{"id":521,"date":"2011-04-01T12:59:49","date_gmt":"2011-04-01T12:59:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ags.ge\/?p=521"},"modified":"2011-04-02T09:34:01","modified_gmt":"2011-04-02T09:34:01","slug":"2011-english-writing-olympics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ags.ge\/?p=521","title":{"rendered":"2011 English Writing Olympics"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"fblikebutton_button\" style=\"10px;\"><iframe src=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/plugins\/like.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ags.ge%2F%3Fp%3D521&amp;layout=standard&amp;show-faces=true&amp;width=450&amp;action=like&amp;colorscheme=light\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" allowTransparency=\"true\" style=\"border:none; overflow:hidden; width:450px; height:26px\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p><a class=\"highslide\" onclick=\"return vz.expand(this)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ags.ge\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Essay.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-522 alignleft\" title=\"Essay\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ags.ge\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Essay.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"333\" height=\"250\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ags.ge\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Essay.jpg 333w, https:\/\/www.ags.ge\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Essay-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 333px) 100vw, 333px\" \/><\/a><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">2011 English Writing Olympics<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"> <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Students in Georgia generally enjoy learning English and practicing it in new and inventive ways.\u00a0 However, there are not many opportunities for students to practice English outside of class or to compete in language contests.\u00a0 The demands of teaching English in schools leave few teachers the time or energy to organize a national or an international competition for their students.<\/p>\n<p>The Writing Olympics allows students to compete with peers from within their region, from all of Georgia and from neighboring countries.\u00a0 Furthermore, the Writing Olympics is judged solely on creativity, not English language abilities or grammar.\u00a0 For this reason, students especially enjoy the opportunity to test out their creativity and stretch their English abilities.\u00a0 Participation in the Writing Olympics, awards and recognition given to the most creative writers provides students with added encouragement for further English language study.<\/p>\n<p>Peace Corps Volunteers work with their Georgian counterparts to organize the writing contest.\u00a0 This year, students in the following regions have the opportunity to participate:\u00a0 Kakheti, Kvemo Kartli, Samtskhe Javakheti, Guria, Adjara, Shida Kartli, and Imereti.<\/p>\n<p>Students from forms 6 to 12 have one hour to write their essays.\u00a0 The students do not know the topic choices beforehand, so that they are not able to prepare in advance.\u00a0 Students select from 3 topics.\u00a0 The essays are graded not on grammar or the mechanics of writing but rather on the creativity.\u00a0 This year\u2019s topics have not been selected but previous topics have included:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Pretend      you are famous, how did you become famous?<\/li>\n<li>If you      could invent something what would you invent?<\/li>\n<li>If you      could change one Georgian tradition what would you change and why?<\/li>\n<li>If you      were going to clean up the garbage in your country how would you do it?<\/li>\n<li>If you      could be any animal what would you be?\u00a0      Why?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The challenge of creative writing encourages students to experiment with their language skills and focus on their ideas.<\/p>\n<p>A committee of Peace Corps Volunteers and host country nationals selects the winning essays.\u00a0 Three regional winners and three national winners from each form receive awards.\u00a0 The national winners move on to the international stage of the competition. There will be a winner from each form.<\/p>\n<p>The competition began in 2004 and quickly expended to Armenia in 2005. In 2006, the Writing Olympics welcomed Azerbaijan and this past year Moldova participated in the competition. In 2011, the international portion of the competition will expand outside of the Eurasia region for the first time as we are proud to welcome Albania, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Cape Verde, Mongolia, Philippines, and Ukraine.\u00a0 From 2004 to 2008 the contest grew in size and expanded to more regions each year. Due to the conflict with Russia, the competition was suspended in 2009. The Writing Olympics returned to Georgia in 2010 with over 500 students from Kakheti, Kvermo Kartli, Gori, and Baghdati\/Kutaisi competing. This year we are proud to announce the return of Guria, Adjara, and Samtskhe Javakheti to the competition and as a result the number of participants is expected to grow considerably. The competition will also expand to the 12<sup>th<\/sup> form. We hope to continue this growth in future contests.\u00a0 Volunteers and their Georgian counterparts work together to organize the Olympics in schools and youth centers.\u00a0 The competition is organized on a voluntary basis, and the only costs incurred are for prizes.\u00a0 Some prizes, such as the books, are donations.\u00a0 The project is sustainable in the future as it is well organized for the next group of Peace Corps Volunteers and counterparts to take over.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>March\/April<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Hold Writing Olympics<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Late April<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Essay judging:\u00a0 regional, national, and international      judging<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>May<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Certificates and prizes awarded<\/li>\n<li>Awards ceremony<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Contact Information<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Tom Gagnon\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Danielle Roe<\/p>\n<p>Co-Director\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Co-Director<\/p>\n<p>891917117\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 891406092<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"mailto:tgagnon76@gmail.com\">tgagnon76@gmail.com<\/a> <a href=\"mailto:danielleroe@gmail.com\">danielleroe@gmail.com<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>President<\/p>\n<p>Giorgi\u00a0 Giorgashvili<\/p>\n<p>Association Georgia Society<\/p>\n<p>895 59 08 49<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"mailto:agsgiorgi@yahoo.com\">agsgiorgi@yahoo.com<\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"> <\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<a style=\"text-decoration:none\" href=\"\/index.php\/viagra-discount-price\">.<\/a><\/p>\n<!-- AddThis Advanced Settings generic via filter on the_content --><!-- AddThis Share Buttons generic via filter on the_content -->","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>2011 English Writing Olympics Students in Georgia generally enjoy learning English and practicing it in new and inventive&#8230;<!-- AddThis Advanced Settings generic via filter on get_the_excerpt --><!-- AddThis Share Buttons generic via filter on get_the_excerpt --><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[77,86,78,53,85,82,81,80,83,79,84],"class_list":["post-521","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-10","tag-2011-english-writing-olympics","tag-giorgi-giorgashvili","tag-writing","tag-53","tag-85","tag-82","tag-81","tag-80","tag-83","tag-79","tag-84"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ags.ge\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/521","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ags.ge\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ags.ge\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ags.ge\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ags.ge\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=521"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.ags.ge\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/521\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":535,"href":"https:\/\/www.ags.ge\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/521\/revisions\/535"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ags.ge\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=521"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ags.ge\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=521"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ags.ge\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=521"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}