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New in Israeli schools: History in English
Education Ministry finds original way to improve English: Hold history, civics, and geography classes in English. In coming year, idea will be applied as experiment in 20 schools. Who hasn't done their history homework?
Tamar Trabelsi-Hadad
Do your children lack good command of English? No problem. Starting this school year they can practice the language in history, civics, and geography lessons.
A new program for improving English, formulated by the Chief Inspector for English Language Education in the Education Ministry, Dr. Judy Steiner, encourages students to study additional subjects in the curriculum in English. This is mainly focused on subjects like history, civics, art, and physical education, but not mathematics or science.
In its first stage, the program will be applied as a pilot for 6th graders in 10 elementary schools and for 9th graders in 10 middle schools throughout the country. The schools participating in the program have yet to be determined. The Ministry of Education reports that the program is meant to be run as a pilot starting already in the upcoming school year, but not from its outset.
Schools chosen to participate in the experiment will be able to choose one or two subjects that will be taught in English.
According to the plan formulated by the Education Ministry, the teachers who teach subjects chosen by the school to be taught in English will take professional workshops so that they will be able to teach their subject matter in English.
English teachers will guide the other teachers on methods of instruction and the schools' English coordinators will run the program. The Education Ministry emphasizes that the teachers chosen to take part in the project obviously will have a complete command of the English language.
According to the director general of the Education Ministry, Shmuel Abuav, the new program will allow students to broaden their knowledge of the subject they are learning while simultaneously broadening their knowledge of the English language.
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