Le Concours d’art oratoire is a public-speaking event, which has become an annual event for many schools across the province. Classroom, school and then divisional level competitions lead to the provincial competition, which will be held at the Collège universitaire de saint-Boniface on May 1, 2010.

The competition is open to students from Grades 3 - 12 and includes the categories of Early Immersion, Late Immersion, Core French, Core Extended French, Français and Impromptu.

Participating students choose a subject in which they are particularly interested and prepare a speech, which must be the student's original work and committed to memory. The only exception is for those students in the Core/Basic French categories, Grade 4 and Grades 5/6. Those students recite one of two French poems selected by the Concours Coordinator.

Students are judged on voice, quality of language, choice of subject and gesture. Students in all Grade 9-12 categories (except Impromptu), will be asked 2 or 3 questions related directly to the speech, by an impartial questioner who is not involved in the evaluation of the presentation.

All students at the school level who participate are issued a Certificate of Participation. Winners in each category at the Divisional level are awarded with ribbons for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place. At the provincial level, prizes, including cash, trophies and plaques are awarded to winners in each category. In addition, first place winners from the Grades 11 & 12 categories excluding Impromptu, have the opportunity to travel to the National competition, which will be held at the University of Ottawa in May 2010. There are $20,000 scholarships awarded to the first place winner in each category, and a $2,000 entrance scholarship for each of the National Concours participants who attend and compete in Concours but who do not win first place.

All information regarding Le Concours competition is available through your school, Divisional Language Coordinator and / or Divisional Superintendent. Therefore, if your school wishes to participate, CPF-MB recommends that you contact your Divisional Language Coordinator

and / or Divisional Superintendent before Friday, December 4, 2009 to ensure that your division is aware of your school’s intent to participate (n.b. the deadline for participating school divisions to return Letters of Intent is Friday, December 11, 2009).

For more information or to volunteer at this event, contact the CPF - MB office at 222-6537, email jsteinthorson@cpfmb.com or visit www.cpfmb.com

Early Immersion Grades	Late Immersion Grades	Core French/Core Extended Grades	Français Grades	Secondary Students Impromptu
3 & 4		4*	3 & 4
5 & 6		5 & 6*	5 & 6
7 & 8	7 & 8	7 & 8	7 & 8
9 & 10	9 & 10	9 & 10	9 & 10	9 & 10
11 & 12	11 & 12	11 & 12	11 & 12	11 & 12