The College recently took part in the National German Debating Competition, organised by the Goethe Institut London.  The Goethe Institut London promotes knowledge of the German language, and provides cultural and educational programmes to encourage intercultural dialogue and involvement. 

The competition involves teams of students around the United Kingdom discussing current affairs in German.  After all the teams have debated, a panel of expert judges decides which teams will go through to the next round, to eventually reach the final.  The winners of the final will become the National German Debating Champions.  The competition gives students the opportunity to develop many key skills including their foreign language skills, personal and professional skills, and performance skills.  It also allows them to meet other talented German-speaking students from across the country.

Congratulations to first year students, Emily Pollock, Eva Mair, Lois Wilkinson and Jasper Hewitt, for reaching the national final.  This is a fantastic achievement and the students worked very hard to get to this stage of the competition.  You can read more about their journey below:

In the first round, Farnborough were up against Sir William Borlase's Grammar School, and the topic up for discussion was whether school canteens should only serve vegan and vegetarian food.  The College’s team were persuasive in their argument and secured their place in the second round. 

Farnborough then faced Woodford County High School for Girls in the second round, where they had to argue against the view that social media is endangering the health of young people.  The College’s team were praised for being critical with the issues discussed, and confident in their performance.  The students were able to articulate their answers fluently and precisely, and were awarded a place in the semi-finals! 

In the semi-finals, the College’s team were up against the City of London School for Girls.  They had to argue that young people’s mental health is being neglected during the COVID-19 pandemic.  After another excellent debate, Farnborough managed to gain a place in the national final.

The final took place at the Goethe Institut London at the end of March.  The topic of discussion was that the future of medical care is digital.  Despite the team’s fantastic performance, the opposing team snatched the victory to become the champions.  The students were congratulated on reaching the final, and team captain Emily Pollock was given special recognition for her efforts.

Stamatia Kalogeroupolou, Curriculum Manager for German, said, “We are so proud of our debating team for reaching the final of this year’s German Debating Competition!”

Well done to the team for their impressive performance throughout the competition!