The Arabic B department is committed to providing each student with a safe and motivating learning experience at DIS. Our curriculum is grounded in the Ministry of Education’s framework for learning Arabic as an additional language, and it incorporates international principles and best practices for teaching foreign languages to non-native speakers. The department’s primary focus is to equip students with the ability to communicate effectively in real-life situations.
Our Arabic B curriculum is designed to align with the UAE’s educational aspirations while meeting the diverse needs and abilities of our learners. The curriculum outlines clear expectations for student achievement in the four key language skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing.
The implementation of the Arabic B curriculum in DIS aims to cultivate open-minded, global citizens who appreciate the Arabic language and its rich cultural heritage. The curriculum encourages students to engage in meaningful discussions, complete tasks, and activities, and take intellectual risks while collaborating with their peers. Through these experiences, students develop their ability to think critically and communicate effectively in Arabic.
Wider Curriculum
After School Clubs: Each term, a variety of Arabic B-related clubs will be offered across Primary and Secondary, such as Arabic Debate Club, Arabic Literary Society, Puppet Show, Drama and singing in Arabic, Arabic Film Analysis Club, and Arabic Poetry Club. These clubs aim to deepen students’ engagement with the language and culture.
Curriculum-Related Competitions & Events: Students will participate in department-based competitions and events such as Read to Race, Spelling Bee, National Day celebrations, houses competitions, and language skills competitions focusing on areas like public speaking, reading comprehension, and creative writing. Additionally, students will have the opportunity to showcase their work through exhibitions and presentations. Educational trips to various cultural and historical sites in the UAE will be organised to deepen students’ understanding of Arabic culture and language. Their successes will be celebrated via social media and the ‘Start of the Week’ in Primary and ‘Star of the Month’ display board.
Assessment
Formative Assessment: This will be ongoing assessment and a main one focusing on a specific skill will be conducted monthly. A variety of tools will be used, including classwork, homework, quizzes, and group projects, to continuously measure and support student progress.
Diagnostic Assessment: At the beginning of Term 1, students will be assessed on all four language skills—listening, speaking, reading, and writing—to identify their current proficiency levels.
Summative Assessments: At the end of each term, students will be assessed on all four skills.
- Listening: Assessments will include listening comprehension exercises based on audio recordings or videos. Students will answer multiple-choice, true/false, or open-ended questions.
- Speaking: Assessments will involve tasks such as describing visuals, participating in dialogues, and responding to teacher-posed questions. Students may also record their spoken responses.
- Reading: Assessments will include comprehension exercises that test students’ understanding of a variety of texts.
- Writing: Writing assessments will evaluate students’ ability to produce coherent texts, ranging from descriptive paragraphs to structured essays, using appropriate vocabulary, and adhering to set criteria.