A. Word List
The vast part of the word list can be found in the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary 7th Edition, Collins Cobuild Advanced Learner's English Dictionary New Edition and Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary Third Edition for both primary and secondary competitions. Words in the public domain will also be selected for use.
Some of the words may also be chosen from the New Straits Times publications. These may include technical terms and jargon that represent a particular industry or trade.
In the 2010 competition, no hyphenated words or phrases will be used. No prepositions or adverbs or conjunctions will be used. The word list will consist of noun, verb, adjectival and adverbial forms.
Each elimination round will use words of greater difficulty. The gradation of difficulty will vary.
Any word that the content committee deems will raise the bar for the students will be included. No requests to simplify or modify word lists will be entertained.
There will be different word lists for state and final championships.
The word lists, once compiled will, be handed over to the auditors and will only be released to Presenters on the day of the competition.
The word list will appear the following form:
Word : nonsensical
Definition : ideas, actions, or statements that are nonsensical are not reasonable or sensible.
Sentence : This is a nonsensical argument.
At the end of the State Championship competition at each venue, the word list with all the notations made by Presenters and Judges will be returned to the Auditor for safekeeping and evaluation.
B. Contest Protocol
Contest Administrators:
At any one time, the following people will be on stage, i.e.: a Judge, the Presenter, the Timekeeper, the Scorekeeper and the Auditor.
An additional two (2) administrators will manage the aisles and assist contestants to come forward for their turn to spell and return them to their seats, and escort students who are eliminated.
The Presenter will be both emcee and pronouncer.
The Presenter will be the final authority after consultation with the judge on the spelling submitted by a contestant.
At the start of the contest the Presenter will lay down the rules for the audience and do a quick brief on how the contest process will work.
The Presenter will introduce the judge and other administrators and the schools represented by the students on the stage at any one time.
The contest will begin when the auditor hands over the sealed word list to the Presenter.
The Presenter will share the word list to be used with the judge and the auditor.
The contest administrators will have a list with contestants' names, their assigned numbers and the names of their schools.
As each word is delivered, the Presenter will tick the word off against the list and against the contestant.
The Presenter will first pronounce the word to be spelt, then define the word and then use it in a sentence. The Presenter then invites the child to spell the word.
The contestant will then have twenty (20) seconds to spell the word. The buzzer will ring after twenty (20) seconds.
The scorekeeper will note all the words a student spells correctly and allocate one (1) point for each correctly spelled word. At the end of the day, the scorekeeper will tally the points scored by every student and every school.
Contestants:
The Preliminary Contest will have three (3) rounds. Contestants who get their spelling correct will advance from Round 1 to Round 2 and then to Round 3. In the event of a tie, a tiebreaker round will be held to determine the winner.
No schools are allowed to walk in and register in the morning.
Each school must register four (4) students to participate in the preliminary rounds of the State Championships. All contestants must be Malaysian citizens.
For the State Preliminary Rounds, four (4) schools will be called up on the stage at any one time (16 students per group). These sixteen (16) students will form a group.
The Contestants will be seated on the stage.
How it works: The Presenter will call the first contestant from the first school by name. The contestant will walk to the microphone. The Presenter gives the Contestant his or her first word to spell. The Contestant has twenty (20) seconds to pronounce the word, spell the word and pronounce it again. The second pronunciation of the word is deemed as final submission of that word and its spelling.
If the contestant gets the spelling correct, he or she will be asked to return to his or her seat and enter the next round.
If the Contestant misspells a word or does not complete the spelling of the word when the time is up, he or she is immediately eliminated from the contest. No chances will be given for respelling a word.
If the contestant misspells a word, he or she must remain at the microphone until the Presenter provides the correct spelling of the word.
If the Contestant starts spelling and stops midway, he or she can restart spelling the word from the first letter, provided (a) the final submission (see number 6) has not taken place and provided (b) that the second attempt is completed within the twenty (20) seconds.
After the first contestant has finished his / her turn, the Presenter will call the next contestant.
At the state finals, each contestant will be asked to spell three words based on the 'round robin' system. At this stage rules 6-10 will apply.
The winners of the preliminary rounds will proceed to the state finals on the same day. The state winners (1 individual each from the Primary and the Secondary categories) will participate along with thirteen (13) others in the respective categories at the National Championship.
There will be no staggering of times for the Contestants. All participating teams are expected to report by 9am to attend the briefing by the Presenter before the start of the competition.
All contestants MUST be in their full school uniforms.
All teachers and contestants are required to stay until the end of the day in the event of a tie between schools and to participate in the prize-giving ceremony.
The National Finals will see fourteen (14) participants in their respective categories pitting their skills against each other.
The participants in the National Finals will be required to spell five (5) words each based on the 'round robin' system to determine the seven (7) best spellers.
The seven (7) best spellers will enter the semi-final round. Contestants will be required to spell five (5) words each based on the 'round robin' system.
The first five (5) clear winners shall be established at this point. In the event of a tie for any one of the top five (5) positions, a tie-breaker round shall be held using the 'sudden death' system.
C. Rules and Regulations (these will apply for both state and final championships)
Contestants are required to face the Presenter and Judge when pronouncing and spelling the word.
No aids will be allowed on stage or on Contestants. For example, no pens, paper, MP3 players or handphones will be allowed on stage. A breach of this rule will be grounds for disqualification.
No discussion or prompting between team members or from anyone on stage. A breach of this rule will be grounds for disqualification.
No prompting by the audience (in any form). If there are any violations, the word will be withdrawn and a new word given.
The audience may not clap till the Presenter declares the word CORRECT or INCORRECT.
The allocated 20 seconds for spelling will start after the Presenter says: Your time starts now.
The Contestant will first pronounce the word, then spell the word and then pronounce it again to indicate that he or she is submitting the word for judgment.
The Contestant can ask the Presenter to repeat the word BUT the timer will NOT be stopped to accommodate the request. He or she must complete spelling the word within the 20 seconds allocated.
If a Contestant starts spelling a word and stops midway to try and spell it again, he or she must go back to the first letter of the word to spell again. The Contestant cannot continue from the letter he or she left off.
If the Contestant exceeds the 20 seconds timeframe given for spelling the word, points will NOT be awarded even if they are correct.
Every word spelt correctly will be awarded one point.
In every round points awarded to a contestant will directly translate into points for his/her school. The top three schools at State level will be adjudicated only on the number of points accumulated in the preliminary rounds. Points accumulated at the state finals will not be considered.
In the case of a dispute (for example, mispronunciation, uncertainty of word use, time or distractions), the decision of the Presenter will be final after consultation with the Judge. The Presenter will have absolute discretion over the conduct of proceedings.
The Contest is a SPELLING contest, but as Spelling is delivered through Speech, it is incumbent on the part of the Contestant to see that every letter spelt is clearly enunciated so there is no mistaking the spelling of the word. Letters not clearly spoken even if the Contestant knows the spelling WILL NOT be accepted and will form grounds for elimination.
The Contest (both State and National Finals) will begin on time. Punctuality is to be observed. There should be no disruptions when the contest starts.
Each school registers four students to participate in the contest. Only those four students are allowed to take part. Should there be a reason for substitution it can only be done before the competition begins and with an official letter from the school. There can be no substitution once the competition has begun.Teams must appear at the appointed time. No requests for refunds and rescheduling will be entertained.
The contest administrators will try to accommodate contestants who have special needs. All such requests should be made in writing to the contest administrators well in advance of the competition.
Any complaint from the audience/teachers on any matter pertaining to the proceedings must be presented in writing to the organiser. The complainant must supply his/her full name, address and contact details.
If contestants wish to seek the attention of the Presenter, they must raise their hands.
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