Students fluent in a specific language hailing from Neuss and Kaarst
German-French Reading Competition Held Successfully in Neuss, Germany
In the historic city of Neuss, Germany, the annual German-French Reading Competition took place, bringing together participants, teachers, jury, organizers, and sponsors to celebrate cross-cultural exchange and language skills.
The event, under the patronage of the Mayor of Neuss, Reiner Breuer, featured four performance levels: 2nd year of learning, 3rd year of learning, 4th year of learning, and upper secondary school. A total of 17 candidates from the 2nd year of learning participated in the competition.
The upper secondary school student read a short, unknown text, which was greeted with enthusiastic applause. Mayor Breuer personally honoured all participants, teachers, jury, and organizers, and even read a section of the upper secondary text in French, to the delight of the audience.
Liliane Loegel and Geneviève Quinaud addressed a short speech to all participants in French, highlighting the courage of the candidates for competing with numerous rivals, even beyond the city limits of Neuss. The 60-year-old German-French friendship, sealed in the Elysée Treaty in 1963, was also highlighted by the mayor, who emphasized the importance of language for relations with the French neighbor.
The organizers included Magda Holzberg from the German-French Cultural Circle Neuss, Annette Lohkamp, Lilli Käfer, and Helga Schwarze from the city library. Sponsors included Hitch Cinema, the Book House at the Minster, and the city of Neuss.
The jury, consisting of German-French representatives, had the difficult task of choosing the best performances. All candidates received a certificate and a small gift, made possible by generous donations from Neuss sponsors. Special thanks were given to the dedicated French teachers who prepared and accompanied their students for the competition.
The organizers expressed their hope that many students will participate in the competition again next year, with the Concours de Lecture in German set to take place in the partner city of Châlons-en-Champagne in January 2024.
Despite a lack of specific background information or details about this particular competition in the search results, it is generally known that such reading competitions aim to promote cross-cultural exchange and language skills in both countries, often involving students or young readers competing in reading comprehension or literature-related tasks in German and French. They are likely supported by educational or cultural institutions, such as the Goethe-Institut or French cultural bodies, and hosted in one of the participating countries.
If you are interested, I can help you find official German or French cultural organization sources or news archives that might have covered this event for more detailed information.
The event, while fostering cross-cultural exchange through language skills, didn't seem to focus solely on reading comprehension or literature-related tasks, as other aspects of education and self-development were also highlighted, such as public speaking and bravery in competition.
The support and participation from various education and self-development facilitators, including the German-French Cultural Circle Neuss, city library, dedicated French teachers, and sponsors like Hitch Cinema and The Book House at the Minster, further underscore the importance of such programs in promoting linguistic and cultural understanding between the two countries.
