A Grade 10 student from the Philippine Science High School - Bicol Region Campus (PSHS-BRC) emerged as the first-place winner in the 2023 Hippo International English Language outscoring contestants from Southeast Asia.
One of the founders of Hippo Daniele Piacenti (from left), Svetlana Viktoria Roxas, and her parents Atty. Rochelle Naz and Prof. Gremil Naz (Photo from Global Hippo Association)
Held on July 6 to 7 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, the Hippo "English Without Borders" Olympiad, the PSHS system said it's an international Olympiad that promotes the English language, challenges students around the globe to compete in English language knowledge, and improves the cooperation between teachers.
Svetlana Viktoria Roxas outscored contestants from Southeast Asia to earn her ticket to the world finals to be held in Rome, Italy on September 28-30.
“As a science high school student, it is important for me to have a firm grasp of English. Scientific results are useless if they are not communicated to stakeholders, and the language of science is English as it has become the lingua franca of the world. Thus, being good in English is important in the dissemination of scientific knowledge,” said Roxas when asked about the importance of joining the competition.
Roxas is the only Philippine delegate to secure a spot in the finals.
“By participating in such an Olympiad, students get a chance to measure their level of English against international standards and get used to the concept of examination. It made me compare my level of English with other students from different parts of the world,” Roxas stated.
According to her, from the start of the preliminary round until the regional qualifiers in Malaysia, the exams included items on reading comprehension, vocabulary, and grammar. There was also an essay part. The earlier rounds were done online, while the regional qualifiers were done face-to-face.
During the preliminary and semi-final rounds, Roxas bagged gold awards. She emerged as the second-highest pointer in the semi-final round (Hippo 4) last April.
John Richard Moreno serves as her coach.
Global Hippo Association is a non-profit organization founded in 2012 with the purpose of promoting the importance of English language knowledge and bringing together children from different countries.
The Olympiad encourages the development of a shared sense of identity and integration and 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 the English language from all around the world.