Thinking out of the Box: The Annual Public Speaking Competition from ESU

This week the British Corner, Vake Park, hosted the annual English Speaking Union’s Public Speaking Competition which saw ten young Georgian English-speakers braving the stage before an audience of experts and fellow students.

The aim of the English Speaking Union (ESU) is to promote friendship and understanding through the English language. The Public Speaking Competition is one of its most successful projects, with 40,000 youth from over 60 countries taking part in the Final in London- up from just three when the project was started in 1981 (Great Britain, the USA and Australia).

Georgia has participated for 20 years and has so far sent 34 youngsters aged between 16 and 20 to speak at the Finals.

The jury members were the UK Ambassador to Georgia, Justin McKenzie Smith; Irakli Gulauri and his wife, and Archil Gachechiladze, Deputy Director of the Bank of Georgia.

Aiming to inform persuade, entertain to inspire the audience, the ten young speakers conveyed their opinions in a variety of styles, from personal accounts to lectures and jokes. Some were clearly nervous; others were notably at home on the stage; all were admirable for their strength of character to have come so far with both language and ability to communicate.

The winners were: 1st place: Tatia Kakhetelidze, with the title: “Back to my desk." Tatia is a schoolgirl from Khashuri who says she learned English from watching movies.

2nd place: Akaki Makatsaria, with the title: "Box".

3rd place: Irakli Chkhikvadze, with the title: "Human-a limited creature or a labyrinth".

The winner will go to London to take part at the ESU International Public Speaking Competition in May.

The ESU was set up in London in 1918 as an independent, non-political, non-governmental, educational charity. The Patron of the ESU is Queen Elizabeth II, the President - HRH The Princess Anne. One of the ESU’s first chairmen was Sir Winston Churchill. Georgia joined the ESU in 1998 and is supported by the British Embassy.

Katie Ruth Davies