Arabic (Version 8.4)

The nature of the learners

Children enter the early years of schooling with varying degrees of early literacy capability in Arabic and/or English. For young students, learning typically focuses on their immediate world of family, home, school, friends and neighbourhood. They are learning how to socialise with new people in settings outside the home, share with others, and participate in structured routines and activities at school.

Arabic language learning and use

Arabic is learnt in parallel with English language and literacy. While the learning of Arabic differs from the learning of English, each supports and enriches the other. Arabic is used at home and in familiar Arabic-speaking settings, and in classroom interactions, routines and activities, supported by the use of materials and resources, gestures and body language. At this stage, there is a focus on play, imaginative activities, games, music, dance and familiar routines, which provide scaffolding for language development. Repetition and consolidation help learners to identify familiar and new words and simple phrases, and to recognise the purpose of simple texts. Learners use Arabic for functions such as greeting (مرحبا؛ صباح الخير), sharing information ( هذه أختي لينا؛ عمري ست سنوات ), responding to instructions ( نعم؛ أنا هنا؛ حاضر ), and taking turns in games and simple shared tasks. The transition from spoken to written language is scaffolded via shared exploration of simple texts and language features. Learners use a variety of cues, including images, context and frequently used word patterns, to comprehend texts and communicate.

Contexts of interaction

The primary contexts for interaction in Arabic are the immediate environment of home and the classroom. Learners use Arabic to interact with each other and the teacher within the learning environment at school and with immediate family members at home. The use of information and communications technologies (ICT) enriches the learning of Arabic language and culture by providing alternative experiences, a range of resources, and opportunities to access authentic language in different contexts.

Texts and resources

Learners engage with a variety of spoken, written and visual texts, such as children’s songs and nursery rhymes, stories from Big Books and interactive resources. Writing skills progress from identifying the alphabet to tracing, labelling and copying letters, and then to constructing simple, short texts using familiar vocabulary.

Features of Arabic language use

Learners become familiar with how the sounds of the Arabic language are represented in letters and words. They practise pronunciation and intonation through activities such as reciting rhymes and poems and singing songs, and experiment with sounds, short and long vowels, phonemes, words, simple phrases and sentences relating to pictures, objects and actions, for example, طاولة صغيرة . They learn to recognise the letters of the Arabic alphabet, including new sounds, for example,خ؛ ع؛غ؛ ق؛ ص؛ ض؛ ط؛ ظ , and the way letters are joined to make words, for example, طار؛ طير؛ ذهب, and make comparisons with the English alphabet. They write letters, words and simple sentences using familiar vocabulary, prelearnt language features and structures, and formulaic expressions, for example, كان يا ما كان. They begin to recognise how language use changes according to the speakers and context.

Level of support

The classroom is a new context of communication where learners rely on the teacher to assist their learning. Learning experiences are supported by the teacher through scaffolding, modelling, cueing, monitoring, feedback and encouragement. Multiple and varied sources of input and stimulus are used, including visual cues, such as the use of gestures, and resources, for example, bilingual Big Books and picture books, subtitled cartoons and video programs, and realia, objects, maps and charts.

The role of English

Arabic is used as the medium for class interaction and to demonstrate and model new language acquisition. English may be used to explain features of language and aspects of culture. Both English and Arabic may be used when learners are communicating about similarities and differences between Arabic and other languages and cultures and reflecting on how they talk and behave in Arabic-speaking and English-speaking contexts.

The nature of the learners

At this level, children are developing awareness of their social worlds and their membership of various groups, including the Arabic class. They are further developing literacy capabilities in both Arabic and English, as well as biliteracy capabilities. They benefit from multimodal, activity-based learning that builds on their interests and capabilities and makes connections with other areas of learning.

Arabic language learning and use

Learners interact with family and the wider Arabic-speaking community, and at school they interact with their peers and the teacher in a variety of communicative activities. Specific language learning skills such as memory and communication strategies are developed. Learners primarily engage in a variety of listening and viewing activities, and understand familiar stories, songs and poems. They use Arabic in everyday interactions, such as giving and following instructions أرسم خطاً على الورقة؛ أكتب العنوان فوق, attracting attention and seeking help عندي فكرة رائعة!؛ ممكن أن أتكلم؟. They participate in collaborative activities such as sharing information about their routines, friendships and leisure activities. They listen to, view and read a range of print, digital and spoken texts, such as interactive stories and performances, and use their imagination to create simple texts such as dialogues, stories and cartoons. They locate and classify key points of information in spoken, written and multimodal texts, and convey information about their family, home and neighbourhood in simple texts such as diary entries, emails and short stories.

Contexts of interaction

The contexts in which students interact in learning and using Arabic are primarily the classroom, school and home. They have access to the wider community of Arabic speakers and resources through out-of-classroom activities and the use of virtual and digital technology. They work both independently and cooperatively, further developing their sense of personal as well as group identity, and of the cultural significance of family relationships.

Texts and resources

Learners develop biliteracy skills through interacting with a range of spoken, written, visual and multimodal texts. Texts such as recipes, reports and family profiles show how language is used in different ways and for different purposes.

Features of Arabic language use

Learners explore Arabic sounds, intonation and writing conventions to further develop their speaking and writing skills and initial understanding of their developing biliteracy. They use key grammatical forms and structures, such as verbs, pronouns, singular/plural forms and prepositions, to provide information in simple sentences and short texts about places جاء وليد من مصر عندما كان عمره أربع سنوات, people, actions, events and feelings, for example, عندما أعزف الموسيقى أشعر بالفرح. They begin to develop a metalanguage for understanding and discussing language features, and make connections and comparisons between Arabic and English. Comparing the structures and patterns of Arabic with those of English helps learners understand both languages, assisting in the development of their biliteracy skills.

Level of support

In the classroom, this stage of learning involves extensive support through scaffolding. Teachers model what is expected, introduce language concepts and resources needed to manage and complete tasks, and make time for experimentation, drafting and redrafting, providing support for self-monitoring and reflection. Support includes a range of spoken, written, visual and interactive resources, such as poems, songs, video clips and digital games.

The role of English

Learners use Arabic in classroom routines, social interactions, learning tasks, and language experimentation and practice. Arabic and English are used for discussion, explanation and reflection. Learners explore connections between culture and language use in various Arabic-speaking communities and the wider Australian context, and reflect on their own sense of identity and their experiences as Arabic background speakers when communicating and interacting with others.

The nature of the learners

At this level, learners have established communication and literacy skills in Arabic that enable them to explore aspects of Arabic language and culture as well as topical issues drawn from other key learning areas. They are widening their social networks, experiences and communication repertoires in both Arabic and English and developing some biliteracy capabilities. They participate in collaborative tasks that both recycle and extend language. They are gaining greater independence and becoming more conscious of their peers and social context, and increasingly aware of the world around them.

Arabic language learning and use

Purposeful language use in authentic contexts and shared activities in the classroom develop language skills and enhance communication and understanding. Learning how Arabic is structured reinforces learners’ oracy and literacy. Learners develop their speaking skills by interacting with teachers, peers, family and local Arabic speakers to share their own and enquire about others’ experiences أقرأ قصة قبل النوم؛ وأنتِ هل تقرأين قبل النوم؟, social activities and opinions. They have access to a broader range of vocabulary, and use a growing range of strategies such as effective listening skills to support communication. They write more accurately and fluently for a range of purposes, contexts and audiences. They listen to, view and read Arabic folk tales, fables and films to engage with themes, characters and events, exploring embedded cultural beliefs, values and practices, and use their imagination to create and perform songs, poems, short plays and video clips. They obtain information from a range of sources about social, cultural and communicative aspects of lifestyles in Arabic-speaking communities, and present the information in different formats for particular audiences. Individual and group presentation and performance skills are developed through modelling, rehearsing and resourcing the content of presentations.

Contexts of interaction

Learners use Arabic in the classroom and in their extended social space, such as family, neighbourhood and the community, for a growing range of purposes, for example, exchanging information, expressing ideas and feelings, and responding to experiences. They are able to work more independently, but also enjoy working collaboratively in pairs and in groups. They explore cultural aspects of communication, and use information and communications technologies (ICT) to support and enhance their learning.

Texts and resources

Learners interact with an increasing range of informative, persuasive and imaginative texts about neighbourhoods, places, and Arabic-speaking communities and individuals. They refer to and use more established grammatical and lexical resources to understand and communicate in Arabic. The use of dictionaries is encouraged for accuracy and expansion of language acquisition.

Features of Arabic language use

Learners’ pronunciation, intonation and phrasing are more confident, and they apply appropriate writing conventions, including spelling and punctuation, in a range of print, digital and multimodal texts. They use grammatical structures, such as verb conjugation, suffixes, linguistic elements such as conjunctions and a range of adjectives and adverbs to describe actions and events according to time and place هو كتبَ؛ هي ركضت , share information about life at home and school أمي تطبخ طعاماً لذيذاً؛ أبي يغسل السيارة كل أسبوع, elaborate on ideas and information and express opinions relating to their personal and social worlds. They understand how language use varies when interacting with different people and for different purposes. They explore cross-linguistic and intercultural influences of other languages on Arabic, such as Aramaic, Syriac and Assyrian, and regional languages such as Persian, Kurdish and Turkish.

Level of support

While learners work both independently and collaboratively at this level, ongoing support and feedback are incorporated into task activities such as the production of written texts. Support includes the provision of models, scaffolds, stimulus materials, and resources such as word charts, vocabulary lists and dictionaries.

The role of English

Classroom interactions are increasingly bilingual. Arabic is used primarily for communication, while English and Arabic are used for discussion of linguistic features and cultural practices, and for reflective tasks and explanations. Learners are given opportunities to think about personal and community identity. They explore the relationship between language and culture, and ask questions about cultural values and practices and how these relate to their own sense of identity as Arabic background speakers when interacting in different Arabic- and English-speaking contexts.