The children all seemed attentive and were having fun practicing the language. The language of instruction is that of the teacher. They often translate key words, but the idea is that the class will be almost entirely in one language. By third grade the language ability of the students has increased substantially so that only one homeroom teacher greets them every day and that teacher only speaks in his or her native language. By fifth grade, even science and history are taught in only one language.
Third grade is also when children start learning another language, English.
This is a language that is new for all the children, so Arabs and Jews learn together in this class. One thing that was especially nice about the school was the special language classroom. Expecting the see a room full of tapes or computers, I found all kinds of props used for dramatic play, lots of open space, and a little stage. The idea is that when children come into the language room, they should only speak the language that they are practicing. As soon as they saw us, a group of three girls jumped up on the stage, put on some costumes, and performed a little English play that they were working on.