Pouvez-vous parler un peu de français?
If you can't translate that sentence, you probably don't speak French very often.
However, a pair of young Tri-Cities students were able to show off their language abilities, memory and their public speaking skills during a competition this past weekend.
Last Saturday (May 7), Matthew Jung and Santiago Torres won silver and bronze in their respective co-ed categories while representing School District 43 (SD43) at the 2023 Concours d'art oratoire.
Both students delivered their speeches at Simon Fraser University's (SFU) Surrey campus, organized by the Canadian Parents for French BC and Yukon (CPF).
It's a pan-Canadian French public speaking contest — an estimated 85,000 grade 6 to 12 students participate annually across the country.
Grade 6s were asked to choose, develop and recite a speech entirely in French up to four minutes in length; five minutes for grades 7 to 12.
Jung and Torres were two of more than 150 B.C. students that presented at the competition before a panel of judges that consisted of university professors, teachers, native Francophones and French immersion graduates.
"We are so proud of all our Concours participants," the CPF said in a news release.
"It is a big win to compete and be able to speak in front of people."
Jung, a Grade 8 student, claimed second place in his division's late immersion category with his speech, entitled "L'accessibilité et les adaptations."
Torres won bronze in the Grade 6 early immersion group for "La motivation."
For more information about the CPF, you can visit the non-profit's website.
