Budapest, April 16, 2011 19:00

BBC Entertainment and the European Speaking Union (ESU) is organising a public speaking competition in English with the support of Magyar Telekom. Sixteen students aged between 16 and 20 presented in the finals on Saturday their public speaking and presenting skills in front of the audience and the jury. Thanks to BBC Entertainment the winner and the runner up of the Hungarian competition will be able to weigh their skills in the English Speaking Union's International Public Speaking Competition in London, on May 23-28, 2011. Prizes will be handed over to winners by Réthelyi Miklós, Minister of Natural Resources, Greg Dorey, the Ambassador in Hungary of the United Kingdom and Chris Mattheisen, Chairman-CEO of Magyar Telekom.

Christopher Mattheisen, Chairman-CEO of Magyar Telekom said on the occasion of the handover of prizes: "As a leading company in Hungary Magyar Telekom is committed to supporting sustainable development also from an economic, environmental and social aspect. Within the framework of our "hello tomorrow!" - Join Telekom for Sustainable Development initiative we bring about or support programs and events that help Hungarian youth with their talent, creativity and enhancement of their skills and thus promote them at the start of their career and in their ability to compete. BBC's Public Speaking Competition is a good possibility for Hungarian youth to show their talent at home and in the international arena alike, so we have been pleased to support the event." Magyar Telekom awarded a special prize to the winning students in recognition of their work invested in preparations.

Magyar Telekom considers that the shaping of the attitude of youth, the expansion of their skills and general education and the broadening of their perspective belongs to the company's key tasks. The market leader info communication company has already so far supported several initiatives in the support of young people's creative thinking, innovation and self-expression. Such events have been, for example, the Kitchen Budapest, which functions as the firm's innovation laboratory, the TEDx Youth Conference, the Researchers' Night and laying the foundations of the e-Etiquette. Through emphasising the importance of information based reasoning and expression of one's opinion, as well as language learning Magyar Telekom actively contributes to the establishment of equal opportunities in the society.

The aim of the public speaking competition is to draw the attention to the spoken English language and it offers an excellent opportunity for students to improve their English language skills. The requirements are high: it is not only fluent and coherent speaking that is important, but competitors will also have to remain within the limits of the selected topic and, also, to hold the attention of the audience with their mode of presentation. Learning a foreign language and overcoming one's fear of speaking in public are not an easy task; that is why BBC Entertainment intends to reward this type of courage through the practical means of organising this competition.

The event supported by Magyar Telekom as well as the Ministry of National Resources is jointly organised by BBC Entertainment and ESU. Students taking part in the public speaking competition may not only improve their English language skills, but may acquire self-confidence and thus be successful in conducting studies abroad, or even stand the chance of some successful international career.

The winner and runner up in the Hungarian finals will take part in the international finals to be held in London on May 23-28. The ESU's public speaking competition displays the highest level public speaking through the participation of students from all over the world and provides a chance for the young public speakers to get acquainted with each others' diverse backgrounds and cultures.