Hoërskool Marais Viljoen learner excels in public speaking competition

Public speaking can be a nerve-wracking exercise: the speaker is expected to stand usually in front of an eagerly listening crowd, maintain eye contact and speak confidently. It is certainly not an easy task.

Peter Chihobo participated in the ATKV Redenaars Afrikaans and made it to the Gauteng East semi-final and then the ATKV national finals.

Fifteen-year-old Chihobo is on a path to oracy (the ability to express yourself well in speech). A native Shona speaker, he learns in English at Hoërskool Marais Viljoen and takes Afrikaans as his first additional language (FAL) subject – a third language when combined with the other two languages.

Chihobo participated in his school’s internal public speaking competition in the English speech section, delivering his speech so well that his teacher, Ms Dorette Prinsloo, challenged him to compete in the ATKV-Redenaarskompetisie (Afrikaanse Taal en Kultuurvereniging/Redenaarskompetisie). This is an oracy competition.
Chihobo agreed. He was to compete against the best.

Having accepted Ms Prinsloo’s (also a teacher responsible for the school’s public speaking activity) challenge, and with the help of Gwen Bezuidenhout, one of the judges at Marais Viljoen High’s internal public speaking competitions Chihobo participated in, he signed up for the ATKV competition. The Alberton-based teenager rolled up his sleeves and got to work.

“Peter has a natural public speaking talent, and we noticed that when he took part in the school’s internal English competition. I offered to write him a speech in Afrikaans and agreed to coach him,” said Bezuidenhout. “Afrikaans is Peter’s third additional language. It was a great challenge and hard work for him to take part in this competition (ATKV) in his third language,” added Bezuidenhout.

Chihobo participated in the ATKV Redenaars Afrikaans (additional language competition) and made it to the Gauteng East semi-final and then to the ATKV national finals with his Afrikaans speech, Gee ag op die helde langs die kantlyn.

Bezuidenhout said she hopes Chihobo will continue participating in other public speaking competitions in English and Afrikaans, which will propel him to reach his full potential in public speaking.

Chihobo is surprisingly shy for a public speaker. The Alberton Record visited him at Marais Viljoen for a photo opportunity in the principal’s office. He greeted awkwardly and only gave one-word answers.

“You’ve never been in my office, Peter, have you?” asked Dr Johlet Krause, the principal of Hoërskool Marias Viljoen.

Peter simply said, “No.”

“It means you are not a naughty boy,” said Krause jokingly. Krause expressed how proud and overjoyed she and the entire staff at the school are of Chihobo.