How to MC an English Singing Contest

Being a master of ceremonies for such a huge event can be quite nerve-racking. The MC's job is to make sure every part of the contest goes smoothly as planned. Not only that, we want all the teachers and students can have fun together before the final results come out. So, how exactly can an MC pull these off?

1. Open the contest with a small talk. Other than greetings and self-introduction, we can also ask questions like: Are you excited today? What can students learn from an English singing contest? Don't try to memorize every single word from your script because you wouldn't sound excited yourself.

2. Get each team ready. The MC announces which team should stand by outside the auditorium and which should proceed to the stage. He or she shouts out loud the title of each song CORRECTLY. A cellphone would come in handy if you want to be sure of the correct pronunciation.   

3. Have everyone take seats in time. Usually, the contest is divided into two parts. We allow a 10-minute break and make sure all go back before the second half begins. Remember to call the first two teams to get in position. When all the judges are in position, we start the contest.

4. Let's Kahoot! It'll take the judges about 15 minutes to decide on the final scores. We don't want everybody to just wait that long doing nothing. So, a good way of entertainment and engaging everybody is Kahoot. We get all the students guessing the title of the songs with their smartphones.

5. Invite the judges to give feedback and suggestions. Now the final results have just been handed over to the MC. However, we want to hear what the judges have to say before the climax of the whole event. Hand over the stage to the principal, and she'll invite two judges to comment. 

6. Announce the final results. Starting from the Honorable Mentions all the way to the Championship, we want to keep everyone in suspense. For example, I would say "For those who haven't been announced, you all have a chance to be the best of the contest. Which team do you think can be our champion?".

7. Express gratitude for your teachers. After the happy ones take the stage one by one, it's about time to announce that we had a wonderful contest today. Before that, don't forget to get the students to say "Thank you, Teacher."

Though I had been an MC for the Readers' Competition numerous times, I still got a bit nervous before coming out of the curtain. It was not perfect and had some room for improvement for sure. However, I enjoyed every minute of it because I got to present in English as well as listen to so many beautiful songs.