The question above was the topic for writing a 150 word essay and win a trip to the Cambridge English Language Assessment head office in the beautiful, historic city of Cambridge and attend a series of talks and seminars.

The competition was aimed to the school principals and English coordinators of over 400 schools that apply the UNO Internacional methodology in Colombia, Guatemala and México.

The selected work for the prize was the one submitted by Ivett López Cano from Colegio Larrea. Following is the winning text and two other pieces that deserved a special mention by the judges.

1^st Place: Ivett López Cano

 English Language learning is important in Colegio Larrea because in our school we believe that education must evolve according to our current society’s needs as well as anticipate the demands of the future global society.       English is considered an international language; therefore, it allows our students to have an unlimited access to information and knowledge in areas such as science, technology, and sports. Even everyday information that currently surrounds kids such as music, internet and television is in English.       With globalization, learning English has become an indispensable tool to have better career and job opportunities. By learning English at an early stage in life, this gives our students a head start in reaching their goals for a successful future.   I strongly agree with my school’s philosophy which states that we are forming and educating citizens of the world. English language learning is definitely a gateway to better opportunities in life.

2^nd Place: Mariana Ávila Yáñez

English, a must-have tool for a limitless global world.    We, visionaries, have always existed and invested our wakeful nights dreaming of people building a world that does not have any frontiers, and sharing their knowledge to benefit from commonwealth.    Nowadays, every time we look around, we can see a CEO opening a branch office in China, hiring an agent in New York, a new outsourcer in Brazil, a coach in England and holding a meeting through Skype with all of them to agree on something: globalization. Reality surpassed fiction not only because of technology, but also thanks to a shared language, English.    We have the commitment of preparing our kids for a world that will be more complex than the one we share today and lead them to more demanding challenges. English helped people in the past, allows worldwide communication today, and will surely build networks among the future generations.

3^rd Place: Brenda Olvera Martínez

 Success in life is about sensing and identifying opportunities, and taking action. Throughout the history of mankind the chance to move forward, upward and outward has always been present. What has changed? People have changed. Their curiosity and creativity has led them to question, discover, and construct. Tools and strategies have changed also. They are continuously adapted to the challenges people set for themselves. They have evolved according to man’s needs and creativity. Nowadays the knowledge of various languages and application of technology are indispensable to be a part of the projects that are making a difference. At Anrod School, we teach English to guide our students towards discovering their potential for solving problems, applying it through various skills. They feel confident to form an essential part of our world’s growth because they possess the ability to do so using another language. They know they can make a difference.