By: Karina Cavalcanti, Head of ESL
Last December, ESL pupils from Framlingham College entered into the annual, regional short essay competition. Pupils from Year 10, 11 and 12 entered the competition which was run by Gresham’s School’s ESL Department, and we are delighted to announce that two of our pupils, Veronika L. and Tatiana W., came 1st within their CEFR Language Levels.
The competition, judged by a lecturer at ARU, provides pupils with the challenge of producing an academic essay under a given title. The competition operates within 3 categories that are according to CEFR language levels. The essay is written in 40 minutes after a short brainstorming session, and is not to be corrected or redrafted. They are then marked for content, organisation, originality, grammatical accuracy and lexical level.
Below are some examples of the work entered by our pupils:
“From my own experience, the difference in the two systems can be visible at first sight. The first impression of colourful classes, smiling staff and the wide range of opportunities can make us question why every school cannot be like the private ones. Students in private school usually get more attention and learn more individually, which can help them in their future career. In fact, they are on the right path to get their dream job. That is why are they labelled as an ‘elite’. On the other hand, the state schools look like they are staying behind. As a personal example, I did not have chance to do practical work at my old school, because the state school did not have enough money to buy new equipment for science lessons.”
An extract from Veronika’s Level C1 winning essay, “‘Private education impedes social mobility.’ Discuss.”
C1 – Veronika Lamparksa, Framlingham College, 1st Place. This student dealt well with the complexities of the question and showed awareness of the current political situation.
“Not every person is confident and extroverted. Many have difficulties when it comes to socialising and making new friends. The pupils who are not outgoing are often excluded and feel like they are outcasts. But how can they socialise if they do not feel confident to speak to new people and make friends?”
Taken from Tatiana’s Level B2 winning essay, “‘The boarding system at schools is not beneficial for the social and psychological development of young people.’ Discuss.”
B2 – Tatiana Weimer, Framlingham College, 1st place. A very thoughtful piece which offered some very personal and analytical analysis of the complexities of boarding for all different.
