UNIVERSIDAD PERUANA UNIÓN – FILIAL JULIACA

CENTRO DE IDIOMAS

2023 SPELLING BEE

1. OBJECTIVES
• To encourage participants to enhance their English language skills, particularly in spelling and
vocabulary, fostering a deeper understanding and fluency in English.
• To develop effective communication skills in English, enabling participants to articulate and express
themselves with clarity and confidence.
• To motivate contestants to strive for spelling excellence, promoting academic achievement and a
passion for learning within the English language domain.
2. LEVELS
2. 1. This contest includes four levels of English: Basic 1, Basic 2, Intermediate 1, and Intermediate 2.
2. 2. The contest will start with Basic 1 level, then Basic 2 level, then Intermediate 1 level and finally
Intermediate 2.
3. PARTICIPANTS
3. 1. Spellers
3. 1. 1. Students (hereinafter referred to as spellers) enrolled in the levels mentioned in section
2.1 are eligible to participate.
3. 1. 2. The number of spellers by group is five (5).
3. 1. 3. All the spellers will participate on the date and time to be announced later.
3. 1. 4. Each student will participate at the level they are currently enrolled in.
3. 1. 5. Under no circumstances will the replacement of contestants be allowed.
3. 2. Teachers
3. 2. 1. The teacher’s responsibilities include planning and guiding their spellers in their
respective group or groups with diligence.
3. 2. 2. Under no circumstances will the advisor be allowed to be in the same place where the
spellers are seated.
3. 2. 3. Teachers must behave respectfully throughout the entire contest; otherwise, their group
will be disqualified.
3. 3. Guests
3. 3. 1. Contestants may bring guests, who are not allowed to be seated in the same place as
the contestants.
4. REGISTRATION
4. 1. Registration will begin in October 2nd and continue until October 13th of the current year.
4. 2. The teachers are responsible for registering their spellers from their different groups and levels.
4. 3. The contest is free of charge; it is completely free.
4. 4. Procedure. A registration form will be sent, in which the teacher will provide the student’s
information to verify their enrollment in the appropriate level of English.
4. 5. Under no circumstances will changes to contestants be allowed once the registration process is
completed.
4. 6. For inquiries and further information regarding registration, you can visit the Language Center
office or contact us at 951292564 or via email at [email protected].
5. VENUE AND DATE OF THE CONTEST
5. 1. Venue. Pedro Kalbermatter Auditorium
5. 2. Date. Friday, October 27th, 2023.
5. 3. Time. From 8 AM to 9 AM. The bee will start at 9:00 AM.
5. 4. If the speller arrives after all spellers are seated to begin the contest, they will be disqualified.
6. THE BEE
6. 1. Format. The spelling bee is conducted in rounds. Each speller remaining in the spelling bee at the
start of a round spells one word in each round.
6. 2. Progression of competition. At the beginning of any round in which three spellers remain, the
pronouncer will move to the 50-word championship section of the word list. If a champion does
not emerge in the course of administering these final 50 words, the Language Center
Administration will determine what to do in order to place the spellers. In the event that a round
beginning with more than three spellers ends with only one speller to begin the next and perhaps
final round, the pronouncer will not move to the championship section at that point in the
competition.
6. 3. Time constraints. The speller's time at the microphone has a limit of 30 seconds. Time begins
when the pronouncer first pronounces the word. For the first 30 seconds, the speller will have the
benefit of viewing a monitor displaying a traffic light graphic in green light mode. After 15
seconds, the monitor will show the traffic light graphic in yellow light mode and will also show the
time clock as it counts up to the 20-second mark. At the 20-second mark, the monitor will show
the traffic light graphic in red light mode and will also show a countdown of the remaining 10
seconds. The judges and pronouncer will not communicate with the speller during the final 10
seconds (red light mode). The judges will disqualify any speller who does not provide a complete
spelling before the expiration of time (0 seconds in red light mode). If the judges and pronouncer
need to discuss a competition-related matter while a speller is contemplating a word, they may
pause the time clock, they will inform the speller when they pause and resume the time clock.
6. 4. Pronouncer’s role. The pronouncer strives to pronounce words correctly.
6. 4. 1. Homonyms. If a word has one or more homonyms, the pronouncer may indicate which
word is to be spelled by defining the word if the speller asks for it.
6. 4. 2. Speller’s requests. The pronouncer responds to the speller’s requests for repeating the
word, a definition, and a sentence. The pronouncer does not entertain root word
questions, requests for alternate definitions, or requests for markedly slower
pronunciation.
6. 5. Judges’ role. The judges uphold the rules and determine whether or not words are spelled
correctly. They are in complete control of the competition, and their decision is final on all
questions.
6. 5. 1. Interaction with the speller. Because seeing the speller’s lip movements may be critical
in detecting misunderstandings or misspellings, the judges encourage spellers to face
them when pronouncing and spelling the word.
6. 5. 2. Misunderstandings. The judges participate in the exchange of information between the
speller and pronouncer if they feel that clarification is needed. Also, the judges listen
carefully to the speller’s pronunciation of the word; and, if they sense that the speller
has misunderstood the word, the judges work with the speller and pronouncer until
they are satisfied that reasonable attempts have been made to assist the speller in
understanding the word. While the judges are responsible for attempting to detect a
 speller’s misunderstanding, it is sometimes impossible to detect a misunderstanding
until a spelling error has been made. The judges are not responsible for the speller’s
misunderstanding.
6. 5. 3. Disqualifications for reasons other than clear misspelling. The judges will disqualify a
speller (1) who doesn’t arrive on time for the bee (2) who refuses a request to start
spelling; (3) who does not approach the microphone when it is time to receive the word;
(4) who engages in unsportsmanlike conduct; or (5) who, in the process of spelling,
utters unintelligible or nonsense sounds.
6. 5. 4. Speller activities that do not merit disqualification. The judges may not disqualify a
speller (1) for failing to pronounce the word either before or after spelling it, (2) for
asking a question, or (3) for noting or failing to note the capitalization of a word.
6. 6. Speller’s role. The speller makes an effort to face the judges and pronounce the word for the
judges before spelling it and after spelling it. The speller while facing the judges makes an effort
to utter each letter distinctly and with sufficient volume to be understood by the judges. The
speller may ask the pronouncer to say the word again, define it, and use it in a sentence.
6. 6. 1. Misunderstandings. The speller is responsible for any misunderstanding of the word
unless (1) the pronouncer never provided a correct pronunciation; or (2) the pronouncer
provided incorrect information regarding the definition.
6. 7. Misspelling. Upon incorrectly spelling a word, the speller immediately drops out of the
competition, except as provided in section 6.8.
6. 8. End-of-bee procedure.
6. 8. 1. 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.
6. 8. 2. Ties. 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.
6. 8. 3. If only one speller in a round spells correctly. 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.
Example: In Round 12 there are four spellers. Spellers 6 and 21 misspell. Speller 30 spells
correctly. Speller 42 misspells. So, Speller 30 is the only speller in the round to spell
correctly. Speller 30 begins Round 13 —a one-word round— and is offered the
anticipated championship word. Speller 30 correctly spells the anticipated championship
word and is declared champion.
6. 8. 4. 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.
Example: In Round 8 there are five spellers. Speller 12 spells correctly and Spellers 23,
29, 34, and 37 misspell. Round 9 —a one-word round— begins, and Speller 12 is offered
the anticipated championship word. Speller 12 misspells the anticipated championship
word. Round 10 begins and includes Spellers 12, 23, 29, 34, and 37. The rules prescribe
 those spellers 12, 23, 29, 34, and 37 spell in their original order; so Speller 12 gets the
next word on the list even though Speller 12 misspelled the previous word on the list.
Round 10 is not complete until all five spellers have spelled
7. AWARDS
7. 1. There will be an award ceremony on the same day as the contest.
7. 2. Awards
7. 2. 1. The prizes will be given in person to the spellers, by level.
7. 2. 2. The prizes are detailed below.
Place Prize
First place S/ 120 credit to your university account.
Second place S/ 100 credit to your university account.
Third place S/ 80 credit to your university account.

8. UNFORSEEN SITUATIONS
8. 1. Any situation not foreseen in these rules will be solved by the Language Center Administration.
9. WORDS
9. 1. There is a “list of words” which spellers must learn and spell at the bee. That list will be given to
your teacher.