Students to compete at language event

MAT-SU -- Ten Palmer High School students and another 30 or so Wasilla High School students will use their bilingual talents this weekend at the 2004 Alaska School Activities Association/First National Bank Alaska World Language Declamation contest. About 400 students from across the state will meet Saturday to compete in French, German, Japanese and Spanish Languages.

Students compete in four categories: cultural trivia, poetry recitation, dialogues and impromptu monologues. The declamation was originally a poetry-reciting contest, but ASAA began to include more events in past years, something that Wasilla High School Japanese teacher Carla Williams thinks is very beneficial to the students.

"The dialogue and the impromptu are very challenging because it is not memorized, it has to be off the top of their heads," said Williams, who is taking 15 of her students to compete. In order to prepare for the contest, Williams' student must not only practice dialogue, but must also learn poetry that will be recited on Saturday.

"My students learn the poem, it doesn't matter if they are going to the declamation or not," Williams said.

Palmer High School French teacher Valerie Koivunen prepares her students in a similar fashion.

"Part of my curriculum is to teach a poem to practice memorization and to learn cadence," Koivunen said. "The students also pick up vocabulary that they wouldn't otherwise be exposed to."

Koivunen has been taking students to the declamation since 1987, and is pleased that someone from Palmer has always placed. But, she says, that is not the reason she takes the students each year.

"We appreciate the students who go, they're willing to take risks," Koivunen said. "But winning isn't important. It's an opportunity for academic practice … but I do treat my students that place to dinner after."

The competition takes place at East High School. The event starts at 8 a.m. with the Culture Trivia Contest in the student commons. For more information contact ASAA at 563-3723.

Description of events

u Cultural Trivia: Students take a 50-question test based on the culture of their target language. Students in first and second levels take the test in English, third and fourth level students take the test in their target language.

u Poetry Recitation: Students memorize and deliver classic and contemporary poems in their target language. They recite two poems, one is mandatory and the other is selected from several alternative poems. Students are judged on memorization, pronunciation, delivery and expression.

u Dialogues and Impromptu: Students use their knowledge and language skills to respond to real-world questions. After each student or pair of students selects a different question, they have two minutes to prepare. This contest is a true test of a student's fluency and spontaneity in their target language.