Slide 1
Arabic Continuers
- Year 11 2027 · Year 12 2028
- 2 units · Board Developed · contributes to the ATAR
- Arabic Continuers Stage 6 Syllabus (2009) — for students who have already studied Arabic
- Units
- 2 units for each of the Preliminary and HSC courses (Board Developed)
- Exclusions
- Nil
- Pre-requisites
- Prior study of Arabic; suited to background and continuing speakers
- Group
- Additional elective — Available as extra units above the minimum 12
Syllabus in use · Current syllabus (2009)
The Academy teaches the Arabic Continuers Stage 6 Syllabus (2009), which remains the current NESA syllabus for this course. No new syllabus has yet been confirmed for implementation for the Year 11 2027 cohort.
Course description
Arabic Continuers develops students’ ability to use Arabic to communicate with others, their understanding and appreciation of the cultural contexts in which Arabic is used, and their ability to reflect on their own culture(s) through the study of other cultures. Students develop listening, speaking, reading and writing skills, and the ability to move between Arabic and English.
Course structure
Year 11 Preliminary · 2027
- Theme: The Individual — personal identity, family and friends, health
- Theme: The Arabic-Speaking Communities — lifestyles, culture and traditions, modern Arabic literature
- Theme: The Changing World — media, environment, the world of work
Year 12 HSC · 2028
- Continued development of the three prescribed themes at HSC level, with increased depth and productive/receptive use of topics
- Preparation for the oral examination, held earlier than the written examinations
Students who should consider this course
This course suits students who speak or have studied Arabic and wish to further develop their language, literacy and cultural understanding, including for careers involving language, translation, diplomacy or international relations.
School-based assessment components
| Component | Weighting % |
|---|---|
| Listening | 30 |
| Reading | 30 |
| Speaking | 20 |
| Writing | 20 |
Component weightings are those mandated by NESA for both Year 11 and Year 12 in Arabic Continuers.
HSC examination
The HSC examination includes a written examination worth 80 marks (3 hours including 10 minutes reading time; dictionaries permitted) and an oral examination worth 20 marks (a conversation of approximately 10 minutes). The oral examination is held earlier than the written examinations, in Term 3, and may be held at a different location.
Subject presentation
Slide 2
What is Arabic Continuers?
- A course for students who speak or have previously studied Arabic and want to take their language further.
- You develop your skills in listening, speaking, reading and writing Modern Standard Arabic through tasks based on a range of texts and text types.
- You gain insight into the language and culture of Arabic-speaking communities, and reflect on your own culture through the study of others.
- You build the ability to move confidently between Arabic and English.
Slide 3
Three prescribed themes
- The Individual — your personal world: sense of self, aspirations, values, opinions and relationships, and the same topics seen from other people’s perspectives.
- The Arabic-Speaking Communities — topics explored from the perspective of groups within those communities, encouraging reflection on your own and other cultures.
- The Changing World — change as it affects the world of work, current issues and youth issues.
Slide 4
Year 11 — Preliminary course (120 hours)
- Develop skills, knowledge and understanding of Arabic through the prescribed themes and their topics.
- The Individual: personal identity, family and friends, health.
- The Arabic-Speaking Communities: lifestyles, culture and traditions, modern Arabic literature.
- The Changing World: media, environment, the world of work.
Slide 5
Year 12 — HSC course (120 hours)
- Gain a broader and deeper understanding of Arabic through the same three themes.
- Extend and refine your communication skills — longer, more sophisticated spoken and written responses.
- Practise the prescribed text types you may be asked to write in the HSC.
- Prepare for the oral examination, which takes place before the written papers.
Slide 6
How you are assessed at school
- Your HSC mark is 50% school-based assessment and 50% the external HSC examination.
- NESA sets mandatory components for both Year 11 and Year 12: Listening 30%, Reading 30%, Speaking 20%, Writing 20%.
- Year 12 has four tasks, each worth between 10% and 40%, including one formal written examination worth no more than 30%.
Slide 7
The HSC examination — written paper (80 marks)
- 3 hours including 10 minutes reading time. Monolingual and/or bilingual print dictionaries may be used.
- Section I — Listening and responding (25 marks): around 8 questions in English on spoken Arabic texts, each played twice.
- Section II — Reading and responding (40 marks): Part A (25 marks) responses in English to two Arabic texts; Part B (15 marks) an extended response in Arabic of about 200 words.
- Section III — Writing in Arabic (15 marks): a short informative or descriptive piece (about 75 words) and an evaluative, persuasive or reflective piece (about 200 words).
Slide 8
The HSC examination — oral (20 marks)
- A conversation of about 10 minutes between you and an examiner.
- You respond to questions on the syllabus topics as they relate to your own personal world.
- Held earlier than the written examinations — usually on a Saturday in Term 3 — and may be at a different venue.
- Speak naturally: rote-learned answers may be interrupted. Give reasons, use a range of structures and tenses, and add detail.
Slide 9
Where Arabic can lead
- Translation and interpreting
- Diplomacy, international relations and public administration
- Education and teaching
- Media, journalism and communications
- Health care and community services
- Any career where communicating with Arabic-speaking communities is an advantage
Slide 10
Is Arabic Continuers for you?
- You already speak Arabic or have studied it, and want to strengthen your reading and writing.
- You enjoy language, literature and culture, and talking about ideas.
- You are willing to practise speaking regularly and to seek feedback.
- Note: strict NESA eligibility rules apply to Continuers courses; the Academy will confirm your eligibility.
- Speak to the Head of Languages with any questions before you make your selection.
Prepared from the NESA Arabic Continuers Stage 6 Syllabus (2009) and its Assessment and Reporting page.