Dialogue Script — Session 12: Project: My Family Poster

A short bilingual conversation in Levantine Arabic that uses today's vocabulary. Read it together, take turns playing each part, then try without the script. By now — session 12 — your child should be able to do most of this from memory, or at least follow along with confidence.

The setting

A child (Karim) is sitting on the living room floor with markers, glue, and a big piece of poster paper. He's making his family poster. His mom (Mama) walks in carrying a small stack of printed photos.

The dialogue

Line 1 — Mama hands Karim the photos

Mama: Haydi as-suwar ya Karim. Haydi 'ayltak! — Here are the photos, Karim. Here is your family!

Line 2 — Karim picks up the first photo and points

Karim: Shu hilw! Hadha baba, w hadhihi mama. — So nice! This is dad, and this is mom.

Line 3 — Mama smiles and points to another photo

Mama: W haydool? Meen haydool? — And these? Who are these?

Line 4 — Karim laughs

Karim: Hadha jiddu w hadhihi teta! W haydi ukhti Salma. — This is grandpa and this is grandma! And this is my sister Salma.

Line 5 — Mama looks at the poster, pleased

Mama: Yalla, uktub taht kil sura. Haydi 'aa'ilatak kilha! — Come on, write under each picture. This is your whole family!

Line 6 — Karim picks up the marker, thinking

Karim: Bil-'arabi walla bil-inglizi? — In Arabic or in English?

Line 7 — Mama, gently

Mama: Bil-'arabi habibi. Hayda mashroo'ak bil-'arabi! — In Arabic, my dear. This is your Arabic project!

Line 8 — Karim, proud, starts writing

Karim: Tamaam! Hadhihi 'aa'ilati. — Okay! This is my family.

How to use this script

First time — listen

1. Read it together once, with you doing both voices.
2. Notice how the dialogue uses hadha and hadhihi (MSA — for the poster/writing) AND haydi and hayda (Levantine — for everyday talking). That switch is the whole point of today.

Second time — alternate

3. You take Mama's lines. Your child takes Karim's lines.
4. Hold real photos if you have them. Point at faces as you read.

Third time — switch

5. Your child takes Mama. You take Karim.
6. Let your child boss you around a little — it's good practice for them to be the one giving instructions.

Fourth time — act it out

7. Actually do the project. Sit on the floor with markers and photos.
8. Use the dialogue lines for real as you build the poster together.
9. The script and the project merge into one thing. That's the goal of session 12.

What new words are in here (beyond today's main vocabulary)?

These are bonus words the dialogue exposes. Some are review, some are brand new — don't stress about memorizing. Just hear them:

• haydi (هَيدي) — "this" (feminine, Levantine — the spoken cousin of hadhihi)
• hayda (هَيدا) — "this" (masculine, Levantine — the spoken cousin of hadha)
• haydool (هَيدول) — "these" (Levantine)
• as-suwar (الصُّوَر) — the photos (singular: sura, صورة)
• shu hilw (شو حِلْو) — "how nice!" / "so pretty!"
• meen (مين) — who? (Levantine; MSA is man, مَن)
• ukhti (أُختي) — my sister
• jiddu (جِدّو) — grandpa
• teta (تيتا) — grandma
• uktub (اكتُب) — write! (command, to a boy)
• taht (تَحت) — under / underneath
• kil sura (كُل صورة) — every picture
• kilha (كُلّها) — all of it (feminine)
• walla (وَلّا) — or (Levantine)
• mashroo' (مَشروع) — project
• tamaam (تَمام) — okay / alright / perfect

A note on hadha / hadhihi vs. hayda / haydi

Today's vocabulary teaches هَذا (hadha) and هَذِه (hadhihi) — the MSA "this is." Your child will write these on the poster, because writing = MSA.

But in the dialogue, Mama also uses هَيدا (hayda) and هَيدي (haydi) — the Levantine spoken versions. Because talking = Levantine.

Both are correct. Both are real Arabic. Heritage families already know this in their bones. Beginner families: just trust it. Kids absorb the split naturally, the same way they handle "I'm gonna" vs. "I am going to" in English.

On the poster itself, Karim writes hadhihi 'aa'ilati — "this is my family" — in clean MSA. That's the artifact he can show to anyone, anywhere in the Arab world, and be understood.

Yalla Arabic · Dialogue Script · Session 12