Our Future, the biggest English exams competition for school-age learners in Europe, is back. Since the last competition our lives have changed due to the Covid-19 global pandemic.
Are you aged between 7-18 and do you enjoy working in a team and making videos? Do you like using technology and do you think it is important? If the answer is yes, take part in this year’s Our Future competition.
ABOUT THE COMPETITION
For the third year, we are giving school-age students and teachers in Europe a chance to work in a team and make a video on a theme that connects to your future. Students and teachers can win fantastic prizes. The competition runs from 01 March to 30 April 2021.
TASK
Work in a team of two to three students and make a short video about the theme of this year’s competition:
How will Covid-19 change the way we use technology in the future?
- Submit your team’s entry as a video file via the entry form .
- You can include people, pictures, photos, music, animation or your own ideas.
- Entries will be judged on content, creativity and presentation.
- Video entries must be between 30 seconds and 1 minute in length.
- Entries must be original work and not use any copyrighted material.
PRIZES
There is 1 regional prize and 2 runner-up prizes for the winning teams in each category.
- Students: Win a Nikon COOLPIX W150 waterproof camera.
- Teachers: Win a free entry to the next British Council Schools Now! Online Conference. Runner-up winners: Win a one-year Gift Subscription to National Geographic Kids containing 13 issues.
- Extra prizes for the most popular entry and the teacher with the most entries!
- Certificate of participation for every student and teacher that takes part.WHO CAN COMPETE?
ELIGIBILITY
Our Future English exam competition is open to school-age students in Europe. There are two age categories. You can enter one of the categories.
Category 1 (7-12 years old)
Category 2 (13-18 years old)
Students and teachers wishing to participate must attend a school or institution that is a member of the British Council’s Advantage member scheme.
The following countries will take part in Our Future 2021: Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, France, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia and Spain.
HOW TO ENTER
Teachers can use the online entry form to submit team entries between 01 March and 30 April 2021. Before entering the competition, please check the terms and conditions which include how we will use your personal data in the Privacy Notice. All students must have the permission of their parents to enter the competition. Any entry needs to be accompanied by a filled out consent form for all participating students for the entry to be valid. Please download the parent consent form here.
All the entries that meet the criteria will be shown on our competition video page. Entries will be short-listed and a panel of judges appointed by the British Council will choose one regional winner and two runner-up winners for each age category. Two special mentions for the most popular entry and the teacher with the most entries will also be awarded a prize.
Download the competition flyer, poster and web banner to tell students and teachers at your school about the competition.
Have you got a question about the competition? Email us at ourfuturecompetition@britishcouncil.org
TIPS FOR ENTERING
You should prepare the content of your entry in relation to the competition theme. Show us all the English vocabulary and grammar that you know and which you use to prepare for the Speaking paper of the English exam you are preparing for. For example: Pre A1 Starters, A1 Movers, A2 Flyers, A2 Key for Schools, B1 Preliminary for Schools, B2 First for Schools, C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency in Cambridge English Qualifications.
In this competition you can use your imagination and creativity. Any content, for example pictures or images, need to be original. Talk to your teacher and the other students in your group about how you think Covid-19 will change the way we use technology in the future and share your ideas!
Remember that judges are also looking for presentation. Your entry needs to be a video. You can make a video or use pictures and an audio recording and turn these into a video file. Test your recording or video beforehand to check image and sound. Make sure your group’s video is the right length (between 30 seconds and 1 minute) before your teacher submits it.