Salomé Bourdet-Menoreau loves getting creative with the French language: playing with puns, volleying with vocabulary and expressing herself through rhythm and rhyme. A native speaker from France, she’s had numerous opportunities to practise her wordplay at McGill.
Bourdet-Menoreau co-founded and serves as president of McGill Éloquence, a francophone student-run club centred on public speaking and French expression.
She also competed at « Délie ta langue! », an eloquence competition involving students from 14 universities from across Canada. Eight McGillians participated in the contest. Bourdet-Menoreau served as the University’s official representative, finishing fourth.
“I chose to attend McGill because I wanted to meet international people, but I also looked forward to being anchored within the French community,” said Bourdet-Menoreau. “I knew I could feel at home here.”
Flourishing in French
Bourdet-Menoreau had already visited Montreal prior to applying to McGill to study Political Science; she liked the city, knew McGill’s excellent academic reputation and said she has thoroughly enjoyed her time here.
“It was hard to leave France, but I’ve made great friends and had great experiences – I just love it,” she said.
Having previously participated in an eloquence competition in high school, she co-founded the McGill club with Chloé Zheng-Lucas as a means for francophones to practise their language. They’ve held workshops, organized annual competitions and invited guests to speak on topics that range from succeeding in job interviews to improving vocabulary.
“It’s a creative space to express ourselves in French,” said Bourdet-Menoreau. “I like the combination of writing and speaking – you’re throwing your ideas out there and articulating what you want to say.”
This year was the first time McGill competed in « Délie ta langue! », which invites undergraduate students to prepare a five-minute speech centred on a French expression and tied to a social issue. Bourdet-Menoreau chose « mettre un cautère sur une jambe de bois » (loosely translated: putting a Band-Aid on a broken leg) and related it to the environment.
“I applied to compete because I wanted to challenge myself,” said Bourdet-Menoreau. “The level was really high – everyone had great speeches.”
Her success is indicative of the depth of McGill’s francophone talent, a source of great pride for Natallia Liakina, McGill’s Vice-Provost, Rayonnement du français.
“Salomé Bourdet-Menoreau’s performance reflects the strength of our students’ ability to engage thoughtfully and creatively with social issues, and highlights how, at McGill, French is a vibrant space for expression, public speaking and engagement,” said Liakina. “McGill offers numerous opportunities to engage and express oneself in French, allowing students to develop their voice and fluency in French in diverse contexts.”
