Concours d’art oratoire

The Councours d’art oratoire is Canada’s largest annual French public-speaking competition. 

The competition is open to students in every province and territory in a wide range of age/grade categories and French abilities. Thousands of students participate every year in communities big and small for their opportunity to win prizes and/0r scholarships to postsecondary institutions!

The Concours d’art oratoire has proven to be highly beneficial for students as it:

• stimulates their interest in learning French;
• improves their speaking and pronunciation skills;
• offers them the experience of speaking French in public;
• provides an opportunity to foster a community of active French language learners; and
• demonstrates the relevance of French language instruction in the ‘real world.’

For all the details on participating in Concours d’art oratoire, download our 2024 General Participation Rules as well as a Traditional Judging Rubric for an idea on how participants will be scored. 

CORE FRENCH (Junior Division)
Only for students enrolled in Grades 7 and 8:

• Whose first language is not French;
• Who are  studying  (have studied)  Grade 7  or  Grade 8 Core French  this academic year and were enrolled in the Core French Program since elementaryschool.

CORE FRENCH (Division A)
Only for students enrolled in Grades 9 and 10:

• Whose first language is not French;
• Who are studying (have studied) Grade 9 Core French or Core French 2200 thisacademic year and were enrolled in the Core French Program since elementaryschool.

CORE FRENCH (Division B)
Only for students enrolled in Grades 11 and 12:

• Whose first language is not French;
• Who are studying (have studied) Core French 3200 this academic year and were enrolled in the Core French Program since elementary school.

CORE FRENCH PLUS (Junior Division)
Only for students enrolled in Grades 7 and 8 who are studying French in a Core Frenchprogram this academic year, AND meet one or more of the following conditions:

• Whose first language is not French;
• Who have additional educational experiences in a French milieu (camps, exchanges, extra-curricular activities, etc…) within the past two (2) years; OR
• Who were enrolled for three (3) years or less in a French Immersion program, but who are no longer in an Immersion program; OR
• Who were enrolled in Intensive Core French in Grade 6.

CORE FRENCH PLUS (Division A)
Only for students enrolled in Grades 9 and 10, who are studying French in a Core Frenchprogram this academic year, AND meet one or more of the following conditions:

• Whose first language is not French;
• Who are studying at least one subject in French, other than Grade 9 Core

French or Core French 2200; OR

• Who have additional educational experiences in a French milieu (camps, exchanges, extra-curricular activities, etc…) within the past two (2) years; OR
• Who were enrolled for three (3) years or less in a French Immersion program, but who are no longer in an Immersion program; OR
• Who were enrolled in Intensive Core French in Grade 6.

CORE FRENCH PLUS (Division B)
Only for students enrolled in Grades 11 and 12, who are studying French in a Core Frenchprogram this academic year, AND meet one or more of the following conditions:

• Whose first language is not French;
• Who are studying at least one subject in French, other than Core French 3200 or CoreFrench 3201; OR
• Who have additional educational experiences in a French milieu (camps, exchanges, extra-curricular activities, etc…) within the past two (2) years; OR
• Who were enrolled for three (3) years or less in a French Immersion program, but who are no longer in an Immersion program; OR
• Who were enrolled in Intensive Core French in Grade 6.

EARLY FRENCH IMMERSION (Junior Division)
Only for students enrolled in Grades 7 and 8:

• Whose first language is not French;
• Who are studying (have studied) Grade 7 or Grade 8 in French Immersion thisacademic year and were enrolled in the Early French Immersion Program sinceelementary school.

EARLY FRENCH IMMERSION (Division A)
Only for students enrolled in Grades 9 and 10:

• Whose first language is not French;
• Who are  studying  (have  studied)  French  this  academic  year  in  French

Immersion; OR

• Who have studied French in an Early French Immersion Program for seven

(7) or more academic years but are no longer in an Immersion program.

EARLY FRENCH IMMERSION (Division B)
Only for students enrolled in Grades 11 and 12:

• Whose first language is not French;
• Who began studying French through the Early French Immersion program and arestudying (have studied) French this academic year in French Immersion; OR
• Who have studied French through the Early French Immersion program for ten (10) ormore academic years, but who are no longer in an Immersion program; OR
• Who have studied French in Early French Immersion classes in elementary school(Grades 4, 5 or 6) and were enrolled in a Late French Immersion program for three (3)or more academic years, but who are no longer in an Immersion program.

LATE FRENCH IMMERSION (Junior Division)
Only for students enrolled in Grades 7 and 8:

• Whose first language is not French;
• Who are studying (have studied) Grade 7 or Grade 8 Late French Immersion this academic year.

LATE FRENCH IMMERSION (Division A)
Only for students enrolled in Grades 9 and 10:

• Whose first language is not French;
• Who began studying French through the Late French Immersion program and arestudying (have studied) French this academic year in a Late French Immersionprogram; OR
• Who are studying (have studied) Grade 9 Core French, Core French 2200 and wereenrolled in a Late French Immersion program for two (2) or more academic years, butwho are no longer in an Immersion program; OR
• Who are studying (have studied) Grade 9 Core French, Core French 2200 and wereenrolled in an Early French Immersion program for four (4) to six (6) academic years,but who are no longer in an Immersion program.

LATE FRENCH IMMERSION (Division B)
Only for students enrolled in Grades 11 and 12:

• Whose first language is not French;
• Who began studying French through the Late French Immersion program and arestudying (have studied) French this academic year in a Late French Immersionprogram; OR
• Who have studied French through the Late French Immersion program for three (3)or more academic years, but who are no longer in an Immersion program; OR
• Who have studied French through the Early French Immersion program for four (4) to seven (7) academic years, but who are no longer in an Immersion program.

FRANCOPHONE (Junior Division)
Only for students enrolled in Grades 7 and 8.

Students must meet this obligatory and fundamental requirement:

• A student who speaks and comprehends French with native fluency;

And at least one of the following requirements:

• A student who lives in a home where one (1) or two (2) parents are speaking

French regularly;

• A student who has benefited linguistically from living for one year or more in the pastthree (3) years in a community where French is commonly spoken;
• A student whose mother tongue is French and who has attended a French- firstlanguage school for at least one (1) year in the past four (4) years;
• A student who has attended a French-first-language school for more than three (3) years.

FRANCOPHONE (Division A)
Only for students enrolled in Grades 9 and 10:

Students must meet this obligatory and fundamental requirement:

• A student who speaks and comprehends French with native fluency;

And at least one of the following requirements:

• A student who lives in a home where one (1) or two (2) parents are speaking

French regularly;

• A student who has benefited linguistically from living for one (1) year or more in the pastthree (3) years in a community where French is commonly spoken;
• A student whose mother tongue is French and who has attended a French- firstlanguage school for at least one (1) year in the past four (4) years;
• A student who has attended a French-first-language school for more than three (3) years.

FRANCOPHONE (Division B)
Only for students enrolled in Grades 11 and 12:

Students must meet this obligatory and fundamental requirement:

• A student who speaks and comprehends French with native fluency;

And at least one of the following requirements:

• A student who lives in a home where one (1) or two (2) parents are speaking

French regularly;

• A student who has benefited linguistically from living for one (1) year or more in the pastthree (3) years in a community where French is commonly spoken;
• A student whose mother tongue  is French and who  has attended a French­ first language school for at least one (1) year in the past four (4) years;
• A student who  has attended a French-first-language school for  more  than three  (3) years.

Download our complete 2024 Eligibility and Category Guidelines

The 2024 Provincial Concours d’art oratoire will be held in person.

Grade 11 & 12 students who place 1st, 2nd and 3rd in each of the categories will move on to the Virtual National finals. 

View the full list of 2024 National finals scholarship descriptions and eligibility details HERE

All participants receive a letter of participation and for each category and the bursary and cash awards will be announced soon. 

2024 Letter to Participants and Schools

Early Start

You will notice that we are announcing the contest earlier this year. The intention is to encourage more Schools, Teachers, and Students to participate in the contest. We also encourage greater participation in all 5 categories of French education in the province.

• Core French
• Core French Plus
• Early French Immersion
• Late French Immersion
• Francophone

Everyone should know that there is a spot for them to compete, regardless of the French program they are in. Core French students compete with Core French student, Early French Immersions students with Early French Immersions students, and so on. However, Canadian Parents for French-Newfoundland and Labrador wants to provide more support for students…

Mentorship Program 

An early start also gives participants time to take advantage of the mentorship program. This will be a series of online workshops offered by Francophones, French Teachers, and former participants of the contest. Workshops will go over skills to master Vocal Expression, Coherence, Language, and Physical Presentation.

The online sessions will be offered in the Winter of 2024, leading up to the deadline for applications on March 29, 2024.

Learn More!