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American Library holds 2008 Spelling Bee

(MONROVIA) April 26, 2008 – On Saturday, April 26, 2008 29 students from around Liberia contested in the first American Library Liberian National Spelling Bee. The American Library teamed up with regional libraries and the county superintendents to host school, county and now the national competition. Though each county and all schools were encouraged to participate, this year’s American Library Liberian National Spelling Bee has students from six counties and 14 schools. The three winners had their school fees partially covered: US$150, US$100 and US$50 respectively. The American Library Spelling Bee is part of a series of programs that aim to introduce students and teachers to interactive forms of learning. 

 
Spelling is the foundation of a language and mastering words and understanding their meaning are vital to establishing—and maintaining—the correct usage of English. Serious spelling bee competitors study root words, etymologies, and sometimes foreign languages. Their participation in this spelling bee, though the first of its kind in Liberia, is a long-held American tradition. Historic records cite the first American spelling bee to have taken place in 1925, though it is thought to have begun earlier. National spelling bees are typically held from the local level up to the national level, the last of which is supported by the Scripps National Spelling Bee. 

 Rules and Procedures for Spelling Bees: 

  1. To participate in the County Regional Spelling Bee the speller must have won their School Spelling Bee. To participate in the National Spelling Bee the speller must have placed in the top ranks of their county.
  2. All words on American Library Spelling Bee word lists are entries in Webster’s Third New International Dictionary.
  3. A Spelling Bee is conducted in rounds where each speller is orally given a word to spell.
  4. Each speller remaining in the Spelling Bee at the start of a round spells one word in each round.
  5. Regular rounds: Upon incorrectly spelling a word, the speller immediately drops out of the competition. The next speller DOES NOT spell the previously missed word. Out of fairness, the next speller gets their own new word free from the confusion of the previous word.
  6. Final round: When two spellers remain final round rules are in effect. Upon incorrectly spelling a word remaining spelling must first spell the missed word and then spell a different word to win.
  7. If all spellers in a round misspell: If none of the spellers remaining in the Spelling Bee at the start of a round spells a word correctly during that round, all remain in the competition and a new round begins. 
  8. All spellers eliminated in the same round are tied for the same place. After the champion has been determined, Spelling Bee officials may opt to conduct tiebreakers (of their own design) if tiebreakers are necessary for the awarding of prizes or the determination of qualifying spellers for the next level of competition.
  9. If only one speller spells correctly in a round, a new one-word round begins and the speller is given an opportunity to spell the next word on the list (anticipated championship word). If the speller succeeds in correctly spelling the anticipated championship word in this one-word round, the speller is declared the champion.
  10. If a speller misspells the anticipated championship word in a one-word round: A new round begins with ALL the spellers who spelled (correctly and incorrectly) in the previous round. These spellers spell in their original order.
  11. The American Library Spelling Bee may disqualify prior to or during competition any speller who is not in compliance with any of its eligibility requirements; and it may—at any time between the conclusion of the 2008 American Library Spelling Bee and March 30, 2009— require any speller who is found to have not been in compliance with any of the eligibility requirements to forfeit the prizes, rank, and other benefits accorded to the speller as a result of participation in the 2008 American Library Spelling Bee.


To expand the American Library programs beyond Monrovia, this year the U.S. has funded four new libraries in Buchanan, Kakata, Virginia, and Zwedru. The Spelling Bee Competition, the first of the series, targets our youngest audience – fifth and sixth graders –to deepen their understanding of the English language. The skills gained through the spelling bee will carry over to the Science Fair for seventh and eighth graders, the essay contest for ninth graders and tenth graders, and finally the model policy debates for eleventh and twelfth graders. 

For More information about the American Library or Corners please contact the Public Diplomacy Section at the U.S. Embassy at Monrovia-PD-DL@state.gov or 077-207-296.