Developmental Proficiency for Arabic Language Education
Arabic Program Executive Summary
The Islamic academy of Alabama teaches Arabic as a foreign language and follows the National Standards for the Learning of Foreign Languages [5Cs]. (Communication, Culture, Connections, Comparisons, Communities). These standards describe the "what" (content) of world languages learning and form the core of standards-based instruction in the world.
Also, this program integrates Islamic culture in a way that further encourages the student’s interest in the Arabic language. This school year the Arabic department will host an Arabian culture night looking forward of making it an annual Arabic Day. Students will have the opportunity to present skits based on the vocabulary and structure they have developed during the year.
The language program utilizes Ta’alam AlArabiyah for k5 , Al- Afaaq for 1st grade& the series Oheb al-Arabiyah &Arabic between hands for 2nd grade – 10th these selected books provide a basis for learning Arabic as a second language. The series covers the following four modalities or language skills: listening, speaking, reading and writing.
The curriculum in all grades focuses on both the academic & social parts of the language emphasize more and in depth on the language skills, which are reading and writing. Listening and speaking are involved as relevant basic skills.
This amount of vocabulary in the books represents basic & advance expressions according to the level. This enables the student to communicate meaningfully, effectively, and creatively in Arabic for real-life purposes. Students express themselves easily in various situations and talk about their hobbies, feelings and wishes. Topics of these lessons are about the lives, Arabic culture and its values. Some geographical, scientific and ethical information is introduced.
Books are designed for proficiency by balancing these components:
- Content: the topics of communication.
- Function: a task; the purpose of a spoken or written communication.
- Accuracy: correctness or appropriateness in pronunciation, writing, grammar, culture, and vocabulary choice.
The Arabic language is introduced in an attractive method through the use of: stories, songs, dialogues, language games, drawing, and coloring and visual support materials.
Many of the language activities allow learners to practice single modalities (listening, speaking, reading and writing) as well as linked modalities.
Students can do these activities individually, in peer groups or as a whole group. Some of these activities depend on integrating the cognitive with the physical action.
At the end of each book, there is a picture & word dictionary of all the vocabulary s in the book. This allows students to continually refer to these words. This is important to build long-term memory. Dictionary use is important for all areas of the curriculum.
Grammar, Usage, Mechanics:
Nouns (common, proper noun), types of nouns derived from verbs (adjectives (‘ismi l-maf`ul), gender (masculine, feminine), pronouns (disconnected or as a connected suffix to a verb or to a preposition), he doer , prepositions, demonstrative, interrogative and relative pronouns, negative state, positive state, imperative, complex sentence, present, future and past tense, adverbs, comparisons, singular, dual and plural, numbers , modification, determination , Subjective mood (islub at-ta`aggub), result and conditional sentence (adverbial phrases of result and condition), al-hal, the usage of ‘inna wa ‘akhawatuha and kana wa ‘akhawatuha and more advance grammar for the higher grade levels.
Listening skills are developed through the use of dictation, listening for comprehension, enjoyment and information, auditory discrimination and sound symbol correspondence. Listening skills are reinforced through listening drills (songs, dialogues or plays).
Speaking skills are developed by the proper use of pronunciation of short vowels, long vowels, doubled short vowels (at-tanween), and consonant and doubled consonant (at-tashdeed). Students give moderately elaborate oral presentations that include book reports, weekend or vacation activities. Students are taught to carry on a dialogue with their teachers and peers.
Students can read independent words, sentences short story. In addition students in higher level can read Islamic historic texts, fiction and nonfiction, magazine &worldly newspaper. Students Visits to the library and have the opportunity to check out stories. Reading outside the classroom is encouraged and rewarded.
Students are taught to write a narrative and to create a short story or a dialogue. Development of appropriate grammar (such as subject-verb agreement and tense), syntax (word order), mechanics (e.g. punctuation, handwriting) and organization of ideas into a coherent form is introduced. Spelling tests continue on a biweekly basis with new and previously taught vocabulary words.
This curriculum presents a test at the end of each unit, which measures the progress of the learner in comprehension, listening, speaking, reading, writing and areas of critical thinking, A speaking test is developed this year and will be giving quarterly to insure the improvement of using the language, also a final Exam to measure the yearly objectives.
Integrating technology into the Arabic classroom:
Technology is computer hardware and associated software that may be used to assist expression in the Arabic language.
We believe that technology doesn't replace established Arabic language practices, but may make many practical tasks in the language quicker, more detailed and broader in scope. As teachers we believe that students need to develop skills in using Arabic with the available tools in order to have a variety of media, techniques and tools with which to express ideas in a variety of ways.
Students are encouraged to develop computer skills that are specific to the Arabic language.
These skills may include:
• Research skills; use of search engines
• Downloading images/ poetry/ novels/ songs/ articles/ samples
• Typing in Arabic
• Create videos, media clips, power point presentations, slide shows
• Scanning and manipulating images
• Using i‐pods, video cameras and similar devices