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The ESL Oscars - a free activity that will get your students talking.
Your ESL students will have fun practicing spoken English by creating a video describing a movie/TV personality of their choice. Guidance of the process is provided to students by SpokenSkills instructors. One of your students will then represent your school in the finals for a chance to win $500 in classroom CDs and books for your school.
However, more than a competition, the ESL Oscars is a fun activity where all students that participate have a chance to practice, get valuable feedback and improve their spoken English.
Register Now!
Register a class
before April 30th
and get your
students working
on their videos
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The Student Video Competition
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In recent years the concept of participatory media (PM) has become more than a catch-phrase, but an easily accessible reality. For students and teachers, this opens the door for assignments that can remain relevant and accessible long after an instructor gives it his/her own assessment. – Learning Interchange at Apple
The success of YouTube proves that today's audience not only consumes media, but also wants to participate. Computer savvy language learners take advantage of these sites to improve their comprehension skills. SpokenSkills' ESL Oscars student competition takes the next step by providing students of all levels the chance to practice and improve their spoken English skills by using SpokenSkills tools to create an online video.
Students' Steps
| Week 1: |
Student
registers
& submits
script |
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SpokenSkills
instructor
feedback |
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| Week 2: |
Student
submits
final script
& 1st video |
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SpokenSkills
instructor
feedback |
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| Week 3: |
Student
submits
2nd video |
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SpokenSkills
instructor
feedback |
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| Week 4: |
Student
submits
final video |
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| Week 5: |
You select the student in the
class who has improved the
most and will represent your
school in the finals |
A Simple Process
Each school's teachers register a class or a group of students that would like to participate in the ESL Oscars.
- Each school teacher selects a day that his/her students will start working on their videos. Students will have 4 weeks from that day to create and practice their video presentation. A SpokenSkills' instructor will guide students through the process.
- Each student will log in and complete a series of activities that will help complete the final video.
- During the 4 weeks the teacher will be able to review the work students are completing.
- On week 5, the teacher will select the student from the class that has demonstrated the greatest improvement and who will represent the school in the finals. To select the student that demonstrates the greatest improvement, the teacher will simply compare each student's first and final video.
- SpokenSkills will then select the winner from the representatives of each school.
NOTE: for the competition, students will need access to a school or home computer connected to the Internet, speakers and a webcam, video-enabled cell or video camera.
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Competition Rules and Regulations
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- Eligibility
Teachers and principals from a recognized ESL or language-learning organization may register students to participate in making their video presentation. ESL learning institutions can have students from one or more classes participate in the ESL Oscars.
- Competition Period
Registration deadline is April 30th. Students from each teacher's class will have fours weeks to complete the script and three practice videos. During the preparation period students will receive feedback from SpokenSkills instructors. On week five, the teacher will select a student from the class that has demonstrated the most improvement from the first video to the final third video. That student will then represent the school in the finals. A group of SpokenSkills instructors will select the final winner from all of the student finalists.
The winners will be announced on or about June 10th, 2008
Prizes unclaimed after 28 days will be deemed to have been forfeited and SpokenSkills reserves the right to offer the prize to another entrant.
- How to Enter
Each school teacher or director registers the class(es) that will participate, agrees with these rules, and selects a date when the students will start the work. The teacher will then receive a link to the school’s personalized ESL Oscars page, where each of his/her students will be able to register, read the student guide and start preparing the video presentation.
- Video submission requirements
The following video formats are accepted for upload: ASF, AVI, DVR-MS, FLV, MLV, MOV, MP2, MP2V, MP4, MPA, MPE, MPEG, MPG, MPV2, MQV, NSV, RMVB, WMV or VOB.
The length of the videos submitted should be no more than 2 minutes in length and the content must comply with all Content Restrictions listed below.
- Selection of winners and judging criteria
To select a student, the teacher will have access to his/her students’ first and final videos and select the one that demonstrated the greatest improvement. This student will then represent the school or class in the finals. A group of SpokenSkills instructor-judges will select the final winner.
Judges will assess each submission and make a subjective opinion on which team has shown the greatest oral communication skills improvement. Decisions will be made based on factors such as clarity and intonation of their speech, use of body language, and facial expressions. Judges will determine improvement by comparing each student’s first and final video submissions. The student who gets the most votes will be the winner of the competition.
- Prizes
One (1) First Prize: the student with the most votes will win for his/her school a $ 500.00 Amazon.com gift certificate to purchase CDs, DVDs and/or books. In addition, the school will win a 6 month subscription of the SpokenSkills Learning Lab for one class (Value $ 90 per student). The winning school will be responsible for any and all federal, state and/or local taxes resulting from acceptance of the prize. No prize substitution is allowed except at the discretion of Sponsor. Prize will be awarded. If prize is awarded but unclaimed/forfeited by recipient, prize may not be re-awarded, in Sponsor's sole discretion. Other restrictions may apply.
- Consent to publicity and release
By participating in this Competition, entrants agree to be bound by these official rules and the decisions of the Sponsor and the Competition Administrator, which shall be final in all respects. By participating in this Competition entrants agree to release the Sponsor, its parent, subsidiary and affiliated companies; each of their respective officers, directors, agents, representatives and employees; and each of these companies and individuals' respective successors, representatives and assigns (collectively, the "Released Parties") from any and all actions, claims, injury, loss or damage arising in any manner, directly or indirectly, from participation in this Competition and/or acceptance or use of the prize. Entrants authorize the Released Parties to use their name and likeness for publicity purposes without further compensation, unless prohibited by law. This Competition will be governed by the internal laws of the Province of British Columbia, Canada. Any and all legal actions or claims arising in connection with this Competition must be brought in a court of competent jurisdiction within Canada.
- Privacy
Any personal information supplied by you to SpokenSkills.com will be subject to SpokenSkills privacy policy
- Content Restrictions
Videos containing nudity or other scenes of a nature deemed to be unfit for public viewing will be disqualified.
- Sponsor and Administrator
This competition is sponsored and administered by: InSpot Development Inc., 850 Burrard Street, office 506, Vancouver, BC, V6Z 2J1, Canada. Telephone 1-604-696-0696
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Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Telephone: 604-696-0696
© InSpot Development Inc. All Rights Reserved. |
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