TRANSITION TIMES / TY Talk: "Mobile phones should be banned because . . ." To support her argument, Yvonne leans forward on the lectern and looks squarely at her audience.

Yvonne Donnelly is the team captain of a debating team that discusses the motion "Mobile phones are a blessing". The audience comprises students, teachers and two adjudicators who are sitting in the background. It isn't easy to stand up in front of a crowd and defend a motion.

However, to do this through the German language is surely an additional challenge. Yet Yvonne, Maura, Jenni and Orla are four TY students from Portumna Community School who are willing and well able to meet this challenge.

Their team is one of 50 teams nationwide that entered this year's German Debating Competition organised by the German Teachers' Association.

The competition has been held for eight years and is sponsored by Siemens and the Goethe-Institut Dublin.

Teams consist of students from TY up to sixth year and topics range from

"The Transition Year is a waste of time" to "The Irish have no interest in their environment" and "Drugs should be legalised".

"My favourite topic? I don't know. I suppose they all are interesting and it also depends whether you are for or against it," says team captain Yvonne. "But it's good fun! Es macht Spaß!"

It is a big step from doing the Junior Certificate in German to taking part in a German debate. At first, Maura didn't think she could do this. "I feel really proud of myself now. I mean, to be able to do this in German. It's good for my self confidence. We just got better with each round! I will benefit from it in my exam."

It is a very good opportunity to use the German language outside the classroom in a "real" situation.

Apart from their language skills, the students also learn how to work as part of a team and their communication skills improve immensely. For Jenni it was a very satisfying experience that she could persuade somebody in another language. Orla likes the opportunity to try out some humour "auf Deutsch".

"We were against the motion," she smiles. "Mobile phones are a blessing . . . but sure they are, aren't they? Well, we all have one!"