Joutes Oratoires

Congratulations to Alleyn’s Year 12 students who took part in the 2023 South-London French Debating Competition, 'Joutes Oratoires' on 2 February.

Libby, Joseph, Kate and Alex expertly debated in French on hot topics such as: making Maths obligatory at A-level; the extension of corruption in the art market; and whether the French Police are over-armed. They pitted their language and debating skills against nine other teams including Year 12 and 13 students from Whitgift, Epsom and other south-London schools.

In the run up to the competition, the four competitors worked incredibly hard under the guidance and expertise of Alleyn’s French assistant Manon who ran the afterschool sessions, and they assiduously prepared arguments for and against each motion.

During the event, they were given the motions they had to argue on the spot and both Alleyn’s teams won all three of their debates in the first round and got through to the semi-final. In the semi-final they faced Epsom and Whitgift; they all debated brilliantly, and it was a very close match, but the Alleyn’s teams did not win this time. The Alleyn’s students were praised by the judges for their use of complex grammatical structures and persuasive language, their sophisticated and convincing debating techniques, their excellent teamwork and their fluency and confidence in using French to deliver their points.

One of the Alleyn's competitors said:

“I feel like my French has improved so much. Preparing for and doing the competition has helped me speak more spontaneously and confidently.”

Another added that one of the best parts was the preparation sessions, when they enjoyed working collaboratively with the invaluable support from Manon.

Acting Head of French at Alleyn’s, Ms Bishop, said:

“This event is a fantastic opportunity for students to practice their French debating skills as well as learn a lot about teamwork, forward planning and thinking on their feet. Very well done to them for their proactive and motivated approach to further enrichment at A level!”