Initiative to promote English among Omani primary students
The Directorate-General of Education in Al Dakhiliyah Governorate has launched an initiative to promote the academic use of the English language among Omani primary school students.
The Regional English Supervisor for the Department of Education in Al Dakhiliyah Governorate, Dr Raya al Toobi, heads a team which has recently received more than one hundred poems and short stories for the inaugural Al Dakhiliyah Future Writers Competition. The budding authors and poets are competing in two groups of grades 7– 9 and 10–12 , and focus on themes of the environment, volunteering, the Omani culture, or education and learning.
A preliminary judging round took place last week in Nizwa, where a panel reviewed and marked the entries in both sections. A required component of the entries was creativity, and the panel commented upon the “ability of the students to place themselves in situations, ‘not of their experience,” and write very confidently.
Seeking also rich and vivid characters, the panel identified areas of improvement, while the structure, style and grammar generally scored very highly. The panel were looking for a ‘wow factor,’ in the short stories, and this was certainly evident among the leading entries after the initial marks were collated.
In the poetry section, greater emphasis was placed on the language, structure, style and poetic techniques, while seeking an ‘intangible magic’ factor. As the competition entry form stated, “since good poems are always greater than the sum of their parts, we (will) examine the overall reading experience: was it enjoyable, transformative, and memorable?” And, “Does the reader feel compelled to share the poem with others?” Certainly again, among the foremost entries, this was evident.
Dr Al Toobi commented, “The judging and comments were useful and precise, and will help the schools improve production in the future.” Winners will be awarded prizes in April. High scoring entries may also receive commendations from the organisers.