NEWSLETTER

ISSUE No. 48
August 2018
1993 - 2018

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
Dear ESU friends,
Since I last wrote to you in December 2017, ESU has had a very busy and productive semester to
mark the 50th anniversary of the Independence of Mauritius, the centenary of ESU headquarters in
London and the 25th anniversary of ESU-Mauritius.
We have organized and participated in many exciting programmes and events to further
promote the English language.
In addition to our regular activities, we collaborated with HSBC in the organization of a Business
Plan competition involving students of Middlesex University, Charles Telfair Institute (now known as
Curtin Mauritius) and the University of Mauritius.
Our partner, the US Embassy sought our assistance on a number of projects to promote the English
Mrs Marie-France Roussety, language and ESU was delighted to collaborate. The beneficiaries of these projects were
President, ESU-Mauritius students and teachers who are Members of the ESU.

At the same time, we collaborated with Greenwich University Pakistan Mauritius Branch Campus for the running of two
conferences, at which ESU Members were invited to attend.
All the above activities were made possible thanks to the efforts and dedication of our staff and some Members, especially
Members of our Sub-Committee and our Masters of Ceremonies. The unstinted assistance of our sponsors has also been
remarkable, and we are very grateful to them all. Indeed, ESU is blessed to have such committed supporters.
We also convey our gratitude to His Excellency Mr Barlen Vyapoory, GOSK, Acting President of the Republic, and to Hon.
Prithvirajsing Roopun, Minister of Arts & Culture, for their unfailing support to the ESU.

Earlier in May, I had the pleasure of participating in the centenary celebrations In this Issue
of the English-Speaking Union in London. The centenary gathering included the
International Council Meeting for ESU country delegates, the International Public President’s Message ………….. 1
Speaking Competition and the Royal wedding of Prince Harry with Ms Megan ESU Historical background …..… 2
Markle. Her Majesty The Queen is the Patron of the ESU whilst Her Royal Public Speaking Competitions....... 3
Highness The Princess Royal is the President. ESU organized a special viewing of
the Royal wedding for delegates who attended the Council meeting. We were International Public Speaking
also privileged to meet The Princess Royal at a private reception for IPSC Competition …….…………….3-4
participants and ICM attendees at St James Palace. ESU Centenary Celebrations &
International Council Meeting….. 5
In June, I was in Rodrigues to promote English Language and assist in the running
of the Spelling Bee and Story Telling Competitions. Right Word Competition ……..... 5
Greenwich University Pakistan
For more details of our activities, I encourage our well-wishers to keep an eye on Mauritius Branch Campus……… 5
our Facebook page.
HSBC/ESU Business Case
We look forward to seeing you at upcoming events. Competition……………....….… .6
With best regards, Ministry of Arts & Culture - Intl
Mother Language Day…………. 6
Marie-France Roussety,
President, ESU-Mauritius Spelling Bee Competition ……… 7
Story Telling Competition………. 8
FORTHCOMING EVENTS
Master classes in Drama ……….. 8
International Teacher Award International Teacher Award .….. 8
Conference on English Language Teaching & Learning
The US Embassy (Activities to
Creative Writing Workshop
promote English Language….. 9-10
Annual General Meeting
Scrabble Tournament Annual Dinner ……………..…. 11
(For more information, please contact the office of the
ESU on 208 8591 or esumau@intnet.mu)
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THE YEAR 2018 MARKS THE CENTENARY OF THE ENGLISH-SPEAKING UNION AND
THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF ESU-MAURITIUS
Historical Background
The English-Speaking Union (ESU) was founded in the year
1918 by writer and journalist Sir Evelyn Wrench after the
horrors of the First World War. Sir Evelyn felt that if the
world was able to communicate more effectively, global
understanding between nations would improve. English
became a unifying language. His ideas are as relevant
today as they were then. People who knew Sir Evelyn
personally said that he had an energy and idealism that
drove things forward. In the courtyard of ESU headquarters
at Dartmouth House, London, in honour of his work, is the
engraving "What others have dreamed, he has done".
One of the earliest Presidents of the ESU was Sir Winston
Churchill. Today, its patron is H.M. Queen Elizabeth II and its
President Her Royal Highness, the Princess Royal. Her
Majesty the Queen sent this message to you all:
“ I send my best wishes to all concerned for a most
memorable and successful year marking this notable
anniversary in the history of the ESU”
The ESU is a registered charity incorporated by Royal
Charter. It is a non-political organisation, working with
people regardless of nationality and background – many of
them on a voluntary basis and from all walks of life. There is
a worldwide network of national English-Speaking Unions,
each of which is an independent body. To date, ESU has
established its presence in 55 countries. Every year, the
International Council Meeting brings together delegates from
all ESU branches to discuss issues of common importance.
ESU aims at equipping young people with the oracy skills
and confidence they need to change their lives and
communities for the better over the next 100 years and
beyond.
The ESU is a unique educational charity and membership organisation dedicated to helping people realise their potential
through giving them the skills and confidence in communication to articulate their ideas and
share them with others. For more information, please visit www.esu.org
Discovering Voices
1993 - 2018
The Mauritius branch of the English-Speaking Union was
established in 1993 through an Act of Parliament (The
English-Speaking Union Act No. 17 of 1993), upon the
initiative of late Sir Rabindrah Ghurburrun who was the
Patron until his demise in 2008. Former Chief Justice,
Sir Victor Glover, Kt, GOSK, was the President of the
ESU since its inception until 2008 when he became its
Patron.
The following Presidents had served ESU-Mauritius:
• Sir Victor Glover, Kt, GOSK (1993 – 2008)
• Mr Sanjit Teelock (2008 – 2009)
• Ms Sharmilla Bhima (2009 – 2011)
• Late Mr. Mohamad Vayid (2011 – 2013)
• Mr Prem Burton, CSK (2013 – 2016)
Since June 2016, Mrs Marie France Roussety presides
over ESU-Mauritius with Mr Prem Burton, CSK, Mr Rajen
Gangoosingh and Prof Serge Rivière as Vice-
Presidents.
Our vision is to instil people in Mauritius and in
Rodrigues with confidence and pride for the English
Language, excellent communication skills and
networking opportunities. We endeavour to see that
the value of good communication - as an essential
attribute for individual, community and global
development and understanding - is publicly
recognised and widely integrated into education,
social and development policy.
ESU offers students of Mauritius and Rodrigues a
platform to promote their oracy and literacy skills.
Our main activities include the Public Speaking
Competition for Upper Form students, the Right Word
Competition for Grade 11 students, and the Spelling
Bee Competition for students of Grades 7 to 10. We
also run Story Telling Competition for Grade 5 pupils in
Rodrigues. Besides, ESU organizes lectures, workshops,
teacher training and social gatherings for Members.
2

THE 2018 PUBLIC SPEAKING COMPETITION (PSC)
The Competition acts as a platform for students to engage in
an exchange of ideas and opinions, on a national and
international scale. It enhances the participants’ public
speaking and critical thinking skills and places them in
situations requiring them to make spontaneous responses.
Workshops are designed to help participants develop
confidence on stage and improve their expression, delivery,
listening and response skills.
Sponsored by ESU Headquarters, HSBC Mauritius, British
Council and Rotary Club Vacoas, the Public Speaking
Competition was at its 24th edition. ESU kicked off this
activity with a first workshop held on Saturday 27th January.
Some 70 participants and 10 Educators were present this
workshop conducted by ESU Vice-President, Prof Serge
Rivière and Mr Dharamjeet Bucktowar, a Member of ESU.
Mr Kevin Pather, Member of ESU Executive Committee,
joined in to help students at the workshop on impromptu
speeches for semi-finalists. A third workshop was held prior
to the Finals to help the participants in the delivery of the
speech at the Finals.
Over 150 Upper Form students take part in this ESU
competition every year. At the 8 qualifying heats,
participants delivered their respective speech on the theme
“Great artists have no country”. Twenty-five participants
qualified for the semi-final. They were required to deliver
an impromptu speech on a choice of 3 topics given to them
15 minutes in advance.
The ten Finalists (including one participant from Rodrigues)
delivered their speeches on the theme “The best way to
predict the future is to invent it”, a theme chosen by ESU
headquarters for all ESU branches. The Finalists were:
Bibi Muneera Cadersa – Sodnac State Secondary School
Sonia Chummun – Mahatma Gandhi Institute State School
Zakeeyah Bibi Chutoo – Queen Elizabeth College
Ashwarya Singh Devason – Queen Elizabeth College
Mélanie François – Marechal College, Rodrigues
Oliver Thomas Frizroy – Morning Star School
Kayseka Geerjanan – Loreto College Quatre-Bornes
Irfan Arif Mallam-Hassam – Royal College Curepipe
Sakthivelan Ramen – Royal College Port Louis
Sharmeen Salehmohamed – Dr Maurice Curé State College
Discovering Voices
The Finals were held at the Town Hall of Vacoas-
Phoenix on Friday 30th March 2018.
H.E. Mr Barlen Vyapoory, Acting President of the
Republic of Mauritius, Ms Tedde Thompson, Public
Affairs Officer of the US Embassy, Mrs Anupama
Chummun, Representative of the Ministry of Arts &
Culture, and Mrs Anitah Aujayeb, Chairperson of the
President’s Fund for Creative Writing, were among the
guests.
As is now the tradition, Prof Serge Rivière, on behalf of
Sir Victor Glover, Kt, GOSK, read Her Majesty the
Queen’s message on the occasion of the Commonwealth
Day Observance.
Mr Prem Burton, CSK, Vice-President of ESU, Mr Chris
Murray, CEO of HSBC Mauritius, H.E. Mr Barlen
Vyapoory, GOSK, and Mr Tris Bartlett, Former Director
of the British Council, addressed the audience.
The adjudicating panel comprised Mr Chris Murray, Mr
Tris Bartlett and Prof Serge Rivière, representing the
ESU.
Miss Ashwarya Devason of Queen Elizabeth College
was declared the National Winner of the 2018 Public
Speaking Competition. The Runner-Up was Mélanie
François of Maréchal College, Rodrigues.
We wish to thank our Chief Guest, H.E. Mr Barlen
Vyapoory, and all others guests who were present at
the Finals. We also convey our gratitude to our
Sponsors, to our Master of Ceremony, Mr Sanjit Teelock,
and to all judges on the adjudicating panels.
INTERNATIONAL PUBLIC SPEAKING COMPETITION
(IPSC), London – 14th to 18th May 2018
ESU President, Mrs Marie-France Roussety, attended
the Finals of the International Public Speaking
Competition, held on Friday 18th May 2018.
Our National Winner, Ashwarya Devason, and the
other National winners of ESU branches worldwide
received training in public speaking and debating skills
from world-class ESU mentors. They also visited
famous places such as the House of Parliament, BBC TV
studios, Hampton Court Palace, St James Palace and a
trip to the theatre.
The Grand Final was one of the highlights of the
International week in London. It was held on Friday
18th May 2018 at the Royal Institution of Great Britain
in London. The Winner was Miss Johanne Jazmin Tan
Jabines from Philippines. She had delivered a
powerful speech on the story of Filipino migrants,
entitled “One hour at a time” – a speech in line with the
theme “The best way to predict the future is to invent it”.
The Runner-up was from the Republic of Korea. The
other Finalists were from Hong Kong, the United States,
China, Lebanon and Estonia.
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INTERNATIONAL PUBLIC
SPEAKING COMPETITION –
May 2018 – London
Our National Winner,
Ashwarya Devasaon, tells us
about her experience in London.
Hereunder are extracts of her
report:
“I was pleasantly surprised to
receive a warm welcome from
the organisers and to see the
diversity of people”.
“After registration, we were each allocated a group, led by two
oracy coaches who were university students in the UK. Each
group leader organised some team-building activities and fun
games to familiarise the participants with one another.
“There were 51 participants from 49 countries. I had the
opportunity to interact with delegates of ESU branches from
various countries.
During the Opening Ceremony which ensued, we had the honour
of listening to various speeches from the ESU Staff and from last
year's finalist for England and Wales.
The first event of the day was the country presentation, whereby
my knowledge about other countries, their cultures, education
systems, customs, traditions, holidays, music, art - only to
mention these - really deepened.
I gave a brief overview of our history of colonisation,
followed by our existence as a multicultural and yet
harmonious society and our beautiful natural features such as
our beaches and forests, amongst others. Many participants
were keen to visit Mauritius, which earned me the title of 'Best
Travel Agent' in the informal awards on the last day.
After the country presentations, we were separated into groups
for training sessions on both prepared and impromptu speeches.
The sessions were very helpful as I received useful tips on voice
projection, captivating the audience and coming up with well-
organised ideas for impromptu speeches. I had the opportunity
to mingle further with the participants and participate in an
extraordinary cultural exchange.
At the Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, we received a guided tour
of the impressive theatre and attended a workshop conducted by
professional actors on voice modulation and body language. As
I am an avid reader of Shakespeare's works, this tour was a
dream-come-true for me.
We then headed to Dartmouth House for the first stage of the
competition - the prepared speech heats on the theme: "Great
Artists Have No Country." I delivered my speech entitled “Who
Owns Art” and listened to many other speeches, all of which
were extraordinarily executed.
Discovering Voices
The following day, we had the impromptu speech heats in
the morning. I had 15 minutes to prepare a speech on
"Adventure", which I tackled by talking about how we
seek adventures through holidays and other adrenaline-
inducing events but we often forget that our life itself is
the biggest adventure which, sadly, we do not live fully. I
also talked about how technology has snatched the
adventurous aspect of life and turned us humans into its
servants rather than its masters.
After lunch, we
went to St James'
Palace to meet
HRH The Princess
Royal, the patron
of the ESU. HRH
indulged in a
conversation with
each participant.
We had the pleasure of doing some sightseeing and
watched The Lion King Musical at the Lyceum Theatre,
which was a truly exhilarating experience.
On Friday, the names of the seven finalists were
announced. When I didn’t hear my name, I was
dismayed for some time but my spirits were quickly lifted
as I realised that I had already got a lot from this
International Week, and that I was privileged to be here
in the first place. The Finals were held at the Royal
Institution. I enjoyed being in the company of my newly-
found friends, who were all amazing and bright young
minds with great visions for themselves and their
respective country.
At the reception party at Dartmouth House, we all
enjoyed ourselves and one another’s company, with long
conversations, accompanied by occasional heated
debates in which I was a keen participant.
As we all bade our final goodbye, promising each other
to keep in touch, I made my way to the airport and
eventually back home, knowing that I was coming back
as a changed person, as a global citizen rather than just
a Mauritian. The International Week allowed me to step
out of my comfort zone, travel alone for the first time,
meet so many like-minded young men and women and to
engage in an intellectually-stimulating and enriching
world tour while being in London only.
Overall, this International Week has been the most
enriching, stimulating and engaging experience of my
life. I sincerely want to convey my sincere gratitude to
ESU-Mauritius for having given me the opportunity to
make myself heard on such a platform. I really wish more
youngsters had this chance to discover themselves while
discovering others. This is truly an experience that I will
always cherish”.
4

ESU CENTENARY CELEBRATIONS AND
INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL MEETING
Mrs Marie-France Roussety, President of ESU-Mauritius,
attended the ESU’s centenary celebrations in May 2018, in
London. She met delegates and guests from some 26
countries who joined participants in the International Public
Speaking Competition for a week of events marking the
ESU’s centenary. It was a happy week of celebrations and
competition. The main activities were:
(i) a panel discussion on “The Power of Spoken Word”
from Members of world famous Churchill Archive at
Churchill College in Cambridge;
(ii) a lecture on “Shakespeare in Performance” by
distinguished speakers of The Shakespeare Birthplace
Trust, at the famous Globe Theatre;
(iii) visits to Victoria & Albert Museum, The Royal Collection
at Buckingham Palace and The Palace of Westminster,
led by Lord Boateng, Chairman of the International
Council Meeting of ESU;
(iv) the International Council Meeting;
(v) the Grand Final of the International Public Speaking
Competition, and
(vi) the celebration of the Royal Wedding of Prince Harry
with Ms Megan Markle.
The International Council Meeting was exceptionally held in
May this year to coincide with the International Public
Speaking Competition and the Royal Wedding.
Delegates met Her Royal Highness, Princess Ann, at a
private reception for IPSC participants and ICM attendees
at St James Palace.
The ICM Meeting – held on Tuesday 15th and Wednesday
16th May 2018 - was a great opportunity for delegates to
gather and exchange views on important issues of ESU
work and its sustainable development.
Following an election process, Mr Howard Kroch from
Germany was elected new President of the International
Council. The next ICM meeting would be held next year in
St Petersburg, Russia.
Discovering
Discovering Voices
RIGHT WORD COMPETITION (RWC) – 3rd EDITION
Thirty-two schools took part in the RWC held in March,
at Greenwich University Pakistan Mauritius Campus.
This educational programme helps students train their
brain to think fast while enriching their vocabulary and
spelling.
Mr Prem Burton, CSK, Vice-President of the ESU said
“Having a good vocabulary is an indispensable tool.
When you have a strong vocabulary, you can choose the
appropriate word in your writing. I would advise
students to work on building their vocabulary. One of
the most important methods of improving vocabulary is
to read different material and to increase the amount of
time that you spend on reading” He quoted “Without
grammar very little can be conveyed, without vocabulary
nothing can be conveyed”.
The Finals
opposed
the Royal
College
of
Curepipe
v/s
Mahatma
Gandhi
Institute.
The winning team was the Royal College of Curepipe
represented by Toshiren Sooben, Jean Fabrice
Elliotroppe, Harsh Rohit Makheeha and Darinesh
Halkharee.
ESU thanks our host Greenwich University Pakistan
Mauritius Branch Campus and Mr Dharmalingum
Veeraragoo, the Presenter of the competition, who
wholeheartedly prepared this activity. We also
convey our gratitude to Mr Ashok Kalachand of J.
Kalachand & Co Ltd whose donation allowed us to run
a Scrabble Tournament in December 2017 and also
this year’s Right Word Competition.
GREENWICH UNIVERSITY PAKISTAN MAURITIUS
BRANCH CAMPUS (GUPMBC)
ESU collaborated with GUPMBC in the organization of
a workshop on “Brand Yourself” and a “2-day
Conference on Challenges of Globalization in Afro-
Asian Countries”. ESU Members were invited to
participate.
ESU Vice-President, Prof Serge Rivière was invited by
Greenwich University Pakistan Mauritius Branch Campus
to participate in an international conference on
“Globalization” in Karachi. The conference attracted
speakers and participants from all over Pakistan. He
expounded two papers on “Research & Scholarship”
and “Globalization is not a new concept: The case of
Voltaire”. Besides, whilst in Karachi, Prof Rivière gave
lectures on “Effective Communication in English and the
Art of Public Speaking in English”.
5

HSBC/ESU BUSINESS CASE COMPETITION FOR
UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS
The Winning Team from Middlesex University:
Jeremy Yan Shi Cheung, Chioni Mwaka Mambwe, Aalaiya Sawani
and Mathew Shane Tebbit
The English-Speaking Union partnered with HSBC Mauritius
to organize the HSBC/ESU Business Case Competition open
to full-time university undergraduate students enrolled at
invited local universities. This year, students from the
University of Mauritius, Charles Telfair Institute (now known
as Curtin Mauritius) and Middlesex University were invited to
take part in the competition held from 18th to 20th April
2018. Each University sent two teams.
Prior to the competition, a full day preparatory training
session was held on various topics such as teamwork skills,
general knowledge of Asia Pacific region, presentation skills,
business analysis and strategic thinking, using appropriate
models for decision-making and case analysis. Mr Kevin
Pather and Dr Roshni Mooneeram, both Members of the
Executive Committee of the ESU, were instrumental in the
training sessions.
Each team, comprising four students, was given unpublished
business cases and, within three hours allocated to them, they
had to develop a solution and implementation plan for the
case. They also had to prepare a 20-minute presentation of
their solutions before a panel of judges, followed by a 15-
minute question and answer session. The use of electronic
devices such as laptops, tablets and mobile phones was not
allowed, neither was the use of PowerPoint. Students had to
use transparent overhead projector slides on which to write
and draw by hand their main points, tables, charts and
illustrations.
The role of the judges was to evaluate the participants on
their ability to identify key issues, the quality of their
analysis, evaluation of suitable alternatives, solutions and
recommendations, and implementation and plan of action.
Participants were also judged on how they handle the
questions from the judges and on the form and style of their
presentation.
Middlesex University Students bagged both the winning
prize and the second prize.
Discovering Voices
Voices
Thanks to the sponsorship received from the HSBC, ESU
was able to offer prizes to the Winners and Runners-up.
The winning team and their coach were offered an air
ticket to Hong Kong to represent Mauritius at the
regional HSBC/HKU Asia Pacific Business Case
Competition on 4th to 9th June 2018. A cash prize was
also offered to the Winners and Runners-up.
The adjudicating panel for the final comprised Senior
Officers from HSBC Mauritius, notably Mr Chris Murray,
Chief Executive Officer, Mr Nitin Ramlugun, Head of
Retail Banking, Mrs Jennifer Hau, Chief Operating
Officer, Mr Yan Hookoomsing, Corporate Sustainability
Manager and Mr Kevin Pather, representing ESU.
Senior HSBC officers, e.g. Mr Aseem Mathur, Head of
Strategic Projects and Remediation, and other ESU
members - Mr Dharamjeet Bucktowar and Dr Roshni
Mooneeram – also acted as jury members at the 2-day
competition, prior to the final.
Unfortunately, the Mauritius team did not qualify for
the second round of the competition in Hong Kong, as
they were unlucky to face a very tough competitor, the
American University of Beirut.
ESU conveys its heartfelt congratulations to all
participants.
MINISTRY OF ARTS & CULTURE & SPEAKING
UNIONS IN MAURITIUS CELEBRATED THE
INTERNATIONAL MOTHER LANGUAGE DAY 2018
UNESCO had declared the 21st of February as the
International Mother Language Day. The main
purpose of celebrating this day is to promote the
awareness of language and cultural diversity all across
the world. It was first announced by UNESCO on
November 17, 1999 and since then, it has been
celebrated every year.
The theme chosen by
UNESCO for 2018
was “Linguistic
diversity and
multilingualism count
for sustainable
development”
ESU marked the
occasion in the month of February, at the heats of the
Public Speaking Competition.
Although, we, at the ESU, promote global
understanding through the worldwide use of the English
Language, we encouraged our youngsters to learn
more about the International Mother Language Day
and the pertinence / relevance of such celebration.
UNESCO website unesco.org provides relevant
information on the celebration of the International
Mother Language Day.
6

SPELLING BEE COMPETITION IN MAURITIUS SPONSORED
BY THE US EMBASSY, THE MAURITIUS COMMERCIAL
BANK (MCB), REINSURANCE SOLUTIONS & CURRIMJEE
FOUNDATION
Spelling Bee is one of the main activities of the ESU and the
largest competition in Mauritius. Every year, over 600
students from some 150 schools take part in this educational
programme.
Words of various levels of difficulty are chosen at random
from the Oxford Dictionary. Spellers experience the
satisfaction of learning new English words (i.e. their
pronunciation and definition) while enhancing their spelling
and enriching their vocabulary.
In Mauritius, the competition was held throughout the month
of May. The Finals were held on Tuesday 5th June 2018 at
the auditorium of the Mauritius Commercial Bank St Jean.
At the Finals, words like "sapphire" "feuilleton" "pneumatic"
"hippopotamus" "shriek" "shrewd" “scourge” "amethyst"
"stethoscope" "shrapnel" “labyrinth” and “gnarled” were
rightly spelt. One word which is very rarely well-spelt is
“phlegm”. The most surprising word in this year’s
competition was "caoutchouc", which was well spelt.
Mr Prem Burton, CSK, Vice-President of ESU, Mr Bhavish
Naeck, Head of Finance SBU of the MCB and Ms Tedde
Thompson, Public Affairs Officer of the US Embassy
addressed the audience, emphasizing the importance of
being a good speller and having a rich vocabulary in
English.
In his speech, Mr Prem Burton said: “Being able to spell
correctly is an important component of literacy instruction.
Some students have learned strategies like using common
root words and their likely spelling pattern, whereas others
have memorised hundreds if not thousands of words. It is
equally important to learn the meaning and function of
words, not just their spelling. After all, what is the point of
spelling a difficult word such as “stichomythia” if you don’t
know what it means and when to use it.” - For your
information, it means a dialogue in which two characters
speak alternate lines of a verse.
The Pronouncers were Ms Tedde Thompson and Mr Kevin
Pather, a Member of the Executive Committee of the ESU.
Mr Prem Burton, was on the jury panel together with two
members of Staff of ESU, Mrs Anne-Marie Ahkine and Mr
Sebastien Ravina.
All Finalists received gifts from the MCB and the US Embassy,
and a certificate from ESU. Besides, the four Winners
received cash prizes and corporate gifts from the MCB, and
each a shield from the ESU.
ESU conveys its thanks to our Sponsors and all Members who helped at the preliminaries and Finals.
A special thank you to our Master of Ceremony, Mr Sanjit Teelock.
Discovering Voices
The four winners pictured above are: Mohammad Shayaan
Bassa in Grade 7 at Ebene State Secondary School (Boys),
Andrew Ip Min Wan of Royal College Curepipe – Grade
8 – at his second consecutive win, Kyan Meetoo of College
du St Esprit – Grade 9, and Mae Mcginley Smith of
Westcoast International Secondary School – Grade 10.
SPELLING BEE COMPETITION IN RODRIGUES
SPONSORED BY THE COMMISSION FOR EDUCATION,
US EMBASSY AND MAURITIUS COMMERCIAL BANK
The Spelling Bee Competition in Rodrigues was held on
Wednesday 20th June 2018 at Le Chou College.
We convey our warmest appreciation to Mr Ram
Bhowany, Rector of Le Chou College, and to his staff for
hosting both the Public Speaking and the Spelling Bee
Competitions this year.
Following Mr Bhowany’s welcoming speech, ESU
President, Mrs Marie-France Roussety and Ms Rose de
Lima Edouard, Commissioner for Youth & Others,
addressed the students on the importance of mastering
the English language and having a good spelling and
vocabulary. Prior to the prize-giving ceremony, Ms
Tedde Thompson, Public Affairs Officer, addressed the
students.
All participants
received prizes from
Mr Maurice Elysée of
MCB and from Ms
Tedde Thompson of
the US Embassy.
Besides, winners
received cash prizes
and gifts from the
MCB and each a
shield from ESU.
The winners were Ryan Robertson of Maréchal College
(Grade 7), Joyce Ariana Legentil and Nelly Remy of
Rodrigues College (Grade 8 and 9 respectively) and
Marie Megane Raphael of Grade 10 from Terre Rouge
College.
7

RODRIGUES STORY TELLING
COMPETITION SPONSORED
BY COMMISION FOR
EDUCATION, EMBASSY OF
THE UNITED STATES OF
AMERICA AND MAURITIUS
COMMERCIAL BANK
Sixteen pupils of Grade 5 took
part in the 5th edition of the
Story Telling Competition, held
on Tuesday 19th June 2018 at
the Cultural & Leisure Centre,
Mon Plaisir.
The aim of the competition was to encourage the use of
imagination and creativity, enhance listening and reading
skills, and increase verbal proficiency
The audience was marvelled by the pupils’ confidence in
delivering their short stories in English, and was also treated
to an array of talents (dance, songs, poem recital and
playing musical instruments) to the delight of the audience.
ESU received a warm welcome from the staff of the
Commission for Education. ESU President, Mrs Marie-
France Roussety, Ms Rose de Lima Edouard, Commissioner
for Youth & Others, and Ms Tedde Thompson addressed
the audience. The jury panel comprised Mrs Marie-France
Roussety, President of ESU-Mauritius, Ms Tedde Thompson,
Public Affairs Officer of the US Embassy and Ms Anouchka
Poché-Collard, Educator at Grande Montagne College.
We convey our appreciation to them all for their support
and for making this activity most enjoyable.
Salimah Ashmiya Bouton of St Esprit RCA was declared the
winner. The way she narrated her story on “Goldlilocks
and the Three Bears” was a delight. Rebecca Laureline
Perrine and Craig Juann Genave of Mt Goyaves
Community School and Grand La Fouche Corail
Government School respectively, were the Runners-up.
Rebecca’s story was about “The Lion and the Mouse”.
Craig told us the story of the “gingerbread man”.
A special note of appreciation to our Master of Ceremony,
Mr Sanjit Teelock and to Mrs V. Emilien of the Commission
for Education for organizing the logistics around this
activity.
Discovering Voices
MASTERCLASSES IN DRAMA FOR TRAINEE
TEACHERS OF THE MAURITIUS INSTITUTE OF
EDUCATION - SPONSORED BY HSBC MAURITIUS
Prof Serge Rivière, Vice-President of ESU, and Mr
Rajendra Korlapu-Bungaree, Senior Lecturer, English
Department of the Mauritius Institute of Education,
organized two master classes in Drama on 30th April
and 3rd May 2018 for some 50 Trainee-Teachers. The
workshop, conducted by Mrs Rani Drew, a well-known
writer of stories, poems, novels and plays in U.K, was
highly appreciated by the participants.
INTERNATIONAL TEACHER AWARD BY ESU
HEADQUARTERS
ESU has a network of over 50 branches worldwide.
ESU Headquarters in London is organising a special
" International Teacher Award" for English teachers
across the world.
This is a new initiative which will recognise educational
excellence and outreach in the field of oracy across the
diverse ESU global network, and seek to help recipients
further the impact and awareness of their work in the
field.
Members wishing to apply for this award are kindly
invited to contact the office of the ESU for an
application form and relevant information. Winners
would receive up to £2000 for the development of
oracy skills in their own communities.
Applications should be received not later than 21st
September 2018.
ESU would like to increase its Membership. Please
encourage your friends and social contacts to join the
ESU Family. Membership form is available on our
website www.esumauritius.org
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COLLABORATION WITH EMBASSY OF THE UNITED
STATES OF AMERICA (Activities for Educators and
Students to further promote the English Language)
ESU collaborated with the US Embassy for a number of
activities which benefited our Members (Educators &
Students)
E-TEACHER SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMME – Four teachers
recently completed their online professional development
programme, Ms Khousboo Bassoo of Jean Marie Franck
Richard SSS, Mrs Mitravada Jogessur-Rughoonauth, formerly
at Simadreee Virasawmy SSS, Ms Priyadarshini Ramlugun of
Forest Side SSS and Ms Vidiksha Nankoo of Cosmopolitan
College.
Two more teachers are currently completing their courses:
Mrs Ansooya Mungra-Padavathan of France Boyer de la
Giroday SSS and Mrs Nandhini Gopaul-Nuckchady of
Sookdeo Bissondoyal SSS. Additionally, ESU nominated 6
teachers for the courses which would start in Fall 2018.
ESU invites teachers who wish to benefit from on-line
training to contact the ESU for future nominations.
CONVERSATIONAL CLASSES FOR GRADE 10 STUDENTS –
MARCH TO AUGUST 2018
ESU School Members were invited to register their students
for after-school conversational classes in English. The aim is
to help participants gain confidence in expressing themselves
in English and better prepare them for their oral
examinations.
COMMUNITY SERVICE CONTEST - To mark Black History
Month in the United States, the US Embassy, in collaboration
with the Nelson Mandela Centre for African Culture and the
ESU, launched a national contest for Lower VI students based
on Dr Martin Luther King’s inspirational words “Life’s most
persistent and urgent question is “What are we doing for
others?”.
Participating schools were invited to select one team of ten
students to initiate and be involved in a community service
project. ESU helped in disseminating the letter of
participation to School Members and Mr Kevin Pather, a
Member of our Executive Committee, was invited to assist in
the evaluation of videos and serve on the judging panel.
We convey our gratitude to Mr Pather for his contribution.
The prize-giving ceremony was held on Monday April 30th,
2018. The winning prize was awarded to Queen Elisabeth
College for their service and setting up of an aromatic
garden at the Association des Parents pour la Réhabilitation
d’Infirmes Moteurs (APRIM). The second prize went to
Renganaden Seeneevassen SSS for a book donation to SOS
Poverty and SOS Village. Forest Side SSS (Girls) received
the 3rd prize for a green corner they set up at the Shelter for
Women and Children in Distress at Forest Side.
Discovering Voices
2018 PAN AFRICA YOUTH LEADERSHIP
PROGRAMME (PAYLP) OFFERED BY US EMBASSY
This U.S. Department of State-funded programme,
through the US Embassy, offers secondary school youth
(aged 15-18) the opportunity to explore priority policy
themes such as conflict resolution, economic development,
entrepreneurship, civic education, youth leadership,
women’s rights, and respect for diversity. Through a
three-week intensive exchange in the United States,
participants engaged in workshops on leadership and
service, community site visits related to the programme
themes and sub-themes, interactive training in conflict
resolution, presentations, visits to high schools, local
cultural activities, and home stays with local American
families. A key component of the programme required
participants to develop follow-on community-based
projects in their home communities to effect positive
change after their return home.
Mr Deepak Maunthrooa, Assistant Secretary of the ESU,
was appointed by the ESU to assist the US Embassy in
the selection of candidates for the 2018 Pan African
Youth Leadership Programme.
Applications were received from 35 students. Selected
candidates were invited to attend an interview at the US
Embassy in January 2018. Three students of Grade 13
- Miss Muneera Cadersa of Sodnac SSS, Mr Sarvesh
Jeetoo of Rabindranath Tagore Institute and Miss Tejal
Gokulsing of Loreto College Quatre Bornes - were
chosen to represent Mauritius in the PAYLP which took
place from 7th to 28th April 2018.
The US Embassy appointed Mr Maunthrooa as Mentor to
accompany the three students to the United States.
Hereunder are extracts of Mr Maunthrooa’s report:
“We left for Georgia, Atlanta on Friday 6th April 2018
where we gathered with delegations from nine other
African countries. After one week in Atlanta with various
visits geared towards the Afro American struggles and the
life of Martin Luther King Jr, we headed to Muncie,
Indianapolis where we were assigned host families for two
weeks. Those two weeks were spent at the Ball State
University with lectures, visits and talks on the community,
leadership, civic education, entrepreneurial skills,
networking, and so on. Each delegation had to work on a
project that would be implemented in their respective
countries. Ours was “Synter Nou Pa Ler (Say No to
Synthetic Drugs)” which we presented in Washington D.C,
our last stop before reaching Mauritius on 30th April 2018.
On behalf of the three students and in my own name, I
wish to thank the ESU and the US Embassy for having
given us the opportunity to be part of such a fantastic
journey across the shores of Mauritius”.
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COLLABORATION WITH US EMBASSY (Cont…)
WORKSHOP ON “LET’S SHAKE IT UP : Fresh ideas to
engage your students in the English classroom” – April 2018
Ms Mathilde Verillaud conducting the workshop
Forty-five Educators, Members of the ESU, attended a
workshop conducted by Ms Mathilde Verillaud, English
Language Fellow of the US Embassy, on the topic “Fresh
ideas to engage your students in the English classroom”. This
workshop was also conducted in Rodrigues in April 2018.
ESU has received excellent feedbacks from participants:
Ms Zeenat Fugurally of Royal College Curepipe:
Participants were invited to step in the shoes of their
learners and realise how uncertain learners can be when
confronted with literary text, especially those which are
written in old English.
To better engage students in the discovery and study of
their texts, a few techniques were introduced. After a
brief outlook on those techniques, the participants were
asked to use them then and there. Thus we had to quickly
portray particular scenes from the text 'Romeo and Juliet'
after the clear instructions given by the English Language
Fellow.
What the activities taught me were:
- Acting out scenes from a text are not as difficult or time
consuming as one would think.
- The more visual and vocal students get about the text,
the better their assimilation power and interest.
- The multiple benefits of getting students to engage fully
with the text (communicative way of learning the 4 skills,
synthesis skills, creativity, vocabulary enhancement etc).
I have already discussed with my colleague who attended
the workshop and we are planning to implement a couple
of those techniques in our Grades 8 and 9 classes next
term. Eagerly awaiting next workshops…
Mrs Sutrajnee Joypaul-Joysury of Rajcoomar Gujadhur
SSS – The workshop was very lively and interactive. We
had great fun in trying new stuff like car movements. It
was a nice experience.
Discovering Voices
Ms Danielle Zelin recently joined the ESU:
I felt extremely lucky to have attended this amazing
workshop. Mathilde has brought up life into the English
Teaching. The strategies, ideas and activities experienced
and shared were of utmost value, fun and 'simple' to
integrate in the teaching. She has shown and inspired us
on how to bring our students to a more real life approach
towards English language; more precisely English
Literature, i.e. bringing the students to better understand
the twist and turn of English Literature.
Using the body to have a better understanding of the
language brought a more interactive and interesting view
of the language. Each activity/idea proposed was aimed
to develop skills such as critical thinking, emotional
intelligence, organisational skills, collaborative skills,
pronunciation skills (merging both teachers and students)
and above all trusting English in a more relaxing and fun
way (be it for the teachers or the students).
Having the educators doing and participating in those
activities, definitely helped us to have a better feel of the
approach we would dream of and now knowing that is
simply possible. I can say that if we all can use those
strategies in our daily classroom, English will definitely be
a more friendly/approachable language than a foreign
language for our Mauritian learners.
I would like to thank Mathilde for sharing her passion and
expertise in English. And also a huge THANK YOU to ESU
Mauritius and the US Embassy for making this
workshop happen.
CONFERENCE ON ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING &
LEARNING – THURSDAY 6TH SEPTEMBER 2018
The Embassy of the United States of America, the
Regional English Language Office Southern Africa, the
English Language Fellow Programme, in collaboration
with the ESU, will be conducting a Conference on English
Language Teaching & Learning on 6th September 2018.
Members had been invited to attend.
A call for proposal for speakers was sent to Members to
enlist their support. The selection process was conducted
by the US Embassy.
CONFERENCE/WORKSHOP ON CREATIVE WRITING
RUN BY THE PRESIDENT’S FUND FOR CREATIVE
WRITING (Under the aegis of the Ministry of Arts &
Culture)
To mark the 50th anniversary of the Independence of
Mauritius, the President’s Fund for Creative Writing,
under the chairmanship of Mrs Anitah Aujayeb, is
organizing a Creative Writing workshop to be held on
21st and 22nd September 2018 in the conference room
of Labourdonnais Hotel, Caudan.
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A warm welcome was extended to H.E. Mr Barlen Ms Anjali Vyapoory, US Ambassador David Reimer,
Vyapoory, GOSK, upon his arrival H.E. Mr Barlen Vyapoory, Mrs Marie-France
Roussety & Mrs Niamh Drysdale-Allen, Country
Director of the British Council
ESU ANNUAL DINNER
ESU celebrated its 25th anniversary at its annual dinner held
on Friday 10th August 2018 at Le Sapin D’Or Restaurant in
Curepipe.
We were delighted to welcome our Chief Guest, H.E. Mr
Barlen Vyapoory, GOSK, Acting President of the Republic of
Mauritius, His Excellency David Remier, Ambassador of the
United States of America, Mrs Claudia Garland, Acting
British High Commissioner, Ms Tedde Thompson, Public
Affairs Officer of the US Embassy, Mrs Niamh Drysdale
Allen, Country Director of the British Council and her husband
Mr Harry Drysdale Allen, Sir Victor Glover, Patron of ESU,
and Lady Ginette Glover and all other attendees.
Mr Rajen Gangoosingh, Vice-President of the ESU, was the
Master of Ceremony on that occasion. After the protocol
address of VIP guests, he also welcomed the younger
attendees whom he referred to as the “youth of today and
the leaders of tomorrow” : Miss Ashwarya Devason, this
year’s National Winner of the Public Speaking Competition,
Miss Sanjana Chooneea, last year’s Winner of the Public
Speaking Competition and Miss Kayseka Geerjanan, one of
the Finalists of this year’s Public Speaking Competition. Miss
Geerjanan also represented ESU-Mauritius and the African
continent at the Magna Carta International Creative Writing
Competition organized by ESU in London, in 2015.
In her welcome speech, Mrs Marie-France Roussety, President
of ESU thanked all sponsors, well-wishers and partners of
ESU, including H.E. Mr Barlen Vyapoory, Hon. P. Roopun,
Minister of Arts & Culture, the US Embassy, the British High
Commission and the British Council. She also expressed her
appreciation to Members who lent their support in the
running of our activities.
Hereunder are extracts of Mrs Marie-France Roussety’s
speech:
“All the work we have accomplished so far would not have
been possible without the efforts and dedication of our
Members, especially Members of our Executive Committee –
not only those currently serving, but also past Members who
built the Foundation of the ESU in Mauritius”.
Discovering Voices
US Ambassador David Reimer, Mrs Claudia Garland,
Acting British High Commissioner and Mrs Marie-
France Roussety
“As we celebrate our 25th anniversary, I believe it is fitting
to also pay tribute to the leadership of past presidents –
Sir Victor Glover, Mr Sanjit Teelock, Ms Sharmilla Bhima,
Late Mr Mohamad Vayid and Mr Prem Burton. Like them,
I also – as President of ESU – work towards our motto, i.e.
creating global understanding through the worldwide use
of the English Language, for both Mauritius and
Rodrigues. I take this opportunity to once again
acknowledge the work of the Acting President of the
Republic, who - in his capacity as Former Secretary of the
English-Speaking Union – had initiated many activities.”
In his address, H.E. Mr Barlen Vyapoory congratulated
the ESU for the work carried out and reiterated the
importance of English as a global language.
Following the speeches, the cake cutting ceremony took place, with
H.E. Mr Barlen Vyapoory, GOSK, ESU Patron Sir Victor Glover,
Mrs Marie France Roussety & Prof Serge Rivière
As is now the tradition, this year’s National Winner of
the Public Speaking Competition, Miss Ashwarya
Devason, delivered her winning speech on “the best way
to predict the future is to invent it”. She also told the
audience about her experience in London which she
qualified as the most “enriching trip of my life”
We convey our warmest appreciation to
all Members who helped us in various
ways to make our Union better known
and our activities more successful.
Our gratitude to all our Sponsors and
well-wishers!
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