Professional Focus Paper
Course: Gàidhlig
1.
Level: National 5
Who is this paper for and what is its purpose?
This paper is for teachers and other staff who provide learning, teaching and support as learners work towards
Gàidhlig National 5.
Curriculum for Excellence is a unique opportunity to raise achievement and to ensure that all learners are better
prepared than they have been in the past for learning, life and work. This is because the new curriculum gives real
scope to build learning 3–18 in a joined-up, seamless way. As a result, progression in learning can be much
stronger with a clear focus on attributes and capabilities, skills (including higher-order thinking skills), and
knowledge and understanding. These are delivered through the experiences and outcomes of the 3–15 Broad
General Education (BGE) and, at the senior phase, through programmes that build directly on the BGE leading to
qualifications. Because of a strengthened focus on the nature and quality of learning experiences, self-motivation is
likely to be increased and learners consequently more engaged and enthused. To ensure continuity and
progression, qualifications at the senior phase have been designed to embrace this unambiguous focus on highquality learning.
Curriculum for Excellence has the flexibility to meet the needs of all learners in their local circumstances, enabling
each to achieve their very best. For example, some centres may take the opportunity to offer qualifications over two
years which might involve learners bypassing qualifications at a given level, whereas others may enable learners to
work towards qualifications within one year. In both cases, the advice in this paper is relevant to the learning and
teaching approaches that learners will encounter. This paper, then, is intended to stimulate professional reflection
and dialogue about learning. It highlights important features of learning which are enhanced or different from
previous arrangements at this SCQF level.
How will you plan for progression in learning and teaching, building on the Broad General Education?
2.
What’s new and what are the implications for learning and teaching?
Gàidhlig National 5 consists of two Units.
 Creation and Production
 Analysis and Evaluation
To achieve Gàidhlig National 5, learners must pass all of the required Units and a course assessment.
GÀIDHLIG
What are the key features of learning in Gàidhlig National 5?
Integrated approach to skills development
Gàidhlig National 5 builds on the skills developed within the BGE and those developed in Gàidhlig National 4. Staff
may wish to consider thematic approaches to learning and teaching. Listening, reading, talking and writing skills
are all essential to the understanding and usage of Gàidhlig. Learners should regularly, both in partnership with the
teacher, and independently, access books, online resources, radio and Gàidhlig speakers, within and out with the
classroom environment, in order to acquire and develop their skills. A focus should be maintained on enabling
young people to communicate in relevant and realistic contexts. These contexts should be varied, interesting and
aimed at engaging and enthusing learners. The following list presents some options: Obair/Work, Na
Meadhanan/Media, Eachdraidh na Gàidhlig/History of Gàidhlig, Biadh & Slàinte/Health & Food, Cogadh/War.
Practitioners should strike a balance between avoiding duplication in themes and developing and improving upon
skills from National 4. For example a unit on Obair/Work would be a recommended theme for both National 4 and
National 5. As learners develop their skills in education and employment, they could augment and improve upon
previous texts.
Wider range of evidence of learning
There is a focus on assessment as an integral part of learning and teaching. Staff can make use of a wider range
of evidence of learning including, for example, digital or spoken presentations, posters, leaflets, extended writing,
notes or podcasts. Staff should also consider the application of breadth and challenge across the four contexts of
learning. These should be used by learners to build a portfolio to show their progress through the Units.
Hierarchy of Units
Programmes of learning should be planned to encourage learners to aim for the highest level of achievement.
There is no mandatory content at National 5 but the aim of the course is to develop listening, reading, talking and
writing skills in order to: understand, analysing and evaluate texts; create and produce texts; use knowledge of
language; use knowledge of Gàidhlig cultural heritage and the cultural heritage of others.
These skills and knowledge will be developed further in Higher and beyond. The skills developed in the hierarchy of
Units enables staff to plan programmes of learning to cater for learners with differing levels of ability. Careful
planning of vocabulary and grammar will be required to ensure learners can move between the levels as required
and that content is not repeated unnecessarily as learners progress through the SCQF levels.
Added value
At National 5 the added value sits will be assessed within the context of the course assessment. This consists of
three components – Component 1: question paper (reading and writing) 50%; Component 2: question paper
(listening) 20%; and Component 3: performance (talking) 30%.
As such there is no need to complete a National 4 style added value assignment. However, producing an
assignment upon a subject related to Gàidhlig may be used to pass some of the requirements of the Creation and
Production Unit, in particular, and to allow learners to develop their general skills, knowledge and understanding in
general. It may also contribute to the successful completion of Component 3.
Learners will have been exposed to a choice of topics to be researched and will present evidence of their learning
through an oral presentation upon which they will also be required to respond to questions on the chosen topic
using their listening skills. Staff and learners may find it beneficial for their presentation to be accompanied by a
written report.
GÀIDHLIG
The topic for an assignment can be decided by the learner, with support from staff. Because there is no mandatory
content, learners have much more opportunity to exercise choice in a way that is personal to them. The assignment
is an opportunity to apply skills and abilities, for example, in selecting and evaluating relevant information evidence,
organising and using information and to increase challenge, describing the impact of a historical event. Topics that
learners could research might include, for example, in addition to those provided in the National 4:




the Clearances, emigration, Gaelic in Canada
Gaelic traditional music, the Fèisean movement, popular Gaelic artists
history of Gaelic in the local area, including place-names, local history
significant historical Gaelic figures and events
Writing a report can be very beneficial for a learner to consolidate knowledge and understanding of the topic.
Learners should be made aware of the format of Components 1, 2 and 3 and the skills required to successfully
complete these components should be integrated within all Units.
What are the key features of learning in Gàidhlig National 5?
Active learning
Learners will be expected to take an active role in the learning process, working individually and collectively to
develop skills and to reflect on their learning. Learning activities, linked to their own interests, will develop learners
abilities to explore, to analyse, to evaluate, to solve problems, to communicate for different purposes, to create and
to apply learning.
The work must be purposeful and tasks should be relevant to today’s Gàidhlig community and the interests of the
learners. Texts should incorporate a range of media and teachers should make use of spoken and written Gàidhlig
from a range of modern settings and from relevant Gàidhlig literature. At National 5, there is the opportunity to
showcase more of the richness of Gàidhlig culture and literature. Ensuring that a strong Gàidhlig environment is
sustained within the class is important. A strong Gàidhlig-medium environment where immersion is a dialogical
collaboration between staff and learners which builds a commitment to using Gaelic outwith the classroom
environment, ensures that language skills continue to develop apace, building on the BGE stage and/or National 4.
Teachers may wish to focus on developing texts that incorporate a grammar point as a focus as well as an aspect
of relevant Gàidhlig culture.
Learners, after preparation and priming may develop their own role play in a realistic situation, such as a job
interview or a radio report about a current affairs issue.
Learning independently
Learners should be introduced to strategies and resources that will allow them to work independently. Resources,
such as reading schemes, websites and web-based learning tools, should be familiar to learners. Learners should
be regularly using their skills, specifically their language skills, on their own and demonstrating their resilience to
work independently of others. Although learners should be encouraged to ask the teacher for advice and help,
learners should increasingly be developing the ability to work on their own. Learners should be expected to read
other texts over and above those prescribed by the teacher for both vocabulary acquisition and pleasure. By
reading such texts learners develop as independent thinkers, who recognise when they are being influenced and
who can justify their own point of view. They will be able to work independently on a research topic of their own
choice. Learners should be able to select and investigate a topic of their own choice that relates to Gàidhlig.
Talking and writing activities will enable learners to develop creative thinking skills and make decisions as to topic,
GÀIDHLIG
structure, language and tone. In taking part in discussions, young people develop skills in being able to frame
relevant questions, and use responses for further clarification. As there is no mandatory content, learners have real
opportunities to explore aspects of Gaelic that interest them most. It is important that learners are able to choose
an area of research they are interested in, with the help and advice of the teacher. They should then be allowed to
plan their own research work and reflect upon it at different stages.
Providing learners with short-to-medium length translation exercises from English to Gàidhlig will allow them to be
able to work with sources that may sometimes only be available in English but also progressively enabling them to
avoid the use of “Blas na Beurla” (translation word for word from English) by developing an understanding of how
to more effectively use idiomatic Gàidhlig in their writing and talking.
How will you plan opportunities for learners to learn independently?
Responsibility for learning
Learners must be encouraged to take responsibility for their own learning. Developing suitable classroom practices
and strategies will allow this to happen. Taking responsibility for their own learning should mean that learners can
produce work on their own, review and evaluate their work. They should be able to reflect on their own learning and
plan how they can improve their work. This should include target setting. Some teachers may wish to use tools
such as learning logs, blogs or diaries, building on the S3 Profile. For example, learners could be required to
maintain a Gàidhlig usage log for a month, or to record notes about a news item each day from BBC Gàidhlig for a
period of time.
Texts related to language issues, or a unit based on the place of Gàidhlig in the local area/Scotland may be used to
help learners grow more confident in their identity as Gàidhlig speakers while also developing broader citizenship
skills. These will assist learners in progression towards the achievement of Scottish Studies accreditation.
How will you support learners to take responsibility for and plan their own learning?
Collaborative learning
It is important that learners are able to work effectively with peers, the teacher and others. Good links with Gàidhlig
organisations and the wider Gàidhlig community can effectively enhance the collaborative skills of learners,
equipping them with skills for education, life and work. The use of Gàidhlig at all times while engaged in
collaborative work is essential. It is important that learners continue to build on their skills from the BGE and make
a conscious effort to speak Gàidhlig at all times while engaging in class work. Learners could be reminded that they
are the medium of their own learning.
The use of external visitors to the class can be very stimulating. Learners may wish to work in a group and develop
questions that could be asked about the life and work of a visitor, where appropriate. Activities linked to the work of
the guest speaker are recommended, the production of texts in collaboration with the guest speaker, or
collaboratively by the learners after the visit are good options.
Learners may wish to engage in an exercise to write questions and answers for a prepared text set at the relevant
level, then another learner is required to sit the prepared assessment. This will develop writing and reading
capacities. Learners may also be given a group project where every member of a group has to provide a section of
a report. This will allow pupils to evaluate other pupils’ and their own work.
As learners become more confident, they could begin to collaborate, not just with their peers, but also with learners
from other establishments and from the wider community.
GÀIDHLIG
Peer and self-assessment of written work and sharing of success criteria can be a very useful tool in raising
attainment in all skills.
How might you develop collaborative approaches to learning and make effective use of technology?
Applying learning
Learners must be given opportunity to apply what they have learned and the skills they are developing in a range of
settings. A range of texts using different types of media should be used. Learners will apply their learning in the
Unit assessments and in the added value elements of the course. They also should have an opportunity to apply
their learning at regular times. Lessons should be planned to ensure that opportunities to apply learning reflect reallife situations where Gàidhlig skills would be used. Learners should also be able to apply broad skills, which they
will be developing in other subjects, such as presentation and speaking skills and skills for learning, life and work.
For example, a unit on work could develop along the lines of producing a CV, reading a range of job adverts for
information, writing a formal text to apply for one of the positions, then progressing to a role play interview where all
the students take turns to play different roles.
Learners in Gàidhlig medium often have a wide experience of Gàidhlig song. Older material is often neglected in
the teaching of poetry but a focus on assonance, rhythms and meter in poems can be used to stimulate learners to
produce their own texts using rhyme schemes and then perform them. This also allows pupils to focus on the
spelling of a words due to the requirement for a regular scheme, for example, creating a verse with a rhyme
scheme using words with “ua”, “fuar”, “uamh”, “buaidh”.
Textual analysis and production of a text may go hand in hand, combining the analysis of a text by using its style
and language to produce a text in the same vein. For example, studying a short story with a supernatural twist and
then producing a short story within the same genre/using similar themes.
GÀIDHLIG
3.
Qualification information
The SQA website provides you with the following documentation:






Assessment Overview
Course Specification
Unit Specification
Support Notes
Course Assessment Specification
Unit Assessment Support Packages
Full information on arrangements for this qualification is available at the SQA website:
Gàidhlig National 5: http://www.sqa.org.uk/sqa/47412.html
4.
What other materials are available on the Education Scotland website which staff
could use?
Support materials have been produced over the last year to support Curriculum for Excellence and further support
materials and events are planned. This downloadable list is updated quarterly with the most up-to-date details
available from the page below.
Published and planned support for Curriculum for Excellence:
http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/publishedandplannedsupport
T +44 (0)141 282 5000 E enquiries@educationscotland.gov.uk W www.educationscotland.gov.uk
Education Scotland, Denholm House, Almondvale Business Park, Almondvale Way, Livingston EH54 6GA
© Crown copyright, 2012
You may re-use this information (excluding images and logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence providing that it is reproduced
accurately and not in a misleading context. The material must be acknowledged as Crown copyright and the document title specified.
To view this licence, visit http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence or e-mail: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk
Where we have identified any third party copyright information you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holders concerned.