Niagara-area high school French students will be testing their skills Wednesday, May 10 in the 39th annual Brock-Niagara French Contest.

Launched in in 1978 and hosted by the Department of Modern Languages, Literatures and Cultures, the Brock-Niagara French Contest (le Concours de français Brock-Niagara) provides an opportunity for students in Grades 11 and 12 to demonstrate their language skills.

Students rotate through five challenging language activities in one of three categories to test their proficiency against their peers.

The contest also gives students an introduction to Brock. French language student monitors from the Department of Modern Languages, Literatures and Cultures will accompany participants throughout the morning and will offer guided tours of the University campus.

In the afternoon, participants take in a performance by French-language musician Amadou Kienou. The musician from Burkina Faso is known for his mastery of the djembe and has performed around the world.

The high school students will be recognized during a special awards ceremony in Pond Inlet, where winners will receive cash prizes funded by Brock University, local school boards and area businesses and community organizations that represent Niagara’s Francophone community.