Pietermaritzburg - South Africa will be represented by the cream of the crop in the 2022 edition of the Intercontinental Spelling Bee taking place in Dubai next month.
Pupils who ranked in the top five of the Master Spelling Bee national competition held last year have been invited to travel to the United Arab Emirates to compete with the rest of the world.
The Intercontinental Spelling Bee is an integrated language enrichment programme which aims to help participants better their language skills through a holistic approach.
The programme seeks to improve their cognitive skills, their ability to speak publicly, producing smart, competitive and confident children.
Siphokazi Dlamini, 13, a Grade 7 pupil at Scottsville Primary in Pietermaritzburg is one of the qualifying few hoping to bring the trophy home.
She won the provincial competition in October and came second in the national competition held in Pretoria.
The self-funded trip required Siphokazi’’s family to raise at least R80 000 to cover registration fees, flights and accommodation, and through the assistance of local businesses and individuals that goal has been realised.
The aspiring author and head girl said although she’ll be competing, she was looking forward to making friends from around the globe and to exploring Dubai.
“This is a dream come true, a once in a lifetime opportunity. I never thought that the competition would take me to another country. I am really excited and nervous at the same time, but nothing will stop me from doing my best because I’ve worked so hard.
“I am hoping to gain from the available coaching which will make it easier and more comfortable when spelling the words,” she said.
Siphokazi shared that she had recently started writing her book which was based on teenage experiences. As she has recently become a teenager, she wanted to share about the changes at school and the world around her.
“Winning the competition is my main goal, but I don’t want to put any pressure on myself, I want to have fun because it’s not only about winning. I want to hold on to the experience and the moments. If I don’t win, the experience will still count,” she said.
Siphokazi’s mother, Nkosinomusa Dube, who will be accompanying her, said her daughter was an avid reader and had good language skills. This encouraged her to research local spelling competitions and she found the Master Spelling Bee.
“When she won the provincial competition I was excited. She was nervous because she had never done it before, but watching her perform I knew that she was born for this,” said Dube.
“When she is on stage she doesn’t show any nervousness. When I registered her it was just for her to get experience, I didn't expect her to excel as she has,” she said.
Nkateko Mathebula, managing director at Master Spelling Bee (MSB), explained that spelling competitions were a great way to encourage good linguistic habits and to build comprehension while having fun.
“By improving spelling habits and exposing learners to a wider diction, we indirectly affect every area of their lives.
“On the soft skills side, spelling bee’s provide learners the opportunity to learn how to be a good winner or loser, they learn to deal with the dynamics of competition as well as receive celebration when they do well,” Mathebula said.
SUNDAY TRIBUNE