English-Speaking Union
Encyclopedia
The English-Speaking Union (ESU) is an international educational charity which was founded by the journalist Evelyn Wrench
in 1918. The ESU aims to "bring(s) together and empower(s) people of different languages and cultures," by building skills and confidence in communication, such that individuals realize their potential. With almost 40 branches in the United Kingdom and over 50 international branches in countries around the world, the ESU promotes a variety of activities such as debating, public speaking and student exchange programmes, runs conferences and seminars, and offers scholarships, to encourage the effective use of the English language around the globe.
The mission statement of the English-Speaking Union (as stated on its website) is to:
. In 1957 it received a Royal Charter
, with Queen Elizabeth II
as the royal patron. Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
, has been President since 1957. Headquartered at Dartmouth House, Mayfair
, London, its many activities are coordinated by the Director-General. The twenty-seven member Board of Governors meets three times a year.
, the largest and oldest competition of its kind in the world) and universities (the John Smith Memorial Mace
, named after the former Labour party leader John Smith
who was a member of the winning team of the competition in 1962 and died in 1994). Other winners of the universities mace include Charles Kennedy
, former leader of the Liberal Democrats. The ESU also runs competitions in mooting, a form of legal argument, and public speaking. The flagship moot of the ESU is the English Speaking Union Moot.
The Centre teaches debate through outreach programmes, teacher training and the provision of resources. It offers teaching support to overseas ESUs and also selects and trains the England Schools Debating Team which competes in the World Schools Debating Championships
each year. The ESU hosted that tournament in London in 1999.
in the United States or Canada
during their gap year
. In return American students come to British schools. Originally known as the British and American Schoolboy and Schoolgirl Exchange, the programme was created in 1928. Former British ESU student exchange scholars include:
American ESU student exchange scholars include:
as well as a significant number of MPs, QCs and other notable figures.
There are more than 50 other International ESUs, whose websites can be found by going to http://www.esu.org/branches/international, and searching for the country.
and Nigel Kennedy
, both violinists.
on BBC Radio 4
, and Paddy O'Connell
, broadcaster.
Evelyn Wrench
Sir John Evelyn Leslie Wrench, CMG, LL.D was born on 29 October 1882, in Brookeborough, County Fermanagh, part of the Province of Ulster in Ireland, the son of Frederick Stringer Wrench , an Irish Land Commissioner, and Charlotte Mary Bellingham .At the age of five years, his favorite literature...
in 1918. The ESU aims to "bring(s) together and empower(s) people of different languages and cultures," by building skills and confidence in communication, such that individuals realize their potential. With almost 40 branches in the United Kingdom and over 50 international branches in countries around the world, the ESU promotes a variety of activities such as debating, public speaking and student exchange programmes, runs conferences and seminars, and offers scholarships, to encourage the effective use of the English language around the globe.
The mission statement of the English-Speaking Union (as stated on its website) is to:
- Provide a forum for international friendship through the support of the worldwide network of ESUs and the provision of secretariat facilities for the International Council at the ESU's headquarters at Dartmouth HouseDartmouth HouseDartmouth House is a large and luxurious Georgian house in Mayfair, central London, England. It now acts at the headquarters for the English-Speaking Union , an educational charity...
, London; - Facilitate and assist the establishment and recognition of ESUs worldwide;
- Focus on key current affairs issues through regular international conferences, seminars and taff and voluntary helpers;
- Work in close and innovative partnership with its corporate members and sponsors.
Governance
The ESU was established in 1918 through the efforts of Sir Evelyn WrenchEvelyn Wrench
Sir John Evelyn Leslie Wrench, CMG, LL.D was born on 29 October 1882, in Brookeborough, County Fermanagh, part of the Province of Ulster in Ireland, the son of Frederick Stringer Wrench , an Irish Land Commissioner, and Charlotte Mary Bellingham .At the age of five years, his favorite literature...
. In 1957 it received a Royal Charter
Royal Charter
A royal charter is a formal document issued by a monarch as letters patent, granting a right or power to an individual or a body corporate. They were, and are still, used to establish significant organizations such as cities or universities. Charters should be distinguished from warrants and...
, with Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
as the royal patron. Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh is the husband of Elizabeth II. He is the United Kingdom's longest-serving consort and the oldest serving spouse of a reigning British monarch....
, has been President since 1957. Headquartered at Dartmouth House, Mayfair
Mayfair
Mayfair is an area of central London, within the City of Westminster.-History:Mayfair is named after the annual fortnight-long May Fair that took place on the site that is Shepherd Market today...
, London, its many activities are coordinated by the Director-General. The twenty-seven member Board of Governors meets three times a year.
Directors-general
- Sir Frederick Whyte (1938)
- Frank Darvall (? - 1947)
- Air Chief Marshal Sir Douglas EvillDouglas EvillAir Chief Marshal Sir Douglas Claude Strathern Evill, GBE, KCB, DSC, AFC, RAF was a Royal Naval Air Service pilot during World War I and senior commander in the Royal Air Force during World War II.-Early life:...
(1947–1949) - Air Chief Marshal Sir Francis FogartyFrancis FogartyAir Chief Marshal Sir Francis Joseph Fogarty GBE KCB DFC AFC was a senior commander in the Royal Air Force during World War II and also in the post-War years. During World War I he served as a pilot in the Royal Flying Corps...
c. 1958 - Wynn Hugh-JonesWynn Normington Hugh-JonesSir Wynn Normington Hugh-Jones KB, sometimes known as Sir Hugh Jones, is a former British diplomat, administrator and Liberal Party official. Now retired, he has published two volumes of autobiography....
(1973-1977) - Major-General David Crichton AlexanderDavid C AlexanderMajor-General David Crichton Alexander, CB was a British officer.-Biography:He was educated at the Edinburgh Academy, and joined the Royal Marines in 1944....
(1977–1979) - Alan Lee WilliamsAlan Lee WilliamsAlan Lee Williams OBE is a former president of the Atlantic Treaty Association, a British Labour Party politician, writer and visiting professor of politics at Queen Mary College, London....
(1979 - ?) - Richard Heaslip (1987–1989)
- David Hicks (1989–1991)
- David Thorp (1991–1994)
- Valerie Mitchell (1994–2009)
- Mike Lake (2009-2011)
- Peter Kyle (2011- )
Debating and public speaking
In many circles the ESU is best known for its major educational activity, the promotion of debate as an educational tool. The English-Speaking Union Centre for Speech and Debate, established in 1995 to coordinate the organisation's work in persuasive spoken English, is one of the world's major supporters of formal debate. In the United Kingdom it runs the national championships in debating for schools (the ESU Schools MaceESU Schools Mace
The English-Speaking Union Schools Mace is an annual debating tournament for secondary schools in England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales.The competition was founded in 1957 by the journalist Kenneth Harris of The Observer newspaper, and was initially known as The Observer Schools Mace...
, the largest and oldest competition of its kind in the world) and universities (the John Smith Memorial Mace
John Smith Memorial Mace
The John Smith Memorial Mace is an annual debating tournament contested by universities in England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales....
, named after the former Labour party leader John Smith
John Smith (UK politician)
John Smith was a British Labour Party politician who served as Leader of the Labour Party from July 1992 until his sudden death from a heart attack in May 1994...
who was a member of the winning team of the competition in 1962 and died in 1994). Other winners of the universities mace include Charles Kennedy
Charles Kennedy
Charles Peter Kennedy is a British Liberal Democrat politician, who led the Liberal Democrats from 9 August 1999 until 7 January 2006 and is currently a Member of Parliament for the Ross, Skye and Lochaber constituency....
, former leader of the Liberal Democrats. The ESU also runs competitions in mooting, a form of legal argument, and public speaking. The flagship moot of the ESU is the English Speaking Union Moot.
The Centre teaches debate through outreach programmes, teacher training and the provision of resources. It offers teaching support to overseas ESUs and also selects and trains the England Schools Debating Team which competes in the World Schools Debating Championships
World Schools Debating Championships
The World Schools Debating Championships is an annual English-language debating tournament for high school-level teams representing different countries.In recent years, the championships have involved teams from over 40 nations each year.-History:...
each year. The ESU hosted that tournament in London in 1999.
Secondary School Exchange Programme
British students, having completed their A-Levels, can spend two or three terms at a private prep schoolUniversity-preparatory school
A university-preparatory school or college-preparatory school is a secondary school, usually private, designed to prepare students for a college or university education...
in the United States or Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
during their gap year
Gap year
An expression or phrase that is associated with taking time out to travel in between life stages. It is also known as sabbatical, time off and time out that refers to a period of time in which students disengage from curricular education and undertake non curricular activities, such as travel or...
. In return American students come to British schools. Originally known as the British and American Schoolboy and Schoolgirl Exchange, the programme was created in 1928. Former British ESU student exchange scholars include:
- Sir Ian BlairIan BlairIan Warwick Blair, Baron Blair of Boughton, QPM is a retired British Police officer who held the position of commissioner of police of the metropolis from 2005 to 2008 and was the highest ranking officer within the Metropolitan Police Service.On 2 October 2008 Blair announced that he would...
(Harvard-Westlake SchoolHarvard-Westlake SchoolHarvard-Westlake School is an independent, co-educational university preparatory day school consisting of two campuses located in Los Angeles, California with approximately 1,600 students enrolled in grades 7 through 12....
) - Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police - Sir John BondJohn Bond (banker)Sir John Reginald Hartnell Bond retired as chairman of HSBC Holdings plc on 26 May 2006, after spending 45 years with the bank. He took up the position of Chairman of Vodafone in July 2006....
(Cate SchoolCate SchoolThe Cate School, established in 1910 by Curtis Wolsey Cate, is a four-year, coeducational, college-preparatory boarding school in Carpinteria, California, United States....
1959) - Chairman of HSBCHSBCHSBC Holdings plc is a global banking and financial services company headquartered in Canary Wharf, London, United Kingdom. it is the world's second-largest banking and financial services group and second-largest public company according to a composite measure by Forbes magazine... - Sir Richard DearloveRichard DearloveSir Richard Billing Dearlove, KCMG, OBE was head of the British Secret Intelligence Service from 1999 until 6 May 2004.-Career:...
(Kent SchoolKent SchoolKent School is a private, co-educational college preparatory school in Kent, Connecticut, USA. The Reverend Frederick Herbert Sill, Order of the Holy Cross, established the school in 1906 and it retains its affiliation with the Episcopal Church of the United States.Students at Kent come from more...
) - Director of MI6 - Dawn French (Spence SchoolSpence SchoolThe Spence School is an American all-girls independent school in New York City, founded in 1892 by Clara B. Spence.-Overview:Spence has about 688 students, with K-4 representing the Lower School, 5-8 representing the Middle School, and 9-12 representing the Upper School. Lower school average class...
) - actress and comedienne - Chris HawkinsChris HawkinsChris Hawkins is a presenter, performance DJ, reporter, journalist, producer, and music pundit....
(Tabor AcademyTabor AcademyTabor Academy is a highly selective independent preparatory school located in Marion, Massachusetts, United States. Tabor is known for its marine science courses...
) - Radio presenter - KT TunstallKT TunstallKate Victoria "KT" Tunstall is a Scottish singer-songwriter and guitarist from St Andrews, Scotland. She broke into the public eye with a 2004 live solo performance of her song "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" on Later... with Jools Holland...
(Kent School) - Popular Musician
American ESU student exchange scholars include:
- Howard DeanHoward DeanHoward Brush Dean III is an American politician and physician from Vermont. He served six terms as the 79th Governor of Vermont and ran unsuccessfully for the 2004 Democratic presidential nomination. He was chairman of the Democratic National Committee from 2005 to 2009. Although his U.S...
- US Governor and Presidential candidate
The US-UK Debate Tour Exchange
Two outstanding British student debaters are chosen each year to tour approximately 30 states over three months. The ESU USA Tour is one of the most prestigious awards in University debating. In return two American debaters visit universities and institutions in the UK. The programme was established in 1922. Alumni of the British team include:- Rab ButlerRab ButlerRichard Austen Butler, Baron Butler of Saffron Walden, KG CH DL PC , who invariably signed his name R. A. Butler and was familiarly known as Rab, was a British Conservative politician...
(1924) - Chancellor of the Exchequer, Foreign Secretary - Michael RamseyMichael RamseyArthur Michael Ramsey, Baron Ramsey of Canterbury PC was the 100th Archbishop of Canterbury. He was appointed on 31 May 1961 and was in office from June 1961 to 1974.-Career:...
(1925) -Archbishop of Canterbury - Hans-Jürgen von BlumenthalHans-Jürgen von BlumenthalHans-Jürgen Graf von Blumenthal was a German aristocrat and Army officer in World War II who was executed by the Nazi régime for his role in the July 20 Plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler.-Biography:...
(1930) - member of the July 20 PlotJuly 20 PlotOn 20 July 1944, an attempt was made to assassinate Adolf Hitler, Führer of the Third Reich, inside his Wolf's Lair field headquarters near Rastenburg, East Prussia. The plot was the culmination of the efforts of several groups in the German Resistance to overthrow the Nazi-led German government...
to assassinate Hitler - Michael FootMichael FootMichael Mackintosh Foot, FRSL, PC was a British Labour Party politician, journalist and author, who was a Member of Parliament from 1945 to 1955 and from 1960 until 1992...
(1934) - leader of the Labour Party - Edward HeathEdward HeathSir Edward Richard George "Ted" Heath, KG, MBE, PC was a British Conservative politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and as Leader of the Conservative Party ....
(1939) - Prime Minister - Tony BennTony BennAnthony Neil Wedgwood "Tony" Benn, PC is a British Labour Party politician and a former MP and Cabinet Minister.His successful campaign to renounce his hereditary peerage was instrumental in the creation of the Peerage Act 1963...
(1947) - Labour cabinet minister - Robin DayRobin DaySir Robin Day, OBE was a British political broadcaster and commentator. His obituary in the Guardian stated that "he was the most outstanding television journalist of his generation...
(1949) - broadcaster - William Rees-MoggWilliam Rees-MoggWilliam Rees-Mogg, Baron Rees-Mogg is an English journalist and life peer.-Education:Rees-Mogg was educated at Clifton College Preparatory School in Bristol and Charterhouse School in Godalming, followed by Balliol College, Oxford...
(1951) - editor of The Times - Patrick MayhewPatrick MayhewPatrick Barnabas Burke Mayhew, Baron Mayhew of Twysden, PC is a British barrister, and Conservative Party politician.He was educated at Tonbridge School and Balliol College, Oxford...
(1953) - Northern Ireland Secretary - Brian WaldenBrian WaldenAlastair Brian Walden is a British journalist and broadcaster who was a Labour Member of Parliament for a decade. He is the father of actor Ben Walden....
(1958) - broadcaster - Leon Brittan (1961) - Vice-President of the European Commission
- Michael HowardMichael HowardMichael Howard, Baron Howard of Lympne, CH, QC, PC is a British politician, who served as the Leader of the Conservative Party and Leader of the Opposition from November 2003 to December 2005...
(1963) - leader of the Conservative Party - Jonathan AitkenJonathan AitkenJonathan William Patrick Aitken is a former Conservative Member of Parliament in the United Kingdom, and British government minister. He was convicted of perjury in 1999 and received an 18-month prison sentence, of which he served seven months...
(1964) - Conservative politician and former journalist - Norman Lamont (1965) - Chancellor of the Exchequer
- Peter BazalgettePeter BazalgettePeter "Baz" Bazalgette is a British media expert who helped create the independent TV production sector in the UK and went on to be the leading creative figure in the global TV company Endemol....
(1976) - businessman with interests in the media
as well as a significant number of MPs, QCs and other notable figures.
Branches
The ESU's International Headquarters is located in London, however there are also a number of national branches and associations.- English-Speaking Union ScotlandEnglish-Speaking Union ScotlandThe English-Speaking Union Scotland is an educational Scottish charity whose purpose, shared with the English-Speaking Union internationally, is to promote international understanding and human achievements through the widening use of the English language throughout the world.ESU Scotland is based...
based in Edinburgh - English-Speaking Union USA based in New York City
- English-Speaking Union of Canada based in Ottawa
- English-Speaking Union of Japan
- English-Speaking Union of Spain
There are more than 50 other International ESUs, whose websites can be found by going to http://www.esu.org/branches/international, and searching for the country.
Music scholarships
The ESU offers funding for places at top conservatoires for music students. Alumni include Tasmin LittleTasmin Little
Tasmin Little is an English violinist.She studied under Pauline Scott at the Yehudi Menuhin School and later at the Guildhall School of Music, coming to prominence as a string section finalist in the 1982 BBC Young Musician of the Year competition...
and Nigel Kennedy
Nigel Kennedy
Nigel Kennedy is a British born violinist and violist. He made his early career in the classical field, and he has performed and recorded most of the major violin concerti...
, both violinists.
Parliamentary exchange programmes
The ESU places approximately 12 British students in the offices of members of the US Congress and the Assemblee Nationale in Paris each summer, and in turn places American and French students in the offices of MPs at Westminster. The programme has been running since 1986. Alumni include Gordon Carera, editor of the Today programmeToday programme
Today is BBC Radio 4's long-running early morning news and current affairs programme, now broadcast from 6.00 am to 9.00 am Monday to Friday, and 7.00 am to 9.00 am on Saturdays. It is also the most popular programme on Radio 4 and one of the BBC's most popular programmes across its radio networks...
on BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
, and Paddy O'Connell
Paddy O'Connell
Guy Patrick Bennett O'Connell , known as Paddy O'Connell, is an English television and radio presenter, working mainly for the BBC....
, broadcaster.
See also
- English-Speaking Union ScotlandEnglish-Speaking Union ScotlandThe English-Speaking Union Scotland is an educational Scottish charity whose purpose, shared with the English-Speaking Union internationally, is to promote international understanding and human achievements through the widening use of the English language throughout the world.ESU Scotland is based...
- John Smith Memorial MaceJohn Smith Memorial MaceThe John Smith Memorial Mace is an annual debating tournament contested by universities in England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales....
- ESU Schools MaceESU Schools MaceThe English-Speaking Union Schools Mace is an annual debating tournament for secondary schools in England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales.The competition was founded in 1957 by the journalist Kenneth Harris of The Observer newspaper, and was initially known as The Observer Schools Mace...