Operated by UK-based English language course provider Oxford International Education Group, the British English Olympics see students from bilingual schools all over the world compete in a series of challenges that test their English language, critical thinking and public speaking skills.

“In Yucatán we are very proud of you”

“Our competition is an exciting English language and academic contest designed for the world’s brightest international students,” reads a statement from BEO.

This year’s winner, Instituto Moderno Americano, is a bilingual school located in the city of Mérida, the capital of the Mexican State of Yucatán.

The school celebrated its victory with a series of posts on Facebook, congratulating the 14 students who took part in the competition and the teachers who accompanied them.

Governor of Yucatán Rolando Zapata Bello also congratulated the winners in a Facebook post. “In Yucatán we are very proud of you,” he said.

The students defeated 138 other schools from 23 different countries to reach the podium.

Since its launch in 2009, the British English Olympics have seen 10,000 students from 300 schools compete for the title, an Oxford International spokesperson told The PIE. Past winners have included schools from India, Venezuela and Brazil.

The competition is open to students aged 12 to 16 years old and takes places over the course of a two-week study holiday in the UK.

Participants stay in four boarding schools and compete in a series of tasks including debates, presentations, role-plays and drama performances.

The best teams from each boarding school go on to the semi-finals, where six teams are then selected for the finals.

Performances are judged on three main areas: presentation skills, use of English and content.