Virtual Booth

Many primary school children learn English but still feel shy or nervous when speaking. They may be afraid of making mistakes, unsure of what to say, or uncomfortable speaking in front of others. SpeakUp! – Small Steps. Brave Voices. is a speaking-confidence innovation designed to help children practise English in a safe, fun, and encouraging way. SpeakUp! uses a Brave Path that guides children through five stages: Me Zone, Buddy Zone, Friend Zone, Team Zone, and Star Zone. Children begin by speaking alone and gradually progress towards speaking confidently in front of others. The innovation includes Mystery Speaking Missions, Brave Cards, a Magic Mic, Help Me! support, and Brave Stars to make speaking practice enjoyable and less stressful. When children do not know what to say, the Help Me! feature provides useful words, sentence starters, and simple questions. Instead of rewarding only correct answers, Brave Stars recognise children for trying, using their voice, trying again, and completing speaking missions. SpeakUp! aims to develop English speaking confidence, communication skills, participation, and courage among primary school children. Most importantly, SpeakUp! teaches children that mistakes are OK and trying is brave.

Keywords: SpeakUp!, English speaking, speaking confidence, primary school, communication, gamification