Session 23 — What Do I Like?

شو بِحِبّ؟

Level: 2 — Food, body, daily routine Time: 25 minutes Audience: Heritage learners + total beginners (ages 6–8) Letter of the day: Review (no new letter today) Big idea: I can express my preferences in Arabic.

👩‍🏫 For teachers

This session works in a 25–30 minute slot with 5–25 students. You'll need: a whiteboard or large paper, two big signs you'll make on the spot — one says

Differentiation:

• Heritage stretch: Ask heritage kids what their grandmother's aktar shi (favorite-most-of-all) food is. Have them ask her tonight and report back next session.
• Beginner warm: Stay with just
  بِحِبّ
  and
  ما بِحِبّ
  for the whole session if needed. Two words is plenty.

🏠 For parents at home

This session works one-on-one in 20 minutes at the kitchen table — or even better, in the kitchen itself with the fridge open. You'll need: 6–8 real food items (or pictures), two paper signs (one

If your child is heritage: They've heard bhibb their whole life — "bhibbik, habibti." Today we name what they already know. Lean into it. Say, "Teta says this all the time, right?"

If your child is new to Arabic: Start with food they already love. The first time they say

Materials checklist

• 2 signs:
  بِحِبّ
  and
  ما بِحِبّ
• 6–8 food picture cards OR real food items from your kitchen
• Audio file: session-23-audio.mp3 (vocabulary + dialogue)
• Workbook page 23

Block 1: Warm-up — what did you eat today? (2 min)

Goal: Activate food vocabulary from earlier sessions; set up the "liking" theme.

Script:

Greet warmly: "مَرحَبا! شو أَكَلتي اليَوم؟" (Marhaba! Shu akalti al-yawm?) — "Hello! What did you eat today?"

Let the child name 1–2 foods in Arabic from what they remember (khubz, jibneh, tuffah, mawz…). If they're stuck, name one yourself: "أنا أَكَلتُ مَوز." (Ana akaltu mawz.) — "I ate a banana."

Now lean in and ask the big question of the day:

"بَس… شو بِتحِبّي تاكلي؟" (Bas… shu bithibbi takli?) — "But… what do you love to eat?"

That's the hook. Don't answer it yet.

Block 2: Listen & repeat (6 min)

Goal: Learn the 6 core preference words.

Today's vocabulary:

Script:

Play the audio once. Don't speak over it. Let the native voice carry.

Now, with your whole body:

• **بِحِبّ**
  → both hands on heart, big smile
• **ما بِحِبّ**
  → wrinkle your nose, shake head no
• **كَتير**
  → hands stretched wide
• **شَوي**
  → fingers pinched, tiny gap
• **أَكتَر شي**
  → hands on heart, then thrown wide — "the MOST"

Have the child echo each one with the gesture. Do

Heritage note: Bhibbik / bhibbak — they've heard this from teta a hundred times. Point it out: "That word teta says? Same word!"

Block 3: Putting it together (4 min)

Goal: Build a real sentence: I like ___ a lot.

Script:

Write on the board / paper:

**بِحِبّ ______ كَتير.**

Say: "I love ______ a lot."

Now fill the blank with food the child knows. Model first:

"بِحِبّ الحُمُّص كَتير!" (Bhibb el-hummus ktir!) — "I love hummus a lot!" "بِحِبّ المَوز شَوي." (Bhibb el-mawz shway.) — "I like bananas a little." "ما بِحِبّ الخِيار." (Ma bhibb el-khyaar.) — "I don't like cucumber."

Now their turn. Hand them the sentence frame and let them swap in any food. If they switch to English foods (pizza, ice cream) — that's fine.

Block 4: Play with it — The Love It / Don't Love It Game (8 min)

Goal: Use preferences in real, fast back-and-forth.

Setup:

Tape the two signs on opposite sides of the room (or opposite ends of the table). On one side:

How to play:

1. Hold up a food card (or a real food). Say: "شو رَأيِك بِالزَّيتون؟" (Shu ra'yik bil-zaytoon?) — "What do you think of olives?"
2. The child runs / points / leans to the side that matches their feeling.
3. From that side, they say the full sentence:
   بِحِبّ الزَّيتون كَتير!
   or
   ما بِحِبّ الزَّيتون.
4. Go through all 6–8 foods.

The big finish: At the end, ask:

"شو بِتحِبّي أَكتَر شي؟" (Shu bithibbi aktar shi?) — "What do you love MOST of all?"

They pick one food and shout:

Classroom variant: Two sides of the room. Teacher calls out a food, all kids run to a side. Then everyone on the

Block 5: Tiny reading (3 min)

Goal: Read the two anchor words from today.

Show the child these two words, side by side:

Point to the heart. Have them say the word. Point to the crossed-out heart. Have them say the other.

Now mix it up — point in random order. They say it without thinking.

Notice the little word

(Workbook page 23: "I can read these words.")

Block 6: Goodbye & try at home (2 min)

Goal: End warmly and seed home practice.

Script:

Say: "يَلّا، مع السَّلامة! وما تِنسي — شو بِتحِبّي أَكتَر شي؟" (Yalla, ma'a as-salaama! W ma tinsi — shu bithibbi aktar shi?) — "Okay, goodbye! And don't forget — what do you love most of all?"

Tonight at home (tell the child):

At dinner tonight, tell someone in your family — in Arabic — one food you love and one food you don't love. Use

بِحِبّ

and

ما بِحِبّ

.

For parents and teachers: When the child tells you a preference in Arabic, respond in Arabic — even just

After this session

• Send home the Family Guide (one page).
• Send home the Vocabulary Cards (cut on dotted lines).
• Workbook page 23 stays in folder/binder.
• Next session: Session 24 — My Favorite Color (لَوني المُفَضَّل), review session.

Teacher / Parent observation notes (formative — not graded)

Watch for, this session:

No grading. No tests. Just notice and remember.

Yalla Arabic · Level 2 · Session 23 of 48