Years 7-8 Arabic Syllabus
Year 7-8 Syllabus
Years 7-8 Band Level Description
In Years 7 and 8, Arabic language learning builds on each student’s prior learning and experiences. Students use Arabic language, in person or via digital access within and beyond the classroom. Background-language learners and second-language learners may interact and collaborate in different ways within and beyond the classroom to facilitate learning. Students listen, speak, read, view and write to exchange information, ideas and opinions about their worlds. They work increasingly independently, individually and in groups, and continue to receive feedback and support from peers and teachers as required.
Students access a range of spoken, written and multimodal texts from an increasing range of authentic traditional and contemporary sources which may include audio and video clips, online magazines, advertisements, stories and articles. Background-language learners may source texts and other resources from their local community to share with peers. Students use their English and/or Arabic literacy knowledge of metalanguage in an increasing range of contexts to reflect on similarities and differences between Arabic and English language structures and features. They understand and use the conventions of Arabic punctuation and spacing. They recognise that language choices reflect cultural identity, beliefs and values.
Years 7-8 Achievement Standard
By the end of Year 8, students initiate and maintain interactions in Arabic language in familiar and some unfamiliar contexts related to a range of interests and experiences. They use Arabic to collaborate and problem-solve, and adjust language in response to others. They interpret information, ideas and opinions in texts. They demonstrate understanding of similarities and differences between languages, in both familiar and some unfamiliar cultural contexts, by adjusting and reorganising responses. They select and use vocabulary, sentence structures, and expressions to create texts.
Students apply the conventions of spoken Arabic to develop fluency. They demonstrate understanding that spoken, written and multimodal texts use different language conventions, structures and features to convey meaning. They comment on structures and features of Arabic text, using metalanguage. They reflect on how the Arabic language, culture and identity are interconnected, and compare this with their own language(s), culture(s) and identity.
Years 7-8 Content Descriptions
Interacting in Arabic
initiate and sustain exchanges in familiar and some unfamiliar contexts related to students’ experiences, feelings and views, adjusting their language in response to others
initiating and sustaining face-to-face, written or online conversations with others to discuss experiences and offer opinions on mutually-interesting topics such as family, friends, education, interests, travel, sport, games, music, for example, أرى أن مشاهدة مباريات كرة القدم غير مفيدة و تضيع الوقت، أنا لا أوافقك الرأي، بالعكس أرى أنها ممتعة شرط أن تشاهدها باعتدال.
using communication strategies and expressions such as apologising, inviting and praising, and interjections with body language to fill pauses and show understanding and interest when interacting in social situations, for example, عفوًا أعتذر منك، نعم أوافقك الرأي، رأيك صواب، بالتأكيد،
exchanging accounts of significant events such as a recent celebration, expressing views about food, activities and entertainment, for example, كانت حفلة عيد ميلاد رائعة لن أنساها في حياتي، لقد حققت نجاحاَ باهراَ
supporting debate with point of view, justification and examples, and evaluative language, and acknowledging others’ arguments or challenging their views in a courteous manner, for example, أحترم رأيك وقرارك ولكن أعتقد أنه من الأفضل أن ...
using descriptive and expressive language to encourage feedback and to express empathy, indicate agreement or disagreement and alternative opinions, for example, آسف،هذا خبر محزن، ولكن بكل صراحة، أنا أعارض هذا القرار
comparing aspects of their personal worlds such as home, school and social lives, including their use of different languages and involvement in different cultural practices, for example, أستيقظ كلّ يوم باكراً، أحضر نفسي للذهاب إلى المدرسة مع أخي وأختي، نأخذ الحافلة في تمام الساعة السابعة، بعد المدرسة ألعب كرة السلّة في نحتفل بعيد الأضحى مع العائلة أما أنت فتحتفل مع العائلة بعيد الميلاد المجيد
sharing hopes and feelings, such as for the upcoming weekend or holidays, describing personal plans and ideas, and responding to others’ experiences, for example, أنا سعيدة جداَ لأنني سأسافر إلى بلدي الأم في العطلة الصيفيةأتمنى أن ألتقي بجدتي يوم السبت القادم
using and adjusting appropriate non-verbal and spoken language for social situations, relationships and context, for example, using the polite plural form when speaking to people who are older or unfamiliar, requesting favours or politely declining, for example, هل بإمكاني أن أطلب منك خدمة، أنا آسف لا أستطيع الحضور يوم السبت القادم إلى المهرجان
initiating secure online written exchanges such as writing to a student in an Arabic-speaking country and requesting information about their country, for example, أريد أن أحصل على معلومات إضافية عن بلدك الأم لبنان، بكل سرور
reflecting on the experience of communicating in Arabic at school, at home or in the community, and comparing their bilingual development and language preferences, أجد من السهل التحدث باللغة الانجليزية مع أصدقائي، والتحدث بالعربية مع أهلي في البيت.
collaborate in activities that involve the language of transaction, negotiation and problem-solving to plan projects and events
expressing preferences for plans, comparing and contrasting alternatives, and negotiating solutions, for example, ماذا لو نذهب إلى السينما يوم السبت مساءًا، فكرة رائعة ولكن السينما عادة تكون مزدحمة يوم السبت، ما رأيك أن نذهب يوم الأحد؟ جيد اتفقنا
responding to invitations in print, digital or online formats by accepting or declining, and providing reasons for non-attendance, for example, شكرًا جزيلًا على الدعوة، بالتأكيد سأحضر الحفل/ آسف لن أستطيع حضور الحفل ،عندي موعد مع الطبيب.عذراً لا يمكنني الذهاب معكم إلى البولينغ، فأنا مدعوّ إلى حفل زواج ابن خالتي.
discussing and planning an ideal trip to an Arabic-speaking country or Australian landmark, justifying decisions and documenting information about tourist attractions, itineraries, guide maps and activities, for example لقد اخترنا الإوبرا هاوس في مدينة سيدني لأن هذا المكان مشهور عالمياً، فهو مميز بموقعه الجميل، وشكله الرائع، بالاضافة إلى أنه بيت للفن.لم لا نزورالأردن؟ إنه بلد عربي مميز بتاريخه هناك أماكن جميلة للزيارة مثل وادي موسى ،البتراء البحر الأحمر، وادي الهيدان، جبل القلعة.
collaborating with others to arrange a day out or a birthday party, negotiating and arriving at shared decisions such as how much to spend on presents, what to bring, an itinerary for a day out, for example, نريد أن ننظم حفل عيد ميلاد لمعلمة الفصل/ الصف سنحتاج خمسة دولارات من كل طالب لشراء هدية وقالب حلوى
assisting others to resolve real or hypothetical problems and giving advice or providing assistance such as fund raising or visiting a community group, soup kitchen or nursing home, for example, أريد رأيك، عندي مباراة كرة قدم يوم الأحد مساءًا، ولدي اختبار يوم الأثنين، ماذا أفعل؟ أنصحك أن تذاكر للاختبار.
planning an advertising campaign to improve outcomes and wellbeing for young people, such as encouraging reading, exercising, taking up a hobby, improving technology literacy or promoting the importance of language learning, for example, العقل السليم في الجسم السليم، اضحك تضحك لك الدنيا، تخسر لغتك تخسر هويتك
creating collaborative resources to assist others, such as deciding on a set of helpful hints for new students or students starting school, travelling to an Arabic-speaking country for the first time, or teaching a skill step-by-step, for example, يجبُ أن نضيف خريطة للمدرسة، فلنتحدث عن برنامج السفر.
Mediating meaning in and between languages
interpret information, ideas and opinions in a range of spoken, written and multimodal texts, and respond appropriately to cultural context, purpose and audience
- summarising the main ideas of spoken and written texts, highlighting keywords and cultural references that may contribute to the overall meaning
- using concept maps, charts, and tables to organise, analyse and summarise information from texts such as television programs, reports and documentaries, and comparing how ideas are conveyed in different texts
applying knowledge of simple textual structures, features and their purpose to predict the meaning of unfamiliar words and phrases and respond appropriately, for example, فيلم، برنامج إخباري، بريد إلكتروني، بحث علمي، محادثة مع الأصدقاء
- listening to, reading or viewing First Nations Australian authors’ stories in English and responding to them in spoken or written Arabic
- exchanging videos, slideshows or secure blogs with school students in Arabic-speaking countries, comparing aspects of their community and culture such as school, local landmarks, festivals and traditions, and presenting the information in new ways
- comparing the use of some simple language devices such as imagery, moral or onomatopoeia in familiar imaginative texts, and discussing how these features are used to convey meaning and entertain an audience
stating and explaining personal preferences and opinions about characters, themes, ideas and events in texts, using expressions such as تعجبني شخصية علاء الدين كثيرًا، فهو شخصية فكاهية ومرحة، كما أنه يحب الفقراء ويساعدهم كثيرًا، لكنني لا أحب شخصية جعفر لإنه طماع وشرير
conveying information obtained from texts such as notices and newspaper announcements in new ways, to inform others about an issue of interest or an upcoming event, for example, إعلان هام، تحتفل الجالية العربية بعيد الأم في الحديقة العامة يوم السبت القادم.
conducting surveys or interviews with others, on familiar topics such as hobbies, studies, social media and opinions about issues, and presenting information in various formats such as graphs, diagrams and reports, for example, خمسون في المئة يوافقون على استخدام وسائل التواصل الإجتماعي وعشرة في المئة لا يوافقون.
obtaining others’ thoughts and opinions regarding topics such as school uniform, rules or use of technology, and using facts, figures and quotes to write a persuasive text such as a formal email to the principal suggesting changes, for example, يجب أن نبدأ المدرسة في الساعة ٩:٣٠ صباحًا، أعتقد أن استعمال الحاسوب في الصف مضيعة لوقت التلميذ، يجب أن يسمح إستعمال الموبايل في المدرسة
interpret and adjust non-verbal, spoken and written language to convey meaning in Arabic language in familiar and some unfamiliar cultural contexts
- translating and interpreting texts from Arabic into English, and vice versa, using print dictionaries and online dictionaries/translators, to assist with unknown words or expressions, reflecting on the challenges associated with transferring meaning from one language to another
- comparing own and others’ translations of the same text, commenting on differences and similarities between versions and considering possible reasons for these
- listening to some examples of informal spoken language that may have deviations from ‘correct’ grammar, including changes in word order and omissions of words, and transcribing into Arabic
- identifying culturally specific vocabulary, for example, عفواَ، سلامتك and expressions such as شكرالرب السلامة، على لله الحمد مبروك ألف , and discussing the translation process and use of words that best reflect meaning, equivalence and contextual appropriateness
- recognising the use of different communication techniques such as facial expressions, gestures and body language in different contexts, for example, respectful, devotional or colloquial forms of expression
- creating informative responses to cultural representations of Arabic-speaking communities in Australia, such as The Arabic Film Festival, community festivals or artists’ exhibitions, explaining particular language or images in terms of cultural associations
- explaining linguistic variation in texts according to their intended audience and degree of formality, for example, changing from Modern Standard Arabic to informal Arabic or dialect Arabic to indicate changes in relationship between participants or degrees of formality عمي، خالي، حضرتك
identifying and translating words and expressions that reflect cultural values or history, such as in popular Arabic proverbs, poems or short extracts from traditional fables and legends, and considering how to adapt or adjust language to convey equivalent meanings in English, for example, لا تؤجل عمل اليوم إلى الغد، من جدّ من وجد ومن زرع حصد ، لا تؤجل عمل اليوم للغد
Creating text in Arabic
create and present spoken, written and multimodal, informative and imaginative texts for specific purposes, selecting vocabulary, expressions, grammatical structures, features and conventions appropriate to text type and context
organising information and presenting it to an Arabic-speaking audience, for example, creating a visual presentation comparing cultural aspects of life at school and at home for an audience of school-aged Arabic speakers or a video recording of a cooking demonstration for their classmates, for example, قالب الحلوى، أولاً: سوف نعرض عليكم طريقة صنع
producing texts about Arabic community events in print or multimedia formats, such as an advertisement to promote a concert or festival or a flyer for an interview with an Arabic-speaking guest on a community radio station, for example, تعال إلى الحفلة الموسيقية، ستكون ممتعة لجميع أفراد العائلة
- writing and performing a play, cultural demonstration, skit or song for a school or community concert or assembly, using Arabic for the performance and English for supporting explanations, subtitles and commentary, for example, the first day at a new school, participating in a festival, appearing on a reality television show
- creating a print or digital poster in Arabic to promote travel to a significant cultural location on a First Nations Country/Place, including what to see and do
reporting on and comparing own and others’ experiences of events and activities such as a school camp, for example, بالنسبة لي، الرحلة كانت ممتعة بينما غالبية تلاميذ الصف شعروا بالملل، بالرّغم من الساعات الطويلة التي قضيناها في الطريق، إلا أنني لم أشعر بالتعب لكنّ أصدقائي كانوا متعبين جداً
- creating modified versions of traditional Arabic stories and films, such as علاء الدين والمصباح السّحري, by introducing new characters or scenes or alternative endings
creating a short film about social interactions among different speakers of Arabic, explaining cultural elements that may vary in different parts of the Arabic-speaking world and which may be unfamiliar to viewers, for example, التحية والسلام، العناق، القبلات، التعبيرات عند اللقاء (كيف حالك؟ ازيك؟ ايش لونك؟ كيفك؟ شاكو ماكو)، اختلاف طريقة السلام بين الجنسين.
animating their own imaginative fables, picture books, stories or cartoons in Arabic with morals and values to present to younger audiences, using language devices and themes to engage and excite, for example, شعرها أسود كالليلالكلب قال: وووووضميري يعذبني
- composing bilingual menus, recipes or programs for Arabic-themed events, with key information in Arabic and explanatory footnotes or glossaries in English, for class parties, cooking sessions, cultural celebrations, for example, steps to make فلافل، كشري، كبسة، مقلوبة
using digital tools to create a slideshow with an audio track about a planned trip to an Arabic-speaking country, including famous places to visit, cultural events to attend and foods to eat, for example, مهرجان الأرز في لبنان، زيارة إلى قلعة بعلبك، مهرجان جرش في الأردن
Understanding systems of language
apply knowledge of conventions of spoken Arabic to enhance fluency, and to respond to and create texts in familiar and some unfamiliar contexts
- distinguishing the sounds of Arabic letters that use dots such as ب، ت، ث or ج، ح، خ، د، ذ، ر، ز، ص، ض , to increase clarity of pronunciation and fluency
- recognising features of the Arabic sound system, discriminating use of tones, rhythm and sound flow, using grammatical knowledge such as roots and إضافة to help predict the meaning of new words
- experimenting with rhythm, voice, emotion and gesture to enhance a performance by conveying the intended sentiment and meaning of songs and rhymes
- using prior knowledge of the Arabic sound system to predict spelling of new and unfamiliar words or transcribing spoken texts such as poems or dialogues
- estimating the sound and meaning of words based on their understanding of the root system and linking them in an organised pattern, for example, دَرَسَ/مَدرسة
- listening to short interactions with unfamiliar voices, different speed, pace and clarity to develop auditory and comprehension skills, including discriminating between the range of vowel and consonant combinations such as التنوين و الشدة والمد , for example, / قرأت كتاباً شيقاً أمل / آمال، دعوة/ دعوى
apply understanding of grammatical structures and expressions to compose and respond to texts
- applying punctuation in texts such as spacing rules, commas, full stops, colons, hyphen
using plural form of personal pronoun, possessive pronouns and nouns in both masculine and feminine forms, for example, هم طلابكم، رأيت إخواتكم في المدرسة
- understanding plural subject pronouns أنتنّ، نحن، هم، هنّ، أنتم, plural verb conjugations نحن نعمل، أنتم تدرسون أنتن تلعبن and noun plurals such as masculine sound plural nouns, هم مصريون broken plurals, هذه بُيوت and feminine plurals هنّ مدرّسات
understanding the rules of prepositions with definite and indefinite nouns, for example, في البيتِ، على شجرةٍ
using سوف in addition to the present tense to express future plans, for example, سوف أدخل إلى الجامعة بعد الثانوية العامة، سوف أشتري سيّارة بعد الامتحانات
using interrogative words and expressions such as لمَ، هل, to ask questions and make requests, for example, لمَ تأخّرت اليوم و عندك امتحان؟ هل فهمت ما قلته لك؟ رجاءًا، أحضر البحث غداً لأنك لم تقدمه أمس، من فضلك هل تستطيع أن تقول لي كيف أذهب إلى البنك؟
expanding their knowledge of noun-adjective agreement, for example, معلمون ملتزمون، مدرّسات ملتزمات
using comparative and superlative adjectives to compare 2 or more nouns, for example, هذا الملعب أكبر من الملعب القديم، إن مدرستنا فيها أدوات حديثة أكثر من المدارس الأخرى، بيتنا هو الأجدّ في المنطقة، سيارة أبي أقدم سيارة رأيتها في حياتيهو الولد الأصغر في العائلة
using a variety of adverbs of time, place, frequency and manner, for example, إِطْلاقَا، أحياناَ، أبداَ، غالباَ، نادراَ ما
using conjunctions بينما to make comparisons between people or actions and to link sentences, for example,
،كذلك كامل صديق ودود بينما مازن شخص غيّور، أمل تلعب التنس بينما علياء تسبح بمهارة، لكن expanding their understanding of ordinal numbers to count hours, minutes and seconds, for example, am – صباحاَ pm – مساءاَ الساعة الخامسة وعشر دقائق وعشرون ثانية مساءً
using the ordinal and cardinal numbers from 3 to 10 with gender-noun agreement خمسة أقلام، خمس ساعات ، ثلاث طالبات، ثلاثة طلاب
- representing Arabic script digitally in texts, using an Arabic keyboard or tools
reflect on similarities and differences between Arabic and English language structures and features, using metalanguage
- examining how the structures and features of a variety of informative Arabic and English texts, including online and digital texts, such as reports and articles, reflect their intended purpose and how the choice of vocabulary reflects ideas and perspectives
- continuing to build metalanguage in Arabic and English to discuss and describe grammatical concepts and to organise learning resources such as verb charts, vocabulary lists, groups of pronouns, adverbs and adjectives
- comparing Arabic and English sentence structure, word order and different types of sentences such as nominal and verbal sentences and highlighting particular parts of speech to demonstrate understanding
- comparing Arabic and English text types such as horoscopes, prayers or weather forecasts, explaining the choice of particular language, devices and text organisation
- teaching younger students or Arabic learners about some key differences between Arabic and English language, using a variety of terms and support resources such as flash cards, diagrams, charts or tables
- reflecting on the use of new colloquial or abbreviated Arabic language in technology and social media, and the use of words borrowed from English in Arabic such as الفيس بوك، التويتر
- analysing how texts in both Arabic and English create specific effects by using particular aspects of language such as superlative adjectives and imperative verb forms, in advertisements designed to persuade customers
- understanding the role and the difference between Arabic and English prepositions and cohesive devices, for example, I’m on the bus, أنا في الحافلة , I ate an apple, a lemon and a carrot, أكلت التفاح والليمون والجزر on Sunday يوم الأحد
Understanding the interrelationship of language and culture
reflect on and explain how identity is shaped by language(s), culture(s), attitudes, beliefs and values
recognising that Arabic language, cultural practices and spiritual beliefs are deeply interrelated, such as the use of Arabic in religion, ancient texts, ceremonies and sacred duties, for example, العبادات والصلوات في الاحتفالات الدينية باللغة العربية
discussing cultural cues in communication that suggest differences in culture, traditions, ideas or values, for example, التّحية المتكرّرة مثلاً: كيف حالك وكيف العائلة؟ التّعابير الدينية مثل: إن شاء الله، إن شاء الرّب وعشنا عبارات المجاملة التي تقال في المناسبات: ألف مبروك، عقبال المئة سنة/عام، بالأفراح، زواج مبارك.
exploring the importance of music and traditional dance in some Arabic cultures as an expression of identity and comparing with the music and dance of other cultural groups, for example, الدبكة والرقص الفلكلوري، العود، الكمان ،الطبل، الناي / المجوز
- examining, in Arabic or English, how First Nations Australians’ languages have strong connections to Country/Place, and how these can be compared with language variation across Arabic-speaking countries and regions
- reflecting on the influence of Arabic culture on their own communication style, for example, using gestures, words or expressions with particular cultural significance in Arabic such as kissing your own right hand, then raising your eyes and your right hand to express thanks, and discussing whether they modify their communication style when interacting in English
- comparing choices of language and behaviours when communicating in Arabic and English, explaining the modifications they make and why, for example, when addressing older people using titles such as Mr or Miss, أستاذ، أستاذه، حضرتك، سيد، سيدة، خال، خالة
- researching and reporting on the influence of Arabic language and culture in local and broader Australian communities, food and entertainment industries, media and education, for example, Lebanese restaurants and bakeries, the Arab Film Festival, SBS Arabic radio and television, Arabic bilingual schools
- reflecting on choices they make when interacting with friends who speak both Arabic and English, identifying instances when they move between different languages or dialects for either practical or cultural reasons
interviewing relatives or community members about changes in the Arabic language and its use over time, such as the emergence and use of ‘Arabish’ or ‘Enlabic’ in younger generations, for example, adding ‘-ing’ to Arabic words or adding ‘s’ to plurals in Arabic معي كل الكتبز، كنت ألعبنغ مع فادي