Lesson 92 · C1
Parents' evening
For teachers, counsellors and social workers who talk with Moroccan families. Reporting how a child is doing, advising without ordering, reassuring worried parents. And a reference text: the Convention on the Rights of the Child, in Arabic.
- Report on a pupil's progress.
- Advise without giving orders.
- Reassure.
- Read articles of the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Twenty-four words
Advising, reporting progress, school, social services and the Convention's principles.
Advising and reassuring
-
كَنْنْصْحْكُمْ
kannsa7kum
I'd advise you
Respectful plural, to parents.
- حْسَنْ إِلَا 7sen ila it would be good if
- مْنْ الْأَحْسَنْ men l-a7sen it's best to
- مَا كَايْنْ عْلَاشْ تْقَلّْقُو ma-kayn 3lash tqelqu there's no need to worry
- عَادِي فْهَادْ السّْنّْ 3adi f had s-senn it's normal at this age
How it's going
- كَيْتْقَدّْمْ kaytqeddem is making progress
- تْعَطّْلْ فْ t3ettel f has fallen behind in
- كَيْغِيبْ kayghib is absent; misses school
- كَيْشَارْكْ kaysharek takes part
- النُّقْطَة n-nuqta mark; grade
- الْمْعْدَّلْ l-m3eddel average
School
- الْقِسْمْ l-qism class; classroom
- الْمُعَلّْمَة l-mu3allima teacher (f.)
- الْمُدِيرَة l-mudira head teacher (f.)
- الِابْتِدَائِي l-ibtida'i primary school
- الْهَدْرْ الْمَدْرَسِي l-hadr l-madrasi school dropout
Social services
-
وَلِيّْ الْأَمْرْ
waliyy l-amr
parent; legal guardian
Administrative term.
- الْمُسَاعِدَة الِاجْتِمَاعِيَّة l-musa3ida l-ijtima3iyya social worker (f.)
- الْمَلَفّْ l-malaff case file
- الْمِنْحَة l-min7a grant; bursary
- تَابَعْ tabe3 to follow up; keep an eye on
Principles
- مَصْلَحَة الطّْفْلْ masla7at t-tfel the child's interest
- إِلْزَامِي ilzami compulsory
- مَجَّانِي majjani free (of charge)
Advising without ordering
Four lines from a parents' meeting. Which report, which advise? How does the teacher advise without giving an order?
- وْلْدْكُمْ كَيْتْقَدّْمْ مْزْيَانْ فْالْقْرَايَةweldkum kaytqeddem mzyan f l-qraya
- وَلَكِنْ كَيْغِيبْ بْزَّافْ، وْ هَادْشِّي كَيْأَثّْرْ عْلِيهْwalakin kayghib bzzaf, u hadshi kay'etter 3lih
- كَنْنْصْحْكُمْ تْتَابْعُوهْ فْالدَّارْkannsa7kum ttab3uh f d-dar
- مَا كَايْنْ عْلَاشْ تْقَلّْقُو، مَصْلَحَة الطّْفْلْ هِيَ الْأَوَّلْma-kayn 3lash tqelqu, masla7at t-tfel hiya l-luwwel
What follows kannsa7kum? How many people is she talking to?
The rule
Advising: kannsa7kum + b + noun (b s-sber) or + bare verb (teqraw m3ah). Softer: 7sen ila + ordinary clause; men l-a7sen + bare verb.
Advice as condition: ila bghitu…, khasskum…
Reassuring: ma-kayn 3lash tqelqu; hadshi 3adi f had s-senn.
Reporting: kaytqeddem f, t3ettel f, kayghib, kaysharek.
With parents, the respectful plural (lesson 89): weldkum, khasskum.
At the meeting
| Form | Say it | Means |
|---|---|---|
| كَنْنْصْحْكُمْ بْالصّْبَرْ | kannsa7kum b s-sber | I'd advise patience |
| كَنْنْصْحْكُمْ تْقْرَاوْ مْعَاهْ كُلّْ لِيلَة | kannsa7kum teqraw m3ah koll lila | I'd advise you to read with him every night |
| حْسَنْ إِلَا نْعَسْ بْكْرِي | 7sen ila n3es bekri | it would be good if he went to bed early |
| مْنْ الْأَحْسَنْ تْتَابْعُو الدّْفَاتْرْ دْيَالُو | men l-a7sen ttab3u d-dfater dyalu | it's best to check his exercise books |
| إِلَا بْغِيتُو يْتْقَدّْمْ، خَصّْكُمْ تْعَاوْنُوهْ | ila bghitu ytqeddem, khasskum t3awnuh | if you want him to progress, you need to help him |
| مَا كَايْنْ عْلَاشْ تْقَلّْقُو، هَادْشِّي عَادِي | ma-kayn 3lash tqelqu, hadshi 3adi | there's no need to worry, it's normal |
| كَيْتْقَدّْمْ فْالْقْرَايَة، وَلَكِنْ تْعَطّْلْ فْالْحْسَابْ | kaytqeddem f l-qraya, walakin t3ettel f l-7sab | he's progressing in reading but behind in maths |
| كَيْغِيبْ بْزَّافْ هَادْ الشّْهَرْ | kayghib bzzaf had sh-shher | he's been absent a lot this month |
Rows 2–4: where English uses “to” or a modal, Darija uses a bare verb or plain clause.
What English gives you, and what it costs
Free: “I'd recommend”, “it would be good if”, “it's best to”: three matching levels of softness.
Free: “there's no need to worry” = ma-kayn 3lash tqelqu.
Costly: English “you” doesn't mark respect. With Moroccan parents, go plural.
Your mistake, not someone else's
In a hurry, you advise with an imperative. From a school to parents, it sounds like an order.
×تَابْعُوهْ فْالدَّارْBare imperative to parents.
✓كَنْنْصْحْكُمْ تْتَابْعُوهْ فْالدَّارْ“I'd advise you to follow his work at home”.
Once there's trust, 7sen ila is softer still.
The Convention on the Rights of the Child
Articles 3 and 28 of the 1989 Convention, in the official Arabic version. The UN allows free reproduction; UNESCO and UNICEF materials usually carry non-commercial licences, which rules them out for the book.
الْمَادَّةُ 3 (1): فِي جَمِيعِ الْإِجْرَاءَاتِ الَّتِي تَتَعَلَّقُ بِالْأَطْفَالِ، سَوَاءٌ قَامَتْ بِهَا مُؤَسَّسَاتُ الرِّعَايَةِ الِاجْتِمَاعِيَّةِ الْعَامَّةِ أَوِ الْخَاصَّةِ، أَوِ الْمَحَاكِمُ أَوِ السُّلُطَاتُ الْإِدَارِيَّةُ أَوِ الْهَيْئَاتُ التَّشْرِيعِيَّةُ، يُولَى الِاعْتِبَارُ الْأَوَّلُ لِمَصَالِحِ الطِّفْلِ الْفُضْلَى.
الْمَادَّةُ 28 (1): تَعْتَرِفُ الدُّوَلُ الْأَطْرَافُ بِحَقِّ الطِّفْلِ فِي التَّعْلِيمِ، وَتَحْقِيقًا لِلْإِعْمَالِ الْكَامِلِ لِهٰذَا الْحَقِّ تَدْرِيجِيًّا وَعَلَى أَسَاسِ تَكَافُؤِ الْفُرَصِ، تَقُومُ بِوَجْهٍ خَاصٍّ بِمَا يَلِي:
(أ) جَعْلُ التَّعْلِيمِ الِابْتِدَائِيِّ إِلْزَامِيًّا وَمُتَاحًا مَجَّانًا لِلْجَمِيعِ؛ […]
(هـ) اتِّخَاذُ تَدَابِيرَ لِتَشْجِيعِ الْحُضُورِ الْمُنْتَظِمِ فِي الْمَدَارِسِ، وَالتَّقْلِيلِ مِنْ مُعَدَّلَاتِ تَرْكِ الدِّرَاسَةِ.
الْمَادَّةُ 28 (2): تَتَّخِذُ الدُّوَلُ الْأَطْرَافُ كَافَّةَ التَّدَابِيرِ الْمُنَاسِبَةِ لِضَمَانِ إِدَارَةِ النِّظَامِ فِي الْمَدَارِسِ عَلَى نَحْوٍ يَتَمَشَّى مَعَ كَرَامَةِ الطِّفْلِ […].
Naciones Unidas, Convención sobre los Derechos del Niño (1989), versión árabe, arts. 3.1 y 28. Texto de ar.wikisource.org con cortes marcados […]; reproducción libre. Vocalización de Learning Darija · dominio público
Did you follow?
What must come first in all decisions about children?
Show answers
The best interests of the child.
Who has to take it into account?
Show answers
Public and private social welfare bodies, courts, administrations and legislatures.
What should primary education be?
Show answers
Compulsory and free for all.
What should states reduce?
Show answers
School dropout rates.
Check
Two here, three more in the C1 book.
Exercises 1 and 2 are here, with answers. Exercises 3 to 5 are in the C1 book, the PDF this site lives on: you can see the first item of each below.
1Advise
Rewrite with the formula in brackets.
- قْرَاوْ مْعَاهْ (نْصِيحَة)
- يْنْعَسْ بْكْرِي (حْسَنْ إِلَا)
- تْقَلّْقُو (نْفِي: مَا كَايْنْ عْلَاشْ)
- تَابْعُو الدّْفَاتْرْ (مْنْ الْأَحْسَنْ)
2Fill the gap
With the progress verb.
كيتقدمكيغيبتعطلكيشارك
- ___ مزيان فالقراية، النقط طالعة
- ___ بزاف، تلات د الأيام هاد السيمانة
- ___ شوية فالحساب
- فالقسم ___ و كيسول
3True or false?
According to the Convention.
- The child's interest must come first.
4Match
Each principle with what it says.
| 1 | مَصْلَحَة الطّْفْلْ | a | خَصّْ يْقَلّْ |
|---|
5Your meeting
Write an eight-line parents' meeting: progress, a worry, advice.
كَنْنْصْحْكُمْكَيْتْقَدّْمْكَيْغِيبْمَا كَايْنْ عْلَاشْ تْقَلّْقُوحْسَنْ إِلَا
The rest is in the C1 book
The C1 bookShow answers
| 1. Advise | كَنْنْصْحْكُمْ تْقْرَاوْ مْعَاهْ · حْسَنْ إِلَا نْعَسْ بْكْرِي · مَا كَايْنْ عْلَاشْ تْقَلّْقُو · مْنْ الْأَحْسَنْ تْتَابْعُو الدّْفَاتْرْ |
|---|---|
| 2. Fill the gap | كيتقدم · كيغيب · تعطل · كيشارك |
The C1 book: In preparation
Write and I will tell you the day it is out. One email, no list.
I can now
- Report progress with kaytqeddem, t3ettel.
- Advise with kannsa7kum and 7sen ila.
- Reassure with ma-kayn 3lash tqelqu.
- Read the Convention in Arabic.