As a result of MEXTESOL’s successful involvement in the series of Franklin SpellEvents (2009–2012) cohosted with TESOL International Association, MEXTESOL began searching for ways to host its own annual national spelling bee. It took 2 years to organize the event logistics and secure the sponsorship of Merriam-Webster, and on 25 April 2015, the 1st Annual MEXTESOL National Spelling Bee 2015 took place at the Colegio México in Mexico City.

The purpose of the spelling bee is to promote the learning of English vocabulary, spelling, usage, pronunciation, and also grammar in nonbilingual schools in Mexico. Of course, through the washback effect, we hope to improve teachers’ awareness and teaching of these elements in the schools, and we also hope that the participating students will be motivated to continue learning English.

Because the terms bilingual and nonbilingual are very ambiguous, we determined that a school is eligible for our spelling bee if a maximum of 10 hours a week of English is given at the school, including the English class. That is, the contest is for English as a foreign language students. We have a two-tiered contest: One for 5th and 6th graders in primary school (maximum age 12) and one for 1st- and 2nd-year students in secondary school (maximum age 15).

As the spelling bee takes place in the capital, Mexico City, all expenses for attending the contest are the responsibility of each participating school and student. MEXTESOL and Merriam-Webster only cover the expenses of the actual spelling bee contest itself. Therefore, the national aspect of the spelling bee is dependent on finances, and, as expected, more schools from central Mexico and the capital itself participate than schools from other regions.

This inaugural year, nine schools with a total of 41 students participated in the primary contest, and five schools with a total of 31 students participated in the secondary contest. The first-place winner of the primary school contest was Ana Michelle Gallego Islas, of the Colegio Muñoz in Hermosillo, Sonora, and the first-place winner of the secondary school contest was Paloma Chacón Dávila, of Unidades Básicas, UPAEP, in Puebla, Puebla.

Each of the 72 contestants received a certificate of participation and also a learner’s dictionary from Merriam-Webster. The first-place winners in each contest received a tablet as well as numerous additional dictionaries from Merriam-Webster. Second- and third-place winners in each contest also received attractive educational prizes.

The president of the Asociación Mexicana de Maestros de Inglés, MEXTESOL, A.C., Pia Maria White, presided over the event and served as a judge. Peter Sokolowski, editor-at-large at Merriam-Webster, was the pronouncer for both contests.

Light refreshments and cookies were available during the registration process, and during the break between the two contests, a box lunch was served to everybody attending including the teachers of the students and school officials, as well as supporting family members and friends.

All in all, MEXTESOL was pleased with the results of its first spelling bee and wishes to thank Merriam-Webster for its sponsorship of the event. We will be organizing an informational session for the 2016 spelling bee at our annual convention in Cancún, Mexico, 5–8 November 2015, and thereafter publish the 2016 spelling bee rules and guidelines on our website. We hope more eligible schools will participate in next year’s event!

Ulrich Schrader is the MEXTESOL-TESOL liaison and a longtime member of both MEXTESOL and TESOL.