ESL - English as a Second Language
What is ESL status?
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If English is not your native language and you have not had extensive exposure to English you might be an ESL speaker.
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The exact rules vary from competition to competition. Generally, it depends on the number of years you were primarily using English at home, school or work.
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If you are not sure about your language status, ask one of our committee members.
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An example of language policy for a competition can be found here.
Why is ESL important?
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The status is meant to improve the position of debaters who have had less exposure to English in their everyday life.
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At some debate tournaments there is an additional ESL break, where only teams with ESL speakers compete in elimination rounds.
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Sometimes, this is a category on the tab and the best ESL speakers are announced.
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Help us improve out ESL program by answering question is a short survey here.