Years 1-2 Arabic Syllabus
Years 1-2 Syllabus
Years 1-2 Band Level Description
In Years 1 and 2, Arabic language learning builds on each student’s prior learning and experiences with language. Students continue to communicate and work in collaboration with peers and teachers through purposeful and structured activities involving listening, speaking, viewing and early writing skills. They interact in Arabic language to share information about themselves and their immediate environments using play-based and action-related learning. Background-language learners may also interact in Arabic in their local community. In informal settings, students use local and digital resources to explore Arabic-speaking communities in Australia and diverse locations across the world. They continue to receive extensive support through modelling, scaffolding, repetition and reinforcement.
Students recognise key words and phrases, imitate gestures and pronunciation, and use modelled language to communicate with others. Background-language learners may bring prior knowledge of spoken language and gestures to the classroom. Students transition from spoken to written language and understand that Arabic is written from right to left and recognise that letters need to be joined to form words. They create simple imaginative and informative texts that may include pictorial representations, words and short statements. They collaborate and respond to spoken, written and multimodal texts that may include conversations, traditional and contemporary songs and rhymes, picture and story books, animated cartoons, films and performances. They notice that languages contain words which have been borrowed from another language, and that there are similarities and differences between languages and cultures.
Years 1-2 Achievement Standard
By the end of Year 2, students use Arabic language to interact and share information related to the classroom and themselves. They use cues to respond to questions and instructions, and use simple formulaic language. They locate and convey key items of information in texts using non-verbal, visual and contextual cues to help make meaning. They use familiar words and modelled language to create texts. They copy the letters and vowel marks of the Arabic alphabet to mark words.
Students imitate the sounds and rhythms of spoken Arabic. They demonstrate understanding that Arabic has conventions and rules for non-verbal communication, pronunciation and writing. They give examples of similarities and differences between some features of Arabic and English. They understand that language is connected with culture, and notice how this is reflected in their own language(s) and culture(s).
Years 1-2 Content Descriptions
Interacting in Arabic
recognise and respond to modelled classroom-related greetings, instructions and routines, and personal introductions
greeting and farewelling others at school and/or in the community, using appropriate expressions and body language, for example, مرحبًا، أهلًا، كيف حالُكَ/كيف حالُكِ؟ أنا بخير، إلى اللقاء صباح الخير/مساء الخير، أستاذ يوسف، أستاذة ليلى، أراك غداً
responding to and following classroom instructions, such as during roll call, when distributing work, preparing for activities or packing up, for example, نعم، أنا هنا، ليس هنا، حاضر افتح الكتاب، اغلق الباب، قف، اجلس، تعال، انظرِ إلى الشاشة، ارفعِ يدك
seeking permission and responding appropriately, or asking to borrow items and expressing simple possession, for example, من فضلك، لو سمحتِ، أريد أن أذهب إلى الحمام، أريد القلم، أريد الكتاب، شكراً، عفواً
using formulaic Arabic phrases for everyday interactions such as thanking, apologising and for special occasions, for example, أنا آسف، عيد ميلاد سعيد، شكراً
introducing themselves and answering simple questions, using formulaic expressions such as مرحبًا، اسمي عادل، اسمي ليلى، عمري سِتُّ سنوات. أنا طالب في الصف الأول، أنا طالبة في الصف الثاني. كم عمركَ؟ كم عُمرُكِ؟
asking and responding to questions about likes and dislikes, using simple language such as أنا أحب أمي، أنا أحب أبي، أنا أحب معلمتي، أنا لا أحب الفئران
sharing simple information about the school or home environment such as مدرستي كبيرة، صفي جميل، بيتي صغير استيقظ الساعة السادسة صباحًا، أفرشي أسناني، ألبس ثياب المدرسة، أذهب إلى مدرستي مع أمي، أعود إلى البيت الساعة الخامسة مساءً.
developing non-verbal and spoken communication skills, and some spontaneous language, through activities such a charades, roll the ball, musical statues, guessing games, Simon Says, for example, إنها طائرة! مهلًا! تعال الى هنا من فضلك
- exchanging simple correspondence (greeting cards, notes, etc.) for celebrations and cultural events, using modelled language, for example, أتمنى لك عيد ميلاد سعيد
participate in a range of guided, play-based language activities using formulaic expressions, visual and spoken cues
performing songs, raps, rhymes and action stories using simple language and non-verbal forms of expression such as clapping, gestures and facial expressions to support meaning, for example, غناء أغنية الحروف، غناء أغنية الأرقام
using some spoken modelled phrases and exclamations, and non-verbal cues such as pointing, clapping, hand gestures, to aid comprehension, for example, رائع ، ممتاز، الإشارة بإصبع الإبهام، الإشارة باليد للانتظار
using Arabic for versions of games that involve movement, such as Fruit Salad, Simon Says, All over Red Rover, What’s The Time Mr Wolf, and following directions and commands, for example, إرفع يدك، انظر إليّ، اغمض عينيك، ضع يدك على رأسك
engaging in a range of secure online games or using digital tools and applications (matching pairs, filling in gaps, dragging and dropping, playing memory games and bingo, etc.), to reinforce vocabulary using visual/spoken cues and formulaic expressions, for example, املأ الفراغ، ضع الصورة في المكان المناسب، اضغط هنا
contributing to class activities or projects, for example, making a birthday calendar, weather chart or class pet care roster, using familiar vocabulary such as اليوم هو عيد ميلاد يوسف، عيد ميلاد سامي في يوم ... ما تاريخ اليوم؟ تاريخ اليوم هو ... كيف الطقس اليوم؟ بارد، حار، معتدل نطعم السلحفاة يوم الاثنين ويوم الأربعاء
participating in collaborative tasks such as role-plays or solving a puzzle, that involve taking turns, counting and identifying appearance and characteristics, for example, دورك الآن، دوري الآن ، دوركم الآن كم عدد الأقلام؟ ما لون الزرافة؟ هل هذا أحمر أم أخضر؟
describing familiar objects and people, using pictures and concrete materials through oral activities and games such as show and tell, for example, الصف واسع، الملعب نظيف، السيارة صغيرة، الزرافة طويلة، الفتاة جميلة، الطاولة كبيرة
Mediating meaning in and between languages
locate, with support, key information in familiar texts, and respond using gestures, images, words and formulaic phrases
- listening to, reading or viewing a text and sequencing the events and ideas, using storyboards, drawing pictures or cutting and pasting pictures or words in corresponding order
using gestures, facial expressions, images, and contextual cues to assist understanding intended meaning, for example, أنا سعيد/ة، هو حزين/ة، هي تبكي/ هو يبكي، هي تضحك/هو يضحك
- identifying letters, numbers, words and phrases in written Arabic (titles, labels, captions, etc.), by labelling, matching, clicking and dragging, miming and using actions
- recognising that gestures and body language are integral to communicating in language for First Nations Australians, and showing examples of how they are also integral to communicating in Arabic and the language(s) they may speak at home
- collecting information from visual, written or multimodal texts and categorising the findings, for example, lists of favourite colours, animals or toys
- using contextual cues while reading or viewing, for example, using video and other visual prompts to reinforce words and phrases, and responding using key words, phrases or gestures
sorting and categorising information in graphic representations, such as tables and diagrams, including details about colour, quantity and place relating to people and objects, for example, ما عدد الأقلام الحمراء والزرقاء والسوداء على الطاولة؟ كم طالب وكم طالبة في الصف؟ كم عدد التفاح والموز والبرتقال في الوعاء؟
- listening to, reading or viewing Arabic versions of familiar stories in print, online or digital form, such as اليرقة الجائعة جداًّ and re-creating them through illustrations, mime, movement or dance
participating in shared reading of imaginative and informative texts using modelled language and formulaic expressions to respond to questions or make statements about illustrations, words, characters and events, for example, ما معنى ...؟ قصة رائعة، حفلة ممتعة، انظر إلى ...، القطة جميلة الكلب أسود
notice that language carries cultural meaning in classroom-related greetings, introductions, instructions and routines
noticing the use of titles to address teachers and older people, and first names or surnames with adults, to show respect, for example, أستاذ ...، عم ...، خالة ... سيدة... ، آنسة
- using prior knowledge to identify hand gestures, body language and facial expressions that can be used without language to convey meaning, for example, nodding to indicate agreement, right hand on chest when greeting, hand and finger gesture to indicate waiting, come here, go or no
translating when necessary to help others understand simple instructions, words or expressions such as يا عادل افتح الحاسوب ، يا ليلى انظري للجمل ، أنا أحب الكيوي.
noticing that some common Arabic words and expressions may be difficult to explain in English, for example, نعيماً، بتموني، تسلم ايديك، صحتين على قلبك
identifying culturally appropriate ways of communicating and acting in familiar contexts and incorporating these into their own interactions, for example, to show politeness and respect such as عدم وضع الركبة فوق الأخرى أمام المعلم، الوقوف عند تحية كبير السن، الصغير يمنح الأكبر مقعده، استخدام الألقاب عند مناداة الأشخاص
engaging in different Arabic cultural practices, events or traditional activities held at different times of the year, using related vocabulary, greetings and expressions such as ما شاء الله، مبروك، مبارك، كل عام وأنتم بخير، يوم ميلاد سعيد
Creating text in Arabic
with support, connect letters and use vowel marks to form words, and use familiar phrases and modelled language to create spoken, written and multimodal texts
recognising the different shapes of letters and connecting them to create simple words and sentences, for example, ج ز ر، أ ن ا، أ م ي جـ ـز ر، أ نـ ـا، أ مــ ـي جزر، أنا، أمي
using familiar vocabulary and modelled sentence structures to create informative texts (spoken or written descriptions, class book, family tree, dialogue, etc.) about self, family, friends and possessions, for example, أ+ ب = أب ، أ+ م= أم ، أ + ب + ي = أبي أحب أبي ، هذا أخي.
creating simple sentences about a familiar story such as Aladdin, Sinbad, or Ali Baba, for example, انظر إلى الجني ، السجادة تطير
- matching bilingual captions/labels to images of First Nations Country/Place locations in their local area or elsewhere in Australia
creating short texts, such as simple sentences, to label and describe personal possessions or objects in the classroom, for example, حقيبتي كبيرة وثقيلة، هذا قلمي، قلمي جديد، صفي صغير ومزين
writing words or simple phrases on each finger of their hand outline traced on paper, for example, to describe themselves and their likes and dislikes, and reflecting on their ‘hand’ at the end of the year to see improvements in writing or changes in appearance or preferences, for example, أنا الآن لا أحب القطط، كنت قصيراً ولكن الآن أصبحت طويلاً
creating a puppet play or performance based on an experience or aspect of a story, song, poem or cartoon, for example, مرحبًا، أنا دبدوب، كيف حالكم اليوم؟ أهلًا وسهلًا نحن بخير كيف حالك أنت يا دبدوب؟
creating and presenting a class big book and/or texts in digital form, based on familiar topics or imagined scenarios, using modelled language, for example,
... هذا قط جميل، اسمه مشمش، يلعب مِشمش بالكرة، رأى مشمش فأراً making bilingual greeting cards in print or digital form for family celebrations, such as Mother’s Day or other special occasions, using greetings and simple expressions in Arabic and English, for example, عيد أم سعيد، عيد أب سعيد، عيد ميلاد سعيد، أمي الحبيب
labelling photos in both Arabic and English for a display of a class event or experience such as a sports day or school concert أسبوع اللغة العربية، يوم أستراليا
- mimicking the 28 letter sounds of the alphabet and the 3 short and long vowels
- observing the mouth and tongue position when forming sounds such as خ، ح، ث، ذ
- playing with sounds such as onomatopoeia, for example, animal noises, بق بق بيق
putting 2 fingers on the throat to help produce the sound of letters أ ، هـ ، ع ، ح ، غ ، خ
repeating the names of letters and reproducing their sounds with the short vowel ‘a’ ‘fat-aa الفتحة’, for example, ضاد – ضَ، صاد – صَ، قاف - قَ
- listening to a sound and circling the corresponding Arabic letter in a range of games such as snap, matching cards or ‘sound bingo’
developing pronunciation, phrasing and intonation skills by singing, reciting and repeating frequently-used words and phrases, noticing that statements and questions have different intonation, for example, غناء الحروف ، غناء الأرقام
recognise that the Arabic alphabet and features of language are used to construct meaning in Arabic
copying and recognising the individual shapes of the 28 letters of the alphabet أ ب ت ث ج ح خ د ذ ر ز س ش ص ض ط ظ ع غ ف ق ك ل م ن هـ و ي
- identifying the 6 letters that do not connect with letters that follow them in a word د ذ ر ز و ا
identifying the 4 different connected shapes of the Arabic letters to form simple words, for example, ج جـ ـجـ ـج، س سـ ـسـ ـس، ب بـ ـبـ ـب
recognising that Arabic words are written from right to left, for example, درس، جرس، نور، يوم
- recognising and writing Arabic digits from one to twenty
using singular possessive adjectives related to self, for example, بيتي، سريري، معلمتي،غرفتك، كتابكِ، حقيبتها، دفتره
noticing the use of the possessive pronoun ي at the end of words, to indicate ownership, for example, معلمتي، سريري، بيتي، دفتري، قلمي
using familiar objects to express location, with prepositions such as الكرة في الصندوق، القلم على الطاولة، الكتب في الحقيبة
using simple, modelled verbs to describe aspects of own daily activities, for example, أستيقظ في الصباح، ألبس ثيابي، أتناول الفطور، أركب الباص، أدخل الصف، أكمل الواجب
beginning to notice that nouns have definite and indefinite articles and gender, for example, تلميذ/التلميذ، معلمة/المعلمة
recognising word order in simple phrases and sentences, for example, نام سليم، وقف الولد، أكل سامي التفاحة، شربت سحر العصير
using the simple sentence structure ‘this is’ to identify people and objects, for example, هذا كتاب، هذه طاولة، هذا أخي، هذه أمي
notice that Arabic has features that may be similar to or different from English
- recognising that the Arabic script is written from right to left and that books and papers are written from back to front and comparing these with equivalent texts in English
- exploring differences in alphabet and writing through play, digital resources and discussions, for example, the number and shape of letters, the way they are written and direction of writing
- understanding that the Arabic alphabet consists of 28 letters that look and sound different from the English (Roman) alphabet which consists of 26 letters
observing some common features of familiar Arabic and English texts such as stories, nursery rhymes and signs, for example, في يوم من الأيام ، في أحد الأيام ، حزورة فزورة، جدي عنده مزرعة، لاءلئي لاءلئي يا نجمة
- noticing that Arabic has borrowed words from English, for example, إنترنت، كمبيوتر، كاميرا، تلفزيون and that English has borrowed words from Arabic such as زرافة، جمل، قطن، جني، قهوة، ليمون
- observing that some sounds in Arabic do not exist in English, for example, خ ح ع غ ض
learning some basic differences in word order in simple sentences and phrases, for example, object before the adjective عيد ميلاد سعيد، قلم أحمر، يوم مُشمس
Understanding the interrelationship of language and culture
notice that people use language in ways that reflect cultural practices
exploring the meaning of culture, and how it involves a range of elements unique to each person such as dress, food, manners, where they live, how they celebrate, and the language(s) they speak, for example, الأكل والشرب باليمين، ذكر الاله قبل الأكل، شكر الإله بعد الأكل
using culturally appropriate manners, greetings, and forms of address in the classroom and community, for example, مرحبًا، أهلًا وسهلًا، السلام عليكم، وعليكم السلام، عم / سيد / أستاذ عادل عمة / سيدة / أستاذة ليلى
noticing how their spoken Arabic language at home may vary from the spoken Arabic language in class, and exploring similarities and differences between various dialects represented within the classroom أزيك؟ إيشلونك؟ كيفك؟ قديش عمرك؟
- exploring symbols and languages used by First Nations Australians and by Arabic-speaking communities in a range of contexts, for example, identifying the colours of flags in Arabic and discussing what the colours represent in English
- recognising that Arabic and Arabic dialects are spoken in many countries and regions around the world, including Australia, and that cultural beliefs and practices may vary depending on location
recognising similarities and differences between naming systems across languages represented in the classroom, and noticing that Arabic-speaking students may have names derived from other cultures and languages إبراهيم ، جوليا ، إسحاق ، يعقوب ، بوسي ، نوح
comparing aspects of their own lifestyles, such as interactions with family and friends, special celebrations, daily practices, main meal of the day and associated language, with children living in Arabic-speaking countries, for example, في البحرين أتناول وجبة الغداء الأساسية بعد صلاة الظهر، في أستراليا أتناول وجبة الغداء الأساسية بعد المدرسة بالهناء والشفاء، صحتين
participating in cultural experiences and celebrations, such as a cooking demonstration, dressing in traditional clothes or learning a new dance, and using some associated language and gestures, for example, تسلم ايديكم، يعطيكن العافية، شكراً