of Royal College Port Louis

The Finals of the Public Speaking Competition was held on Thursday 29th March 2012 at the Town Hall of Curepipe. This year, a total of 109 students in Mauritius and in Rodrigues took part in the competition. At the 7 qualifying heats in Mauritius and in Rodrigues, participants were allowed a free choice of subjects for their speeches, thus enabling them to reflect on a number of important issues and to share their views with other students. This year, ESU brought a major change to the competition. At the semi-finals, participants had to deliver an impromptu speech from a list of 3 topics given to them 15 minutes in advance. Nine participants (including the winner of Rodrigues competition) reached the Finals and were asked to deliver a speech on the theme The Wisdom of Youth. The adjudicating panel comprising Ms Dawn Long, Director of the British Council, H.E. Mr Nick Leake, British High Commissioner and Mr Steve Paris, HSBC Head of Human Resources, declared Sidharth Deepchand of College du St Esprit as the 2012 National Winner. Yuri Mulleegadoo of Royal College Port Louis was the runnerup. Mr Steve Parish said: I was impressed by both the enthusiasm shown by the students and the high degree of literacy they demonstrated. The topics chosen were very interesting. I wish to convey my appreciation to ESU for creating such an opportunity for the young people of Mauritius. I hope that the students will keep up the good work. Sidharth represented Mauritius at the ESU International Public Speaking Competition (IPSC) where he met the National winners of some 53 countries and competed against them.

Our warmest thanks and gratitude to our Sponsors (HSBC, British Council, Air Mauritius, Bookcourt and the Municipal Council of Curepipe) and to all those involved in the Competition : Mr Sanjit Teelock - Master of Ceremony, Judges, host schools, participating schools and participants).

Mr Barlen Vyapoory helped students to gain confidence to speak in front of an audience.

Prior to the semi-finals, ESU organized workshops on public speaking skills to help participants improve their speaking skills and enhance their overall performance at the semi-finals and the finals. The twodays intensive workshops on Speaking Skills were held on two consecutive Saturdays, 18th and 25th February 2012 at College du St Esprit and were run by Mr Barlen Vyapoory, a member of the Executive Committee of the English-Speaking Union. Many participants were first-time speakers. They were taught how to speak confidently, clearly and engagingly. They were given tips on: Voice projection and vocal variety Using the space on stage, How to organize a speech The place of humour and the importance of being natural Time management Common grammatical mistakes Delivery of impromptu speeches.
2

ESU MAURITIUS 6TH FLOOR, KEN LEE BUILDING, 20 EDITH CAVELL STREET, PORT LOUIS, MAURITIUS TEL: (230) 208-8591 FAX: (230) 213 6543 EMAIL: esumau@intnet.mu Web: esumauritius.org

Creating global understanding through English

INTERNATIONAL PUBLIC SPEAKING COMPETITION MAY 2012

Friday 18th May 2012, HSBC Headquarters, Canary Wharf, London.

Malaysia wins the 31st International Public Speaking Competition (IPSC) run by the English-Speaking Union (ESU) in London
Eighteen year-old, Marina Tan Hsien Wei, the representative of ESU Malaysia bested 53 international participants in a nail-biting Grand Final of the International Public Speaking Competition held on Friday 18th May 2012. Marina is the first Malaysian champion in the ESU elocution contest. She was able to show off her verbal prowess after clinching the top prize of a five-day, four-night all-expensepaid trip to London. Marina wowed the judges with her speech entitled The Game Changers which spoke about youth activism. After a week of entertainment, training, and cultural exchange, the competition began on Thursday 17th May with all 53 competitors delivering their speeches centred round the theme of the year "The Head or the Heart.
Champion speaker: Marina Tan Hsien Wei posing with her trophy in London.

The grand finalists were : Martin from Denmark, Simran from Canada, Ramon from Hong Kong, Marina from Malaysia, Stephen from South Africa and Chen from China. Marina from Malaysia was the winner. Chen from China was the runner up and Stephen from South Africa won the Audience Choice Award. Organized by the English-Speaking Union every year, the International Public Speaking competition is one of the most popular programme for all branches of the English-Speaking Union. ESU-MAURITIUS was represented by our National Winner, Sidharth Deepchand who delivered his speech entitled The inner conflict. Adjudicators reported that the competition, at all stages, was very tough this year. Although Sidharth did not reach the Finals, he nevertheless was an excellent speaker and ESU-Mauritius congratulates him for his performance.

Sidhardh tells us about his experience in London : Words are not enough to describe that wonderful experience.
Very few moments are bookmarked in the golden book of life and are a reminder of how enriching life can truly be. I was lucky to live, experience and enjoy such a beautiful moment. IPSC was that moment, those five days will inspire me for my whole life. Five days of unlimited fun, lifelong friends and an abyss of personality building knowledge.

Sidharth Deepchand, National Winner, PSC 2012

It gave me an amazing perception of how diversity can come together with such comfort of expression. 53 countries, 1 platform and yet it did not feel like we were meeting for the first time. The urge for expression left no time for thinking that yesterday we were unknown to each other. That common light of socialization, made us grow into each other and at the end of those five days my heart was full of tears. The company of so many wonderful people and such fascinating organization etched unforgettable memories in my heart. Planet Hollywood, Pizza express and other finely-chosen restaurants truly pleased a food-lover like me. The traditional London red bus tour; the giggles and laughs, the jokes and singing, everything seems so fresh in the mind and lively in my heart. Visits to Kensington Palace, Green Park and Westminster Abbey gave us a small glimpse of the impressive city London. Bowling and Karaoke at Queens ice and bowl, the euphoria of the addicting beauty of the Shrek musical and those brilliantly enriching workshops made those five days educational as well as packed with entertainment. Words are not enough to describe the experience of IPSC; it was a lifetime, an unforgettable experience. I wish that I could relive those days, those memories that I will always cherish deep down in my soul. I thank the English-Speaking Union, IPSC and that powerful world of public speaking. IPSC also taught me that improvement is never-ending and I am grateful for that experience, the experience that is bookmarked in my golden book of life.
ESU MAURITIUS 6TH FLOOR, KEN LEE BUILDING, 20 EDITH CAVELL STREET, PORT LOUIS, MAURITIUS TEL: (230) 208-8591 FAX: (230) 213 6543 EMAIL: esumau@intnet.mu Web: esumauritius.org 3

Creating global understanding through English

COMMONWEALTH DAY OBSERVANCE The Commonwealth Day 2012 was observed in Mauritius on Thursday 29th March 2012 during the Finals of the Public Speaking Competition. Sir Victor Glover, Hon. Representative of the RCS in Mauritius, spoke on the importance of this years theme for Commonwealth Day Connecting Cultures. He then read the message from HM Queen Elizabeth II. Shaun Payen, the National Winner of the 2011 Public Speaking Competition read the Commonwealth Affirmations. Jubilee Time Capsule Deadline Extended to 30 September 2012 People from every Commonwealth Nation are invited to enter their stories and memoriesby picking a day from the last sixty years and writing about it for inclusion in the Jubilee Time Capsule. For those who have internet access, sign up and send your entry here: http://www.jubileetimecapsule.org/ Taking part is easy: sign up, pick a day in the last 60 years and tell us why it's important to you. Use photos, videos, words, songs, poems ... whatever you want - it's up to you - it's your story! Remember this is a Commonwealth capsule, so stories must be about life in a Commonwealth country, or events that have impacted the Commonwealth. If you do not have internet access but wish to include your own entry into the Jubilee Time Capsule, please send your contribution to the Societys office (together with a self-addressed envelope if you wish the documents to be returned to you) and the Branch will forward the information electronically on your behalf. Teachers/Group Leaders : If you'd like to submit entries on behalf of a number of pupils then please sign up for a special account on http://www.jubileetimecapsule.org/ This is only intended for schools and groups that don't have good Internet connectivity. If possible, please ask your pupils/members to register themselves.

THE ESU GLOBE EDUCATION CULTURAL SEMINAR AND THE INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS CONFERENCE ESU headquarters has decided not to hold the Globe Cultural Seminar and the International Relations Conference this year because of the Olympic games which will be held in London in July / August 2012. Accommodation in and around the London area will be prohibitively expensive and it is predicted that travel congestion will add to the chaos in London during the Olympics. LAUNCHING OF ESU SPAIN : 12 to 13th April 2012 The capital of Spain, Madrid, was the scene for the launch of the ESUs newest member. ESU Spain organised a rich and varied launch programme to welcome guests from around the world. The two days activities in Madrid included an exciting excursion to the ancient capital of Toledo where participants had a full day of official activities with the University of Castilla La Mancha and the regional government. Mrs Pratima Beedasy, Member of the Executive Committee of the English-Speaking Union represented ESU-Mauritius at this event. ESU WORLD MEMBERS CONFERENCE 2012 Istanbul, Turkey - 18 - 22 September 2012 Members and friends of the ESU are invited to a weeklong programme of seminars, cultural visits and networking. For more information, please visit ESU Londons website : www.esu.org/worldmembers or contact international@esu.org ESU LONDON Many of our members who have been in contact with ESU in London would know Annette Fisher and Eamon Chalke. Both Annette and Eamon have now left ESU. Annette has moved on to work for another international charity and Eamon has left to pursue a career in law. We wish them both all the best in their future endeavors. Following a staffing restructure at Dartmouth House, the post of International Officer, previously Annettes post, has been replaced by a more senior role, titled Head of Membership Development. In May 2012, Paul Gordon was appointed as Head of Membership Development for the English-Speaking Union, in London. He has taken over responsibility from Annette Fisher and is now our new point of contact with the ESU in London. Paul comes from a charity background having worked for the past five years for a global charity and membership organisation in the safety industry, during which time he worked especially with young people. ESUMauritius extends a warm welcome to him for joining the ESU Family.
4

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING The Annual General Meeting of the ESU was held on Monday 16th April 2012 at the British Council. Mr Mohamad A. Vayid, GOSK, CMG, President of the ESU presented his report, giving an account of all activities for the year. The Accounts were presented by Mr Rajendra Korlapu-Bungaree, Treasurer of the ESU.

ESU MAURITIUS 6TH FLOOR, KEN LEE BUILDING, 20 EDITH CAVELL STREET, PORT LOUIS, MAURITIUS TEL: (230) 208-8591 FAX: (230) 213 6543 EMAIL: esumau@intnet.mu Web: esumauritius.org

Creating global understanding through English

THE NATIONAL SPELLING BEE COMPETITION MAURITIUS & RODRIGUES The Spelling Bee, which runs in May and June of each year, is a competition where participants are asked to spell English words. The concept originated in the United States and today Spelling Bee competitions for English are held in many countries. Through this competition the ESU aims at helping students improve their spelling, increase their vocabularies, learn concepts and develop correct English usage. Spellers also experience the satisfaction of learning the English language, not only for the sake of correct spelling but also for the sake of cultural and intellectual literacy. The Spelling Bee, intended for students of Form I, II, III and IV, is considered as one of the important activities of many Secondary schools in Mauritius and in Rodrigues. In Mauritius, owing to the growing number of participants, seven heats were organized. This year, 525 students from 126 schools in Mauritius took part in this competition. However, overall, it is estimated that over 6,000 students are involved in this competition every year as schools are encouraged to run their own in-house competition before the final selection of candidates. The 11th edition of the Spelling Bee Competition started on Thursday 3rd May 2012 and culminated to the Finals held on Wednesday 30th May 2012 @ 10:00 a.m. at the Municipality Council of Curepipe. Twelve (12) participants from each Form (F1, FII, FIII & FIV) competed during the finals. The winners were : F1 : Abdullah Aumeeruddy of Doha Secondary School F2 : Kcenia Naraina Poull of Le Bocage Intl School F3 : Nabil Khodabaccus of Royal College Curepipe F4 : Preetima Moteea of Forest Side SSS The ESU runs a separate competition for schools in Rodrigues. This year, 69 participants from all 6 schools in Rodrigues took part in the 8th edition of the Spelling Bee Competition which was held at Mont Lubin College on Thursday 21st June 2012.

The winners for Rodrigues were: F1 : Djemila Volbert of Rodrigues College F2 : Brayanne Agathe of Rodrigues College F3 : Marie Audrey Perrine of Mont Lubin College F4 : Marie Katrine Fedora Perrine of Le Chou College. The 2012 National Spelling Bee Competition was sponsored by the Embassy of the United States of America, the Mauritius Commercial Bank Ltd, Reinsurance Solutions, Currimjee Foundation, the Municipal Council of Curepipe and the Commission for Education in Rodrigues. The winners received a cash voucher from Mrs Jane Andr and Mr Phlippe Lalljee who represented the Mauritius Commercial Bank in Mauritius and in Rodrigues respectively. Winners also received prizes from Ms Vanessa Harper, Public Affairs Officer of the United States of America and they were offered a medal and a certificate from the ESU. All finalists in Mauritius and all participants in Rodrigues received a consolation prize offered by the US Embassy, a T-Shirt from the Mauritius Commercial Bank and a certificate of participation from the ESU We would like to convey our thanks to our Sponsors and to all volunteers who helped during the competition (Pronouncers, and Judges). A special thank you to Mr Sanjit Teelock, our Master of Ceremony, and Ms Vanessa Harper who travelled to Rodrigues to act as Pronouncer for the Competition. Last but not least, a big thank you to all host schools, participating schools, participants and ESU guests who contributed to make this competition such a success.

ESU MAURITIUS 6TH FLOOR, KEN LEE BUILDING, 20 EDITH CAVELL STREET, PORT LOUIS, MAURITIUS TEL: (230) 208-8591 FAX: (230) 213 6543 EMAIL: esumau@intnet.mu Web: esumauritius.org

Creating global understanding through English

E-TEACHER SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMME AWARD CEREMONY Mrs Aruna Beedassy of Phoenix SSS, Mrs S. Dhorbul of Gaetan Raynal State College, Ms Brinda Hurnauth and Mrs Jayshree Dewdharee-Ramjuttun of Mahatma Gandhi Institute, were invited to an award ceremony held on Monday 16th January 2012 at the US Ambassadors Residence, Macarty House, Vacoas. They received their awards from Ms Vanessa Harper, Public Affairs officer, and Mr Troy Fitrell, Charg dAffaires of the US Embassy.

TELL A TALE WORKSHOP FOR STANDARD 3 PUPILS IN RODRIGUES

Tell A Tale provides an excellent opportunity for pupils to be in touch with, and learn, the English language in a pleasant and appealing atmosphere. A workshop, organised by the ESU and run by Mrs Kovilah Veeraragoo, was held at the Human Resources Centre of the Commission for Education in Rodrigues on Saturday 23rd June 2012. Twenty-six teachers, two inspectors and the Head of Education in Rodrigues attended the workshop during which teachers were encouraged to devote 10 minutes daily to reading. The ultimate aim of this project is to develop skills in listening, reading and writing English, thus enhancing the performance of English in Standard 3 classes. Mrs Veeraragoo visited several schools to ensure that the project was properly implemented. The Departmental Head of the Commission for Education reported that the workshop was very interactive and interesting. Upon a request from the Commission for Education, a second workshop was conducted by Mrs Veerarogoo for seventeen deputy headmasters on Monday 9th July 2012. Mrs Veeraragoo, a member of the English-Speaking Union, was a previously Education Officer, Rector of Queen Elizabeth College and Assistant Director to the Ministry of Education. As such, she has extensive experience in teaching and communication. ESU would like to thank the Commission for Education as well as all those involved in the project.

THE 2012 E-TEACHER SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM ENGLISH TEACHER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT DISTANCE LEARNING RPOGRAMME OFFERED BY THE US EMBASSY Our nominees for the 2012 programme have successfully completed the English Teacher Professional Development Distance Learning Programme: - Mrs Sindhamani Seeneevassen Critical Thinking in the English as a Foreign Language (EFL) Curriculum - Mrs Atmeetyam B. Ramgoolam English for Specific Purposes (ESP) Best Practices - Mrs Wedsha Appadoo-Ramsamy teaching English to Young learners (TEYL) - Ms Deeya Ramparsad English as a Foreign Language (EFL) Assessment. We would like to thank the US Embassy for giving us the opportunity to nominate English teachers for this programme.

MISCELLANEOUS Inter-College Competition : Thank you to Mrs Kovilah Veeraragoo, Messrs Rajendra Korlapu-Bungaree, Aniroodh Ramjeeawon, PDSM and Parmanand Nunkoo, OSK, who represented ESU on the adjudicating panels of several elocution contests organized by the Ministry of Youth and Sports. The Municipal Council of Curepipe organised several activities to mark the National Day Celebrations and the Commemoration of the anniversary of the abolition of slavery. Thank you to Mrs Marie France Roussety, Mrs Kovilah Veeraragoo, Mrs Pratima Beedasy and Mr Ganesh Rampat who were judges, representing the ESU, on these occasions. National Day Celebrations organised by the Ministry of Arts and Culture ESU took part in the Festival Mauricien which was held at Port Louis Waterfront on Friday 2nd and Saturday 3rd March 2012.
ESU MAURITIUS 6TH FLOOR, KEN LEE BUILDING, 20 EDITH CAVELL STREET, PORT LOUIS, MAURITIUS TEL: (230) 208-8591 FAX: (230) 213 6543 EMAIL: esumau@intnet.mu Web: esumauritius.org 6

Creating global understanding through English

TOASTMASTERS ANNUAL CONVENTION - MAURITIUS Saturday 9th June 2012 - La Cannelle, Domaine Les Pailles
The English-Speaking Union was invited by Mr Faizal Jaulim, President of Plateau Toasmasters Club, to be on the adjudicating panel of the Toastmasters Annual Convention which was held on Saturday 9th June 2012 at La Canelle, Domaine Les Pailles. ESU President, Mr Mohamad Vayid, GOSK, CMG, was invited as the Chief Guest and Members of the Executive Committee of the EnglishSpeaking Union, Ms Dawn Long, Mr Parmaseeven Veraragoo, Mr Aniroodh Ramjeeawon, PDSM, and Mrs Marie-France Roussety, were amongst the judges for the competition. Shaun Payen, Winner of the 2011 ESU Public Speaking Competition, won the first Prize of the Humorous Speech contest. Barlen Vyapoory, an active member of Toastmasters Club and also a member of the Executive Committee of the English-Speaking Union, won the first prize of Table-Topics contest. Our congratulations to all winners and thank you to Toastmasters Club for having involved ESU in their annual convention.

Shaun Payen, Winner of our Public Speaking Competition in 2011 won the Humour Contest of the Toastmasters

THE GLOBAL DEBATE AND PUBLIC POLICY FORUM (GBPPC) The GBPPC is a new annual competition designed to engage undergraduates in on-going public debate and reflection on issues affecting the global community. This years theme Public Policy Advocate explored the relationship between security and human rights. Rakshita Mungur, winner of ESU 2008 Public Speaking Competition, is the first Mauritian chosen to take part in the Global Debate and Public Policy Forum organised by the International Debate Education Association which was held in Budapest, Hungary from 11th to 16th June 2012. All finalists attended workshops to hone their public speaking and advocacy skills. They competed in progressive rounds, presenting their policy briefs to a global audience gathered at the forum.
Rakshita Mungur, National Winner of the 2008 Public Speaking Competition

Last year, Rakshita obtained a diploma in Business Administration from the Mauritius Institute of Training and Development. Our congratulations to her! Marie-France Roussety Ambassador of Mauritius to the Republic of Seychelles Warm congratulations to Mrs Marie France Roussety who has recently been appointed as Ambassador of Mauritius to the Republic of Seychelles. Mrs Roussety is one of the three Vice-Presidents of the English-Speaking Union. We wish her success in her new assignment and our best wishes for the future.
7

THANK YOU The ESU would like to thank Corporates and Organisations that have supported us earlier this year: HSBC Mauritius, HSBC Global Education Trust, Mauritius Commercial Bank, Reinsurance Solutions, Ken Lee Export Services Ltd, Currimjee Foundation, Jade Properties, Onsiong Associates Ltd, Leal & Co Ltd, Mauritius Telecom Ltd, Air Mauritius, La Bonne Marmite, Food Canners Ltd, Mauritius Eagle Insurance Ltd, British Council, British High Commission, US Embassy and the Municipal Council of Curepipe. If you would like to lend your support in any of our activities, please contact us on esumau@ntnet.mu

ESU MAURITIUS 6TH FLOOR, KEN LEE BUILDING, 20 EDITH CAVELL STREET, PORT LOUIS, MAURITIUS TEL: (230) 208-8591 FAX: (230) 213 6543 EMAIL: esumau@intnet.mu Web: esumauritius.org