Nearly 80 young people from different countries were once again able to meet in the same place to take up the challenges of the 31st International Grand Final of La Dictée PGL, which took place on Sunday at the University of Quebec in Montreal.
The big winner in the “French-speaking classes” category is a Quebecer, Augustine Delisle. The sixth-grade student from École Buissonnière, in the Outremont borough of Montreal, finished the exercise with just one fault.
“I’m really happy and very proud of my result”, commented in an interview Augustine, 11, who was on her second experience at the Dictée PGL, but who had not managed to qualify for the international final. last year.
The Montrealer believes that her good performance this year is based on a better knowledge of words and because she practiced on the site of the Paul Gérin-Lajoie Foundation.
In the standings, she is followed by Lily Danjou from Anne-Hébert school in Quebec City with two faults, and Sophie Wilson from Pierre-Elliot-Trudeau school in Toronto with three faults.
In the “French as a second language class” category, the Senegalese Ramatoulaye Faye won first place. Mouhamed Lamine Diane from Côte d’Ivoire and Julie Tournoux from Westmount respectively took the second and third step of the podium.
The so-called tiebreaker sentences – more difficult – were necessary to determine the two recipients of third place, since students had the same number of faults.
Under the theme “Together for equal opportunities”, the dictation was read by the Quebec Minister of Education, Jean-François Roberge. The meeting this year aimed to highlight the importance of international cooperation for access to quality education for all.
After two years in virtual, the finalists of the 5th and 6th year from Canada, the United States, Senegal, Ivory Coast and Morocco, were able to live the experience in the same place.
“It was a very, very big success. I think people were happy to be face-to-face, ”said the director general of the PGL Foundation, Olivier Bertin-Mahieux, to The Canadian Press.
Logistically, each child in the room could be accompanied by only one parent. Other family members were invited to go to a room next door where they could watch the competition on a screen.
Former star player of the CF Montreal soccer team, Didier Drogba, was supposed to be present to encourage the young finalists, but had to cancel his visit for family reasons.
This article was produced with the financial support of the Meta Fellowships and The Canadian Press for News.