What is Concours Oral l Concours Oral is

What is Concours Oral? l. Concours Oral is French Forensics, a French speaking competition open to middle school, high school, and university French students. l. Students compete either individually or as part of a group in one of 5 categories. l. Each student or group is

Categories l. Poetry l. Extemporaneous Prose l. Extemporaneous Conversation l. Readers’ Theatre l. Théâtre de Chambre lchanson

Poetry l. Students compete individually. l. Students recite, from memory, the poem designated for their level. l. Students are rated on interpretation, pronunciation, intonation, and memorization.

Extemporaneous Prose l. Students compete individually. l. Students read a short prose passage extemporaneously. l. Students have five minutes to practice reading the passage in a preparation room before they read for the judges. l. Students are rated on

Extemporaneous Conversation l Students compete in pairs. l Student pairs present an unrehearsed conversation. l Student pairs draw 2 conversation topics and choose one to present. Students have 10 minutes to prepare their conversation before they present for the judges. l Levels I and II present a 3 -minute conversation Levels III, IV, and V present a 4 -minute

Readers’ Theatre l Students compete in groups of two to five. l Groups read a scene or passage of published literature. l Groups choose a scene or passage, familiarize themselves with the lines, and prepare an introduction (memorized or read). Costumes and makeup are not required, and props

Théâtre de Chambre l Students compete in groups of two to six. l Groups act out a skit, scene, or passage of literature. l Groups choose a scene or passage, memorize all lines, and prepare a memorized introduction. Groups also block their scene properly and include costumes, makeup, and props, as appropriate. Groups present their introduction

chanson l l l l Music Performance A single student or student group, consisting of two to six members, performs an authentic francophone song. Each group: Chooses its own song. Memorizes all the lyrics and the introduction. Prepares and presents an introduction in French, including the name of the song and the songwriter(s)’s name(s). An MP 3 of the accompaniment and a clean copy of the lyrics must be emailed as attachments to the appropriate coordinator (regional first, then, another copy to state if proceeding to state level) at least two weeks before the competition date. NO RECORDINGS WITH SONG LYRICS IN THE BACKGROUND ARE ALLOWED. If a student or group chooses to accompany themselves on their own handheld instrument at the competition (pianos will not be provided at the competitions) a PDF scan of the sheet music should be submitted in lieu of an MP 3. Students or groups who do not submit music and lyrics on time will be disqualified. The entire presentation, including introduction, is to be accomplished within 5 minutes.

Chanson l l l l l Each group receives one rating; students are not rated separately. Each level is judged separately, with more proficiency expected from students in advanced levels than those in lower levels. Students receive A. B or C ratings at both competitions. The ratings are based on the following: INTERPRETATION - Shows a clear understanding of the song's meaning, intent, and emotional content throughout the performance. MEMORIZATION - Accurately reproduces the song. 3. INTONATION - Shows total meaning of the utterance through the rise and fall in pitch of the voice and creating the proper pitches for musicality. PRONUNCIATION - Produces the components of spoken language, including awareness of special sounds, élision and liaison in French, as appropriate to the music.

Regional Contest l. This year’s regional contest will be held here at Bay View Middle School on Saturday, March 16. l. All students who participate in the regional competition receive a certificate and a

State Contest l. Students or groups who receive at least two out of three “A” ratings may advance to the state competition in late spring. l. The state contest will Saturday, April 27, 2013 Lincoln High School – Wisconsin Rapids, WI (approx 9 am-12 noon) l. Students receive medals at the

VOLONTAIRES!!! l Student & parent volunteers are needed that morning (Sat. March 16 th) from approx. 8 am 12 noon at Bay View. Runners l Room monitors l Judge room organizers – food, hospitality, etc. (parents) l Hallway monitors l l Let your French teacher know if you can help!