Fourth-graders from Burgas and the surrounding area will test their English at a contest on Friday, 27 November, at 5.30pm at the Young Talents Centre in Burgas, the organisers said.

The English Stars Challenge is now in its third year. The organisers say the first two editions were a success.

The children will go through four main rounds testing vocabulary, grammar, listening and speaking. The fourth round is new this year, and pupils will speak English with each other in pairs. There is also a fifth round, in which each child will write their own story.

Shtiliyan Mihaylov chairs the contest. He is a certified Cambridge teacher and examiner with experience in London. He writes teaching materials and believes in learning through play.

The top three places get medals and prizes. The organisers have also prepared three special awards: "Best Young Writer" for the best young author, "Best Speaker" for the best speaking, and "Rising Star Award" for a rising star.

The organisers say the children will face new tasks this year and have more chances to show what they can do. They want pupils to show knowledge, confidence and imagination, and to find out how exciting it is to learn a foreign language.

"With this contest we want to encourage children to be brave, think for themselves, share their ideas and use what they have learned with confidence and imagination," said Liliana Slavova, chair of the "Chance for Children and Nature of Bulgaria" Foundation. She said English should give children a way to talk to others and be creative, not just a set of facts to memorise.

The contest will be held in the centre's building at 4 Atanas Sirekov Square.