The U. S. Embassy is organizing the third national English language “Spelling Bee” in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The project began with over 4,000 students at 121 schools competing in classroom-level contests this past February. The number of participating schools increased by an impressive 43% from last year’s total.
The winners of these contests from 61 different cities throughout B&H will face each other in regional finals at the end of the month at American Corners or local institutions. The top two finalists from each of the regional contests will participate in the national final, which will take place in Sarajevo on April 26, 2014. An American “spelling judge” representing the U.S. Embassy will present words for the students to spell at each competition. “Spelling Bees” test students’ skills in spelling words in English. Because the English language does not follow consistent spelling rules – unlike B/C/S – the words can be famously difficult to spell.
These spelling contests are held in schools across the United States to help students learn the language, improve spelling and increase vocabulary, but also because they are fun for students and the audience. Regional winners, their parents, and their teachers will travel to Sarajevo for the final competition where participants will compete for prizes, including an Apple iPad.
