Introduction
July 2019
To District Directors, General Inspectors, School Principals and Pedagogic Advisers, English Regional Inspectors, English Coordinators and Teachers,
Dear English Teaching Professionals,
It is my privilege to present the annual bulletin that provides information about programs and plans concerning the instruction and assessment of English in Israeli schools for the 2019-2020 academic school year.
Our main focus this year will be becoming acquainted with and looking for ways to implement the English curriculum 2020. Currently the pre-foundation and foundation levels are ready to be used, setting the model and structure for what can be expected in Junior-High and in High-School, by the end of this academic school year.
The revised curriculum follows international standards, mainly the CEFR, adopting an action-oriented approach to the description of communicative proficiency. The curriculum perceives the learners of English as language users who perform in real-life tasks. This perspective is translated into “can-do” descriptors that define what English language learners can do with language in different situations, for different purposes, at each level along the journey toward English language proficiency. To this end, vocabulary and grammar are targeted and specified to be taught in the context of the "can-do" descriptors. In order to become familiar with the curriculum and its pedagogical implications, courses will be organized and announced (see this bulletin and Stay-up-to-Date site).
In line with current focus on vocabulary in the English curriculum, future assessments ( for example, meitzav tests) will also attend to the subject. Vocabulary items from the designated list on the inspectorate’s site will be targeted to make sure more vocabulary is taught and learned to reflect students’ lexical needs.
This bulletin provides instructive, advanced and stimulating information and is also attentive to your needs as versatile English teachers. I invite you to use this information to help you prepare for the new academic school year.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank so many of you who walk the steps of perfecting English teaching and assessment: National Counselors, Regional Inspectors, Lead Teachers, mentor teachers and college instructors. Your service to the joint cause of working towards a more desirable, excelling-quality of English instruction in Israeli schools is most-respected.
Dr. Tziona Levi, Chief Inspector of English
Copies:
Mr. Shmuel Abuav, Director General, Ministry of Education
Dr. Shosh Nachum, Head of Pedagogical Administration Section
Dr. Miri Schlissel, Head of Pedagogical Secretariat.
Rabbi Dr. Avraham Lipshitz, Head of National Religious Sector (Hemed)
Mr. Muhana Fares, Head of National Programs
Mr. David Gal, Director of Testing Department
Mrs. Dalia Fennig Deputy Head of Pedagogical Secretariat
Mr. Moshe Za'frani, Head of Department of Languages
Mrs. Dassi Beeri, Head of School Division
Ms. Etty Sassi Head of Elementary School