Keep Talking

The aim of the ‘Keep Talking’ 10th grade speaking program is to raise the level of oral proficiency in English among Israeli students, not only in preparation for the oral component of the matriculation exam, but more importantly as preparation for active participation in today's global world.

Consequently, one of the national goals for promoting English proficiency is the improvement of students' English speaking skills. In order to address this issue, the Ministry of Education created 'Keep Talking' - and allocated additional hours of English speaking classes to pupils in the 10th grade.

Now, in its third year ‘Keep Talking’ is being implemented in 600 schools across the country. Teachers participated in workshops throughout the country in their professional learning communities connected to the ‘Keep Talking’ classroom. In addition to the approved ‘Keep Talking’ books, materials can be found on the Keep Talking website. The website includes presentations, lesson plans, materials and resources for successfully implementing the program.

Feedback from both students and teachers has been overwhelmingly positive, as the program provides opportunities for students to speak in pairs and small groups about topics that are of immediate relevance to their lives.

Research shows that activities need to be relevant and authentic, and provide useful lexical items for students to learn, use and recycle, both inside and outside the classroom. This is the case with ‘Keep Talking’, as one teacher reported: “You can HEAR the improvement and see how their writing has improved because of their improved speaking skills. In addition, the students share their experiences.”

Another teacher said: “The Keep Talking program helps students to master their speaking skills in a very friendly atmosphere without any pressure and fear of bad grades.” A student commented: ‘This program helped me to speak with lots of people, and to use the new words we learned in class. These lessons were fun!”