Arabic – Years 1 and 2
Learning Objectives
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.
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).