Grandparents are often patient, loving and fluent: the perfect Arabic partners.
Roles for grandparents
| Role | How often |
|---|---|
| Video call in Arabic | Weekly, 10 minutes |
| Storyteller | Childhood stories, Prophets’ stories |
| Word of the week | One new word per call |
| Recitation audience | Child recites new surahs |
| Arabic-only visits | During holidays together |
Dialect is fine
Grandparents may speak Egyptian, Levantine, Moroccan or another dialect. Children learn Standard Arabic in lessons and enrich their listening at home. See standard or dialect.
A short call script for the child
See phrases for calls with grandparents.
Ask grandparents to
- Speak slowly and simply.
- Praise effort.
- Correct gently, one thing at a time.
Grandparents abroad
Plan calls around time zones and keep them regular. See grandparents abroad.
Teacher’s tip: children often try hardest for grandparents. A weekly call can do more for speaking than an extra lesson.
Related: A strict grandparent.
