ACTIVITY : SPELLING BEE

A spelling bee is a competition where contestants, usually children, are asked to spell English words. The concept is thought to have originated in the United States. Today, National Spelling Bee competitions for English are held in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Indonesia and India among others. Similar institutions are also found in numerous other countries such as France's "La dictée" and Poland's "Dyktando". They are rare to nonexistent in countries whose national language follows more phonemic spelling rules, as compared to the largely historical spelling of the English and French languages. In Malaysia, Spelling bee competition become popular especially in every school. This kind of activity usually being held once a year in the school especially during tha English Week.

Basically, the aim and the objective of this program is to improve students’ vocabulary as well as their ability to spell and pronouns the English words. Despite from that. This activity also need students to read a lot of English reading sources in order to increase their knowledge and improve their vocabulary content. Spelling Bee can be held in all stages of age group. In school, it can be done by divide it into two categories. Overall, this activity is targeted to all the students but it can be divided into two categories which are the low level and the higher level. The duration of this activity can be held depends on the competition and the amount of participants. Generally, each participant are given two to three minutes to spell each words.

Spelling Bee program which has been held is taken place around a week to search the winner of the competition. It being helad one hour everyday starting from the recess time. It were divided into several groups and the winner of each group will compete again in the final day of the Spelling Bee competition which being held on the las day of the English Week. Each group will be compete by 15 students each. And each students were given a word and need to spell it correctly in two to three minutes of time. Students which cannot spell the word correctly and cannot spell the words in time given, will be disqualified. The rest if the students will compete to each other until the last winner. The winner then need to compete again in the final. The implementation of program is stated as below.

Round 1

Each students will be given a word to spell. Students which can spell the word correctly will stay on the stage for the second round and student which cannot spell the word correctly will be disqualied and are asked to leave the stage.

Round 2

The remaining students which passed the round 1 will continue their journey in roud two with the same method and rules of the competition. The words given to spell are getting to the higher level compare to the first round.

Round 3

The competition will be continue until only two students left.here, the winner will be cast out by select the students which can spell the word correctly. Once the winner is selected, the competition ended and the winner will be compete in the final level.

Final

On the final day, it will be participated by the winners of each group.at this stage, students are being tested with the higher level of difficulty.at the end, the last person who can stand up throughout the competition and can all the words correctly, will become the winner of the competition.

Overall, the program run smoothly without any problem. The judges are from the selected English teacher and the judges also react as the person who conducted the competition on the day.

Every programme that being held will have the positive and negative result. As the strength of this program are, it helps students to gain a lot of new words and give them a challenge to spell each word correctly. At the end of the competition, it shows that student has improve better in the content of their vocabulary . despite from that, this kind of programme also give a good and fair oppurtinity to all the students to learn and take part in the competition. As their taking part in this activity, they start to read a lot of English book and other reading materials in order to improve themselves and make themselves prepared. Not only the participants, but the rest of the students will get the benefit too. As the audience, they listened to the words given to each participants and some will try to spell it right. Not only that, each word which is being spell incorrectly will then be spelt by the judges, so the students can know the correct words. On the other hand, not only the knowledge being improve but this programme also had make the students become more confident, brave and motivated.

In the negatives perspectives, this programme is being held not only for one day.it is actually not fair for each contestant because the late contestant will have more time to prepared, compared to the earlier contestant. This programme also being held only on recess time and cannot be involeved by all the students overally. Some will have their meal in the canteen and maybe not half of the students stay in the hall to join the competition.

As the suggestion and recommendation, this activity can actually being upgraded where the competition can be held only in one day where all students can be involved. It also can be improved by changing the way of implementation it. Despite from asking students to spell the words, it can be done by the judges star with a word to one contestant. Next contextant then need to give out and spell a word which start with the last alphabet of the previous contestant ant it will continuously until the last contestant. Contestant which cannot give out and spell the words will be disqualified. This become more challenging and really test the knowledge of the students.apart from that, this kind of activity also can be improve by doing itthrougout the year, so it can give out a lot of Spellling Bee winner and if this happen, students will continuously reading and improve their knowledge and skills in order to maintain their achievement.