RECENT NEWS

ESU OUTREACH IN THE SOUTH OF CHILE The English-Speaking Union (ESU) recently organized two workshops for English teachers in Puerto Montt, Chile, at the University

AND WE HAVE OUR 12! 12 Teams have entered this year’s ESU Tournament, which brings us back to pre pandemic levels. These are the schools

May You Rest In Peace!

The morning was decidedly cold on Saturday, June 8th. With skies overcast and ever-threatening a downpour, our twenty finalists arrived in a steady drizzle up the road to the Mayflower School campus in Lo Barnechea, Santiago. Huddled at the feet of the Andes, all carried multitudes inside themselves, ready to be unleashed on the scariest of adversaries: a blank page.

Busy, buzzing, spelling bees, from early morning to afternoon. The best English spellers of the land arrived in warm clothes that covered hearts brimming with hope. Heads bursting with words learnt and repeated until etched on their scalps, letter by letter. Each word on stage, taking the trip from the top of the palate to the tip of the tongue.

It is very difficult to convey to anybody that hasn’t attended one of our events the air of competitive camaraderie between participants. Yes, there are heated arguments in our debates, side glances at our judges and more than one heart crushed at our prize giving ceremonies when their name or team comes up and it’s not under Number 1… but every step of the way, you can hear whispers of encouragement, teasing laughters, hugs of celebration and a few tears being wiped away by comforting hands.

Just one week is left for our in-person 2024 Public Speaking Competition semifinals and finals! Each of the ten semifinalists – after a virtual Round 1 in which they had to submit a video – will have the opportunity to present their speeches to a distinguished panel of judges, who will evaluate their performance based on a variety of criteria, including clarity, delivery, and overall effectiveness. The judges are respected leaders in their respective fields, and we extend our heartfelt thanks to them for their time, expertise, and dedication to this competition.

“It’s the deep breath before the plunge,” Gandalf said. Which could be an apt image for our first Kick Off event, right at the beginning of the year and before all others!
Above all, it is a joyous celebration of the talents, enthusiasm, and courage of young people—some of them as young as 1st grade!—who participated and won our competitions in 2023. Our congratulations once again to them all and their teachers and parents who’ve supported them all along the way.

In honour of the International Women’s Day, we would like to take the opportunity to thank and congratulate all women and girls that have been part of our community throughout the years: winners and participants, parents, teachers, judges, ESU board members, you all know who you are!

“All for One and One for All!” That was the Musketeers’ motto in 17th-century France when King Louis XIII’s men contended for the land’s power with Cardinal Richelieu’s guards.

Friendship is discovered in the unlikeliest places. Friendship brings closer together the most mismatched personalities. Friendship is a puzzle like an obtuse metaphor and as evident as the brick wall you fail to climb over (that’s a simile, by the way.)

Teaching and learning English is tough. VERY tough. VERY, VERY tough if it’s taught as a second (or even third) language. And if we add to that the pressure that kids feel to perform well and be recognized for it, we have a concoction that may not suit everyone’s taste…

The Debating Games have begun! Although not a proper death-unless-last-participant-standing kind of tournament -to the chagrin of some- the competition is fierce. 

After a few years of hiatus due to the COVID pandemic, our Spelling Bee came back loud and clear: every corner of our country must surely have been able to hear the spelling of our students from 3rd to 8th grade!

After a three-year hiatus, during which we were unable to hold our competition due to the COVID-19 pandemic or just holding it virtually as was the case last year, the in-person final for our Creative Writing Competition made a triumphant return, with a -fictional- vengeance!

A PROUD FINALIST! What a remarkable achievement! Facing some tough competition from all over the world, our ESU PSC 2023 winner Trinidad from Colegio Cumbres

TRINIDAD IN TRAFALGAR! Well, not exactly in Trafalgar, but close enough! We salute Trinidad from Colegio Cumbres who delivered today not one, but TWO speeches