9-10 Content Descriptions - Understanding language and culture
Understanding systems of language
apply features of the Arabic sound system, including pitch, rhythm, stress, pronunciation and intonation, and show how these are represented in familiar and some unfamiliar contexts
- pronouncing الشدة and السكون
- applying prior knowledge of pronunciation and sound conventions to predict spelling and sound of unfamiliar words during class dictation, reading aloud or transcribing
- using the rhythms of the Arabic language, including intonation, tone and stress, to increase fluency and enhance expression
- recognising the need for pauses or changes of tone in complex sentences with embedded clauses
- listening to a range of audio texts at various speeds such as phone messages and announcements, to develop strategies and techniques to infer meaning
- noticing how intonation and tone of voice can convey emotions and shade meaning, such as distinguishing between colloquial or formal language, for example, حقًا؟ يا إلهي! تعال إلى هنا حالاً
using onomatopoeia in sentences for literary effect in texts such as comics and stories, for example, بوم بوم! أسمع أصوات الألعاب النارية في ليلة رأس السنة...
reciting difficult tongue twisters or making their own, to improve pronunciation, fluency and pace, for example, روحي وروحك يا روحي روحين بروح مطرح متروح روحك روحي بتروحقفص قصب في قفص خشب
select and use structures and features of the Arabic grammatical and writing systems to enhance meaning and create spoken, written and multimodal texts
- applying punctuation and spacing rules between words and using their knowledge of writing conventions such as paragraphing and sequencing to create texts, and typing in Arabic
- recognising that certain letters in Arabic appear in different variations, for example, ة ،ت
using plural demonstrative pronouns and pronouns such as ‘we, you and they’ in Arabic نحن مدرّسون، هم طلّاب، هذا طالب مجتهد، هؤلاء الطلاب
expanding their knowledge of noun-adjective agreement, for example, هؤلاء معلّمون بارعون، هؤلاء طالبات مجتهدات
identifying possession idaafa and attached possessive pronouns for singular and plural, for example, هذا بيتُ يوسف/ هذا بيته، هذا سريري، هذه غرفتكَ، كتابكِ، حقيبة نور/هذه حقيبتها، صف التلاميذ/ صفوفكم، سيارة العائلة
using س /سوف with the present tense to express future plans, for example, سوف أذهب إلى الجامعة، سأسافر مع أهلي، ،سوف أشتري سيارة، سوف أعمل في مطعم
using a range of conjunctions such as أو ,ف ,لكن, to connect sentences, for example, ما ذهبت سارة لكن هيفاء كل فطيرة أو كعكة
using interrogative words and expressions, for example, لِمَ أنتَ هُنا؟ هل تريد هذا الكتاب؟
using subjunctive mood to express doubt, uncertainty, or emotion, for example, قد أسافر في العطلة، ربما نذهب يوم السبت إلى السينما
describing people and objects, using comparatives and superlatives, for example, هذا أقلّ من ذاك، الكتاب أخفّ من القاموس، الماء أفضل من المشروبات الغازية
applying rules of negation in a range of sentences, for example, لن أتصل بك، لم أتأخرعن الدرس، ليس عندي وقت
using imperative verb forms to persuade, encourage, and give advice, for example, تابع مجهودك، حاولْ مرَّة ثانية، هيَّا يا سامر لنذهب إلى المعلم ونسأله، لا تعاشر اصحاب السوء لأنهم يضيعون وقتك
using a range of irregular adjectives to describe number, shape and colour, for example, تقميص أحمر، حقيبة حمراء، قلم أخضر، ممحاة خضراء، شكل مدور، مثلث، مربع، مستطيل
using adverbial phrases to expand on ideas and provide further information, for example, متأخراً ، باكراً، دائماً، مسرعاً
applying gender and number agreement, for example, خمسة أقلام، خمس ساعات، ثلاث طالبات، ثلاثة طلاب
using ordinal numbers to count the hours, minutes and seconds with half and quarter past the hour, for example, أُريدُ أَن أَحجُز طاوِلَة في الساعَة الوَاحِدَة والرُبع، في الساعة التاسعة إلا عشر دقائق
reflect on and evaluate Arabic texts, using metalanguage to discuss language structures and features
- recognising the significance and cultural importance of features of different types of texts in Arabic and English, such as forms of address or language associated with rituals or celebrations, and understanding how these vary according to the context, occasion and intended audience
- using metalanguage to identify grammatical similarities and differences between Arabic and English, such as word order, sentence types, verb moods, verb tenses, possessive pronouns, gender agreement, script
- analysing persuasive texts such as advertisements, slogans or speeches, recognising the use of rhetorical devices and emotive language to engage the intended audience
- noticing and explaining differences in text structure and grammar between formal and informal Arabic and English use, for example, between the structure of a business letter and an informal email
comparing spoken and written forms of familiar types of texts in Arabic and English such as spoken and written apologies, spoken storytelling and written reports, noticing differences in grammatical, expressive, and textual features, for example, من فضلك اقبل إعتذاري، أعتذر /أقدّم إعتذاري ، أنا آسف/ آسفة
Understanding the interrelationship of language and culture
reflect on and explain how identity is shaped by language(s), culture(s), attitudes, beliefs and values, and how these affect ways of communicating
identifying and discussing how values or attitudes are reflected in Arabic and English, including the concept of punctuality reflected in language such as لن تهرب الحفلة ، لا تستعجل, and social interactions such as expressing indirect thanks, apologies or appreciation, for example, أشكرك شكراً جزيلاً على جهودك الرائعة، لا شكر على واجب، تقبل مني أصدق الإعتذار، أعتذر على الخطأ الذي بدر مني.
- analysing language and cultural practices that are interconnected, for example, by identifying religious origins or connotations associated with places such as أورشليم المقدسة، كربلاء، دير حريصا، مكة المكرمة or by identifying ways in which the residual influences of traditional lifestyles are preserved in language
- interviewing bilingual people about the experience of using more than one language, for example, by asking questions, “Do you identify more strongly with one language?”, “Do you express yourself differently in each language?”, “Why/how?”
- reflecting on and explaining the protocols required to authentically co-create an Acknowledgement of Country/Place with a First Nations Australian, to present in Arabic for a group of Arabic-speaking visitors at a school assembly
examining the meaning of Arabic proverbs and sayings and how they reflect traditional cultural views, ideas and attitudes, for example, الصديق وقت الضيق، أنا وأخي على ابن عمي وأنا وابن عمي على الغريبالعقل السليم في الجسم السليم، عصفور باليد أحسن من عشرة على الشجرة
- comparing texts created for different audiences in diverse Arabic-speaking regions and countries, noticing how language reflects priorities, values, beliefs and identities of specific communities
identifying words used in colloquial Arabic that fuse Arabic and English, such as in film, advertising, to capture trends, convey concepts and engage with intercultural experience, for example, غوغل، شاير، هاشتاغ لايك
recognising that Arabic carries histories of contact with other languages and cultures, for example, by identifying and classifying borrowed words or terms that originate from other languages that have been ‘Arabised’ (ta’reeb) such as طماطم ، أوتوبيس ، بيتزا ، ساندويتش ، أطلس
- investigating the nature and use of the Arabic language in different contexts, for example, asking Arabic-speaking students in Australia when they use Arabic or English, with whom, how and why
- investigating their own cultural and linguistic biographies to discover more about family heritage, migration and history, and reflecting on how this can contribute to their identity and understanding family beliefs and values