HIPPO English Language Olympiad
“With languages, you are at home anywhere”
Edmund de Waal
About Hippo English Without Borders Olympiad
Hello! We are Hippo Team Romania. We truly believe that we are here on this planet to manifest happiness and to explore the world through which we all can grow. We understood that speaking foreign languages gives us freedom to travel, to communicate, to read, to make friends, to work anywhere in the world, to explore and so many other opportunities.
The point of Hippo Olympiad is to show students aged between 6 -19 that the ability of knowing or learning a foreign language in our case English can give them wings and can bring them many wonderful opportunities. Not to mention that they can always combine learning with fun.
Knowing English language allows you to broaden your world starting with the ability to communicate with people from each country to job opportunities, or it can even make your trips more interesting – as you will be able to understand much more about what’s around you.
Simply put, we must recognize that English is an international language, we would say that it is the main language of this planet. Then why not know it? Or know it better? Education and self-development are very important in order to widen your knowledge. It doesn’t just make our lives more fascinating and meaningful; it improves the quality of it as well.
Therefore, we brought the English Without Borders Olympiad to Romania too. This is an international Olympiad which promotes English language, challenges students around the globe to compete in English language knowledge and improves the cooperation between teachers. The Olympiad encourages the development of a shared sense of identity and integration, serves as a role model for young people living together as one community. The main goal is to create and nourish friendly relations, international understanding, and a spirit of sporting competitiveness between young people interested in English language from all around the world. All these while increasing their confidence, improving their concentration and memory, boosting their problem-solving skills and creativity.
Just think about our slogan – English without borders – what truth does this sentence tell You?
Let your students know that with English language they are at home anywhere
Challenge your students to compete with other students from all around the world
Encourage your students to speak English as this is a proof of bravery and encourage them to create and nourish friendly relations abroad
Prove your students that speaking English opens doors for them
Have access to modern and real exam tests regulated by Gate House Awards, which can be downloaded and used in class for preparation
All teachers will receive Certificate of Appreciation – after each Olympiad round
Give your child the opportunity to test his/her English language on an international level
Research show that learning a second language boost problem-solving, critical thinking and listening skills, in addition to improving memory and concentration
Children proficient in other languages also show signs of enhanced creativity and mental flexibility
Children who compete will learn how to manage their time, how to manage their to do list and learn how to take optimal decisions
Increase your confidence by testing your English skills on an international scale
Boost your brain power and sharpen your mind by improving your English skills
Give yourself the opportunity to a fun and easy way to practice English Language
English is your language of travel
You will have the opportunity to get familiar with the tests regulated by Gate House Awards
Will receive certificate of participation after each round you participate in
Therefore, we created the English Without Borders Olympiad. This is an international Olympiad which promotes English language, challenges students around the globe to compete in English language knowledge and improves the cooperation between teachers. The Olympiad encourages the development of a shared sense of identity and integration, serves as a role model for young people living together as one community. The main goal is to create and nourish friendly relations, international understanding, and a spirit of sporting competitiveness between young people interested in English language from all around the world. All these while increasing their confidence, improving their concentration and memory, boosting their problem-solving skills and creativity.
If you desire to be our partner in bringing this unique experience to our Romanian students directly in your schools and give them the chance to test their English on a worldwide level, then don’t hesitate to contact: hipporomania@gmail.com , Aranka Bárócz tel. 0740 16 86 36.
Apply to be a Romanian Accredited Venue
Help your students grow their wings and gain more confidence in speaking and understanding English in a joyful way, meanwhile rating your School on a worldwide level.
Testimonials
If asking yourself if you should go to the Hippo Olympiad, I’m advising you from the start to just sign up. However, I’m also going to tell you about my experience so that you can somewhat know what to expect. My name is George Marinescu and I was 15 (2018) when I participated for the first time in this Olympiad. My English teacher, Sorana Chiru, whom I was taking English lessons with for some time now at “Centrul de Performanta in Educatie”, based in Barlad, Romania, told me that I can sign up for this international English contest and get the chance to go to Italy for the final phase. I told myself “Why miss this chance when I have nothing to lose ?”. I took the first two exams at the aforementioned center and I was announced that the final phase would be held in Lido di Jesolo, near Venice (accommodation and two meals a day were included).....
George Marinescu
I’m Mica and in 2019 I won the third prize in category Hippo 2 at the seventh International English Language Competition. I was lucky to be able to travel without worrying about my health and truly interact and have fun with the other kids since Covid19 hadn’t changed our lives at that time. I hope the students who reached the final step of the competition in 2020/2021 felt as happy as I did even though they couldn’t live the full experience. I found out that I had qualified for the final round one morning when my mom woke me up to go to school. She came into my room and was really excited about something but I had no idea what was going on. She handed me the phone and told me “I knew it! I simply knew it!”....
Daria Mica Bobe
Taking part in the HIPPO International English Language Olympiad will always remain one of my most remarcable and, at the same time, one of my most unexpected experiences. My fascination for the English language, which dates back to my childhood, always determined me to broaden my knowledge of this language and to constantly take part in the olympiad and in other similar competitions. When professor Florina Niculescu suggested I enter the HIPPO competition, encouraging me that I could have a chance to reach the final stages which would be held in Venice, this seemed like an unachievable goal to me, but I decided to enter anyway, knowing that I had a solid knowledge and the full support of this extraordinary professor. Everything that followed after was the reward of a work that began many years ago.
Alexandru Barladeanu
Hey there, my name’s Matei Resmeriță, I hail from Romania; city of Barlad to be precise. Around four years ago, I unexpectedly found myself a finalist of the Hippo English Olympiad, undoubtedly a payoff for the effort which I and my teacher Sorana Chiru at the Center for Performance in Education --or in romanian “Centrul de Performanta in Educatie”— have put in. In the wake of this success, I had been blessed with an overwhelming amount of firsts, ventures as enticing as they were daunting; Experiences which I still treasure to date. First ever plane ride. My rating? “Consider a train”, the terminals, crowded and noisy as they were, achieved their goal, so a win in my book; but the ride itself? I couldn’t for the life of me cope with the jet engines and constant pressure changes, my head took off on its own trip during that ordeal… Once the nightmare was over though, I greeted new lands as a Columbus of Barlad on his journey to scour the mysteries of Venice;
Matei Resmerita
Hippo a reprezentat pentru mine o experiență inedită, care nu numai că m-a ajutat să îmi dezvolt competențele lingvistice în limba engleză, dar mi-a oferit posibilitatea de a interacționa cu oameni din peste 40 de țări din întreaga lume. Activitațile organizate ne-au oferit oportunități de a ne cunoaște, astfel am putut uita de presiunea unui astfel de concurs important. Organizatorii au dat dovadă de profesionalism, fiecare detaliu fiind bine pus la punct. Acest lucru, împreună cu atmosfera relaxată, au creat un mediu de examinare plăcut, în care ne-am putut concentra. Așadar, după mai bine de un an de competiții desfășurate online, participarea la această olimpiadă m-a ajutat să realizez importanța implicării în astfel de proiecte internaționale. Mă bucur că am avut onoarea să reprezint Colegiul Național „Moise Nicoară”, Arad, și, totodată, România în cadrul acestei competiții prestigioase. Sunt mândră că am obținut premiul al III-lea, dar orice rezultat m-ar fi mulțumit, considerând că toți concurenții au avut un nivel de engleză
Laura Preda
To read the full version of the testimonials click here
Hello! I’m Alex, I’m 19 years old and I used to live in Calarasi, Romania, but now I am studying at the Technical University of Delft in the Netherlands. I participated in the Hippo International English Competition in 2020 and won third place in the Finals. The competition was an opportunity for me to test my English skills in an international setting, while also meeting like-minded peers in the Speaking part of the examination. During this process, I was guided by my English teacher, Adela Barz, who granted me a space to perform at the Best Academy, for which I am extremely grateful. If you are also keen on testing your knowledge and abilities when it comes to the English language, I can certainly recommend the Hippo Competition as a challenging, yet fun medium to put your skills to proof.
Alex Nedelcu