Foundation Arabic Syllabus
Foundation
Foundation Year Level Description
In Foundation, Arabic language learning builds on the Early Years Learning Framework and each student’s prior learning and experiences with language. Students communicate with peers, teachers, known adults and students from their own and other classes. Background-language learners may also interact in Arabic within their family. Students strengthen and extend their communication and interpersonal skills by interacting with peers in Arabic through play-based and action-related learning. They receive extensive support through modelling, scaffolding and revisiting.
Students experience and imitate the sounds and gestures of Arabic language. They participate in shared listening and viewing of texts that represent Arabic and Arabic-speaking contexts. Spoken, written and multimodal texts may include conversations, picture books, traditional and contemporary rhyming verse, songs and stories, films, animated cartoons and performances. Background-language learners may bring examples of known Arabic contexts or texts to the classroom. Students learn that language can be represented in different ways, including the Roman and Arabic alphabets. They learn that languages and cultures are connected, and that what is familiar to one person can be new to somebody else.
Foundation Achievement Standard
By the end of the Foundation year, students use play and imagination to interact and create Arabic texts, with support. They identify that Arabic and English look and sound different. They recognise that there are languages and cultures as well as their own, and that aspects of language and culture contribute to their own and others’ cultural identity.
Foundation Content Descriptions
with support, recognise and communicate meaning in Arabic
using simple greetings and gestures relevant to the time of day, for example, صباح الخير، مساء الخير، نهارك سعيد
using puppets to introduce themselves or share simple information, for example, صباح الخير أنا اسمي ليلى، أنا ليلي مساء الخير أنا اسمي عادل، انا عادل
sharing likes and dislikes using modelled language and keywords, for example, أنا أحب أمي، أنا أحب معلمتي، أنا أحب التفاح، أنا لا أحب الموز
participating in class activities and following instructions, using movement and actions, for example, قف/ قفي، اجلس/اجلسي، اجلس في دائرة، افتح الباب
imitating Arabic pronunciation and copying gestures, body language and the mouth shape and tongue position of the teacher, for example, ثَ – ثَعْلَب، ذ – ذِئِب
participating in a range of songs and rhymes, using musical instruments and clapping to chant Arabic letters and words, for example, أنشودة الحروف العربية، أغنية الأرقام، أغنية الألوان، أنشودة الفواكه
responding to simple descriptive language to guess a concealed item in a bag or box such as a pencil, spoon, ball, soft toy or fruit, for example, إنه ناعم/خشن، إنه كبير/صغير، إنه طويل/قصير، إنه مستدير
listening to simple instructions and keywords in Arabic to build an object or add body parts, shapes or colours to a drawing or sculpture, for example, ارسم دائرة، ارسم الشعر، لونه أحمر
engaging in play with blocks, props, toys or concrete materials to construct items, using simple Arabic to talk about number, colour and shape, for example, صغير، كبير، أحمر، أخضر، مكعّب
- participating in shared reading of familiar stories, sharing thoughts about characters and events, and noticing that an Arabic book is read from right to left
- participating in group reading of familiar stories or sensory books in Arabic, repeating key words and simple descriptions
- re-enacting stories with puppets, props or actions
identifying familiar objects in the classroom by labelling, naming, pointing, matching, clicking and dragging, drawing and tracing قلم، دفتر، كتاب، مسطرة، ممحاة، ورقة، طاولة، كرسي، لوح، شاشة
playing digital games to count, sort, order, match and imitate language, for example, واحد، اثنان، ثلاثة في الأول، في الاَخر
explore, with support, language features of Arabic noticing similarities and differences between Arabic and English
observing that written Arabic uses different letters from English and that Arabic is always written in cursive and letters usually connect to their neighbouring letters, unlike English which can be written in either print or cursive form, for example, ب ي ت - بيت
- tracing and practising writing Arabic letters and numbers starting from the right side of the page
noticing when Arabic or English is being spoken in the classroom, and comparing some familiar words or expressions such as, “Hello, how are you?” مرحبًا، كيف حالكم اليوم؟ نحن بخير، بخير الحمد لله ازَّيكم؟ كيفكن؟ بخير
- making or drawing pictures to represent Arabic letter shapes, using tactile materials such as modelling clay or pipe cleaners, for example, the letter س looks like a boat on the sea with waves beside it
describing in their own words, using pictures and gestures as support, observable differences between Arabic and English, such as letters, text direction, diacritic marks, letter shapes, with the teacher transcribing findings on a poster or the whiteboard, for example, s - س
making connections with the Arabic origins of words and phrases used in everyday life in Australia, for example, identifying food names such as تبولة، فلافل، بابا غَنّوج، حمص
- experimenting with sounds used in Arabic, for example, animal noises عوعو, بقبق بيق, ماء ماء and comparing these with sounds in English and other languages represented in the class
noticing that the Arabic language spoken at home, with relatives, or in the local community, may sound different from the Standard Arabic language learnt in the classroom, for example, هُنا- هون/هِنا، نحنُ – نِحْنا/إحنا
explore connections between language and culture
- watching simple clips showing famous sites, foods, dress, cultural activities, events and associated language in Arabic-speaking communities and discussing observations and what was interesting, surprising, familiar, etc.
- participating in a class or school event celebrating Arab culture(s) and language(s), and trying some traditional foods, games, listening to a guest speaker or dancing to traditional music
- locating Arabic-speaking countries and regions on a world map, understanding that Arabic is spoken in Australia and around the world, noticing how local names of streets, places and landmarks can have their origins in language(s) of First Nations Australians
- using the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS) map of the languages of Australia to notice the language(s) of First Nations Australians in their local area and/or across Australia
exploring the different languages, dialects and gestures used by class members and listening to the different sounds and ways of saying common words or expressions such as “Good morning”, “My name is …” صباح الفل/صباح النور/صباح الخير اسمي ...
observing, through a variety of authentic resources and materials, that members of various Arabic-speaking communities may say and do everyday things differently from themselves such as المصافحة، التقبيل على الخد، بدء وجبة الطعام مع ذكر الله
exchanging ideas, feelings and understandings of language and culture through play-based learning experiences such as playing dress-ups, making a pretend restaurant or market stands, with props, realia and puppets, for example, ماذا لديك؟ طبق فتوش (لبنان)، كشري (مصر)، كبسة (الخليج) ماهذا العَلم؟ أعلام البلدان