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Advice for teachers -
Arabic

Teaching and learning activities

Unit 1

Unit 1 – Area of Study 1: Interpersonal communication

Theme: The individual
Topic: Aspirations, education and careers
Sub topic: School exchanges in Arabic-speaking countries

Outcome 1

Exchange meaning in a spoken interaction in Arabic.

Examples of learning activities

  • Listen to a speech given by an Arabic-speaking student on exchange in Australia about the differences between schools in their country and those in the Australian education system. Compare the school systems and write a blog about the similarities and differences.
  • View a video about a secondary school in an Arabic-speaking country. Reflect on how it differs from a school in Victoria.
  • Listen to a conversation between an international student on a study program and their host family. Answer prepared questions about the conversation.
  • Write six to eight questions to ask someone who has been on exchange. Swap questions with a classmate and answer their questions based on research material.
  • Prepare a three-minute speech to give to the class about an international study program (actual experience or researched via class materials), noting major similarities and differences between Australia and the Arabic-speaking country being studied. Create PowerPoint slides to support the speech. Respond to questions from other students about this topic.
  • Interview another student in the class, using prepared questions. Discuss specific aspects of the school they attended during an exchange experience, or one that they have researched. Concentrate on classrooms, subjects studied and school routines.
  • Summarise all the findings discovered on this topic in a graph or Venn diagram.
  • Read source material about education in an Arabic-speaking country by accessing its Bureau of Statistics. Extract information and make comparisons with information about Australian education sourced from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).
  • Note vocabulary used in any material viewed, heard or read relating to education in Arabic-speaking countries. Discuss any words or phrases that are not readily translatable into English.
  • Produce an informative article of 250 words outlining for an Australian audience some aspects of an Arabic-speaking country’s education system.
  • Read journal entries written by students in Australia and Arabic-speaking countries to gain an insight into the personal aspects of participating in an exchange in another country and staying with another family.
  • Listen to a guest speaker talk about their experience when he/she visited a school in an Arabic-speaking country.
  • Watch a video or film about students in Arabic-speaking countries. Take notes about their school lives.
  • Listen to a recorded discussion or radio programs about Arabic-speaking students studying in Australia. In pairs, make a list of the insights gained by the students. Categorise them as personal, educational, cultural, social, etc.
  • Example icon for advice for teachers
    In pairs or small groups, discuss the following example topics and create draft plans to produce a piece of writing.
    1. a. Imagine you have been on an exchange in an Arabic-speaking country. Write an article about the experience for your school's website.
      b. Write an email to your teacher about your time on exchange.

    With the class divided into two groups, debate the topic ‘Language and education exchanges are very worthwhile’. Both sides must use evidence and examples from the research gathered.
Example icon for advice for teachers 

Detailed example

An email to your teacher about your time on exchange

  1. Create a workbook to record information, notes and bibliographic details gathered throughout the area of study. Develop a glossary of key terms and concepts.
  2. View a documentary about Australian students who participated in an exchange in an Arabic-speaking country. Take notes under a series of headings, which could include: type of school, subjects studied, impressions, teaching styles.
  3. Compare the different experiences of the students in the documentary. How were they similar or different?
  4. Conduct research on aspects of the education system in an Arabic-speaking country. Include school subjects (elective and compulsory subjects), English language education, and senior secondary examinations. Construct a table to summarise the information found. Make comparisons to the situation in Victorian schools.
  5. Listen to a speech given on the education system in an Arabic-speaking country. Note the techniques used in the presentation to convey as much information as possible and how it was made engaging.
  6. Listen to a podcast of two students discussing their experiences on exchange.
  7. Write an email to your teacher about your time on exchange.

Unit 1 – Area of Study 2: Interpretive communication

Theme: The world around us
Topic: Communication and media
Sub topic: Our connection to screens

Outcome 2

Interpret information from two texts on the same subtopic presented in Arabic, and respond in writing in Arabic and in English.

Examples of learning activities

  • Read an article about ‘screen addiction’ and extract vocabulary for a class glossary for the topic.
  • Listen to an interview and read an article about screen use in an Arabic-speaking country. Answer questions about each one.  Write a 100-word summary of all the views expressed in both texts.
  • Search the internet for stories in Arabic on the topic of ‘When being on screen is harmful’.
  • View a series of photos that depict young people using screens in their daily lives and analyse them.
  • View a video/vlog/YouTube clip where young people discuss how and when they are ‘on screen’.
  • View a documentary about the usefulness of screens in modern life.
  • Example icon for advice for teachers
    Discuss the themes mentioned in the article on ‘When being on screen is harmful’. Prepare a two- to three-minute presentation to the class about your personal screen usage.
  • Discuss the positive aspects of screen usage with a classmate. List your combined positives on a poster for the classroom wall.
  • Compare the salient points from the documentary with the class posters. Discuss any differences in small groups. Using the lists and summaries, debate the issue ‘Screens are ruling our world today’.
  • List the types of screens that could be part of the topic ‘Screens are ruling our world today’. Write a 200-word letter to a friend in which you express your concerns about being ‘on screen’ so much.
  • Create a list of positives and negatives about screen use. Write a 100-word summary of the list.
  • Research statistics relating to screen use in Australia and Arabic-speaking countries. Tabulate the results.
  • Write an imaginative short story in which you project current screen usage into a utopian future.
  • Write a 200-word article, based on two texts you have studied for publication in a school magazine on the topic of screen use by young people.
Example icon for advice for teachers 

Detailed example

A two- to three-minute presentation to the class about your personal screen usage.

  1. Read an article about how people are using screens in an Arabic-speaking country today.
  2. Identify the key points made in the article and create a matrix to find any overlap in positive and negative points.
  3. Conduct further research to discover any material that can be added to the matrix.
  4. Listen to an interview about this topic. Identify key vocabulary and expressions associated with the major concepts.
  5. In pairs, compare the number of hours spent ‘on screen’ each week.
  6. Rehearse the oral presentation with a partner.
  7. Present your oral presentation and gain feedback from the class.

Unit 1 – Area of Study 3: Presentational communication

Theme: The Arabic-speaking communities
Topic: The Arabic cultural heritage
Sub topic: The Arabic film industry

Outcome 3

Present information, concepts and ideas in writing in Arabic on the selected subtopic and for a specific audience and purpose.

Examples of learning activities

  • Watch an Arabic film, or extracts from a film, and take notes under the headings: plot, main characters, actors, soundtrack, special effects, themes or ideas.
  • Read film synopses and critiques in Arabic, identifying the vocabulary used.
  • Identify cultural differences between film critiques in different Arabic-speaking countries.
  • Search for statistics on the film industry in a selected Arabic-speaking country.
  • Read one or two articles about the film industry in a selected Arabic-speaking country. Answer comprehension questions about them.
  • View a video of interviews with Arab actors, directors and producers in order to answer a set of questions.
  • Write about an Arab actor, director or the film industry in general in 50 to 100 words.
  • Identify cultural elements from your reading, viewing and listening. Consider the questions: Are there any particular elements that could only come from any an Arabic-speaking country? How can you tell? What identifies them? Compare these ideas to films produced in Australia.
  • Research notable actors or directors in a selected Arabic-speaking country’s film industry, or those who appear in films in other industries. Note their general filmography.
  • Listen to directors speaking about their films. Identify their main concerns: artistic, economic and other.
  • Write draft outlines for one of the following topics:
    • Journal entry about a film recently seen
    • Imagine a film that you would like to direct. Write the script of a conversation you have with a leading actor that you would like to star in the film
    • Write an informative article about an aspect of an Arabic-speaking country’s film industry that interests you.
  • Write a letter to an Arabic film director about an idea that you have for a film.
  • Example icon for advice for teachers
    Create a three- to four-minute video with another student about your favourite films, actors or directors from a selected Arabic-speaking country.
Example icon for advice for teachers 

Detailed example

A three - to four-minute video about favourite films, actors or directors from a selected Arabic-speaking country

  1. View one or more films from a selected Arabic-speaking country.
  2. Take notes under headings: plot, main characters, actors, soundtrack, special effects, themes or ideas.
  3. Decide which elements are to be included in the final video. Discuss the outline with the teacher.
  4. Plan the structure of the video to be filmed. Write it up as a series of dot points.
  5. Research the particular elements to be discussed.
  6. Write a script.
  7. Draw a storyboard.
  8. Film.
  9. Edit as necessary.
  10. Show video to the class.
  11. Receive oral and/or written feedback from teacher and other students.