Grades:           7-12

Credit:            One

Prerequisite:   None

Course Description

Students develop the ability to communicate about themselves and their immediate environment using simple sentences containing basic language structures.  This communication is evidenced in all four language skills - listening, speaking, reading and writing - with emphasis on the ability to communicate orally and in writing.  Students begin to explore and study the themes of Personal and Family Life, School Life, Social Life, and Community Life.

This course’s primary goals, aligned with Virginia and national standards, are to:

• Communicate in Arabic

Students function in a variety of practical settings using listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills as well as knowledge of the target culture(s).

• Understand other cultures

Students demonstrate an understanding of traditions, customs, beliefs, and cultural contributions and how these elements relate to language.

• Connect with other disciplines and acquire information

Students connect information about the language and cultures they are learning with concepts studied in other subject areas.

•Develop insight into their own language and culture

Through study of language and culture, students recognize, compare, and contrast language concepts as well as cultural perspectives, practices, and products.

• Participate in the global community

Students use the foreign language to communicate with speakers of that language, both at home and around the world, to improve their own communication skills and to enhance their view of themselves as citizens of the world.

Each topic addressed in the Program of Studies has progress indicators defining what students will be able to do.  For example, under the theme Personal and Family Life, the topic Greetings and Introductions specifies that students will be able to perform introductions; use appropriate salutations with friends, family, and strangers; compare forms of address in the U.S. and in Arabic-speaking countries; and be able to introduce themselves to a native speaker of Arabic.  Essential vocabulary and language structures are presented to students within the context of the themes and topics.

Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) has developed and uses the Performance Assessment for Language Students (PALS) program.  Performance assessments are conducted routinely throughout the year and are rated using PALS criteria (rubrics) developed by FCPS foreign language teachers.  The end-of-year assessment again uses the PALS performance criteria.

For additional information, including resources for students, see the FCPS Foreign Language Home Page at: http://www.fcps.edu/DIS/OHSICS/forlang/.