Moroccan Teen Wins French Eloquence Contest Just 4 Years After Learning Language

Arriving in France at the start of the 2020 school year, in the midst of the Covid-19 crisis, Mohammed Belaaraj, born and raised in Spain near Valencia, did not speak French. But in four years, he has mastered the language of Molière, to the point of winning an eloquence contest for higher education organized by the city of Mont-de-Marsan. On Thursday, April 3rd, after the jury’s deliberation, the 18-year-old, studying for a vocational baccalaureate at the Robert-Wlérick high school, received his prize at the Théâtre de Molière, as reported by Sud-Ouest.

"I still can’t believe it, but I’m proud nonetheless," Mohammed Belaaraj declared after his victory. The high school student has just accomplished a feat, after only four years of living in France, a country he arrived in overnight. "My father told us about our departure a week before. We had to return the books to the school. Say goodbye to friends... I told myself that I would never return to Spain," he confided during his performance.