Professional Focus Paper
Course: Modern Languages
1.
Level: National 4
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
Modern Languages National 4.
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?
Modern Languages National 4 consists of three Units.
 Understanding Language
 Using Language
 Added Value Unit – an assignment
To achieve Modern Languages National 4, learners must pass all of the Units, including the Added Value Unit.
MODERN LANGUAGES
What are the key aspects of Modern Languages National 4?
Integrated approach to skills development
Modern Languages National 4 builds on the skills developed within the BGE. The Understanding Language Unit
focuses on the receptive skills of reading and listening and will enable learners to develop their knowledge of
straightforward language in the contexts of society, learning, employability and culture. The Using Language Unit
focuses on the productive skills of talking and writing. All four skills are of equal importance and should be
developed in an integrated way. The ability to apply grammatical knowledge is a skill which underpins both Units.
The Added Value Unit challenges learners to apply their language skills in investigating a chosen topic in a familiar
context in the modern language. Learners will present evidence in an oral presentation which will also include
follow up questions.
Where appropriate, how will you plan learning sessions that will allow learners to develop all four language skills in
an integrated fashion?
Wider range of evidence of learning
Previous approaches to assessment were directed by the need to achieve end of unit NABs. There is a new
emphasis on naturally occurring evidence and assessments that involve more than one of the four key skills,
building on approaches developed in the BGE. Staff can make use of a wider range of evidence including, for
example, digital or spoken presentations, discussions, extended writing, notes, multi-modal texts or podcasts.
These could be used by learners to build up a portfolio that would show their progress through the Units. An
integrated approach to assessment (for example, an assessment combining listening and talking) will develop the
learner’s skills in a realistic, communicative situation and will reduce the amount of assessment. Technology can
be used to support learning, teaching and assessment through the use of, for example, interactive language tasks
with texts and activities in electronic format, video conferencing and use of iPods to record the spoken language.
Hierarchy of Units
The Modern Languages National 4 course forms a hierarchy with the Modern Languages courses at National 3,
National 5 and Higher. The courses at National 3, National 4, National 5 and Higher follow a relatively similar
structure in terms of outcomes and assessment, but differ in the degree of difficulty and complexity from one level
to the next. This structure aims to facilitate bi-level teaching and enable learners to achieve recognition for their
best achievement. Programmes of learning should be planned to encourage learners to aim for the highest level of
achievement. The hierarchy of Units allows for a flexible approach, enabling learners to tackle Units and
assessments at the most appropriate level for them.
Added Value Unit
The Added Value unit will focus on challenge and application. In this unit the learner will apply the language skills
developed in the other component units to investigate and report on a chosen topic in the modern language by:
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reading straightforward texts in the modern language;
selecting relevant information from the texts;
presenting their findings orally, in the modern language, to convey meaning;
responding to questions in the modern language relevant to the chosen topic.
Possible topics for the Added Value Unit could be home and local area, school, future career or holidays.
MODERN LANGUAGES
What are the key features of learning in Modern Languages National 4?
Active learning
Learners should continue to experience active learning in the senior phase. They are expected to take an active
role in the learning process, working individually and collectively to develop skills and reflect on their own learning.
Active learning will give pupils the opportunity to develop higher-order thinking skills, such as analysis and
evaluation, for example, when they are asked to define the purpose of a text. Becoming increasingly active in their
own learning allows pupils to think more deeply about the concepts being learned, for example, during think-pairshare or jigsaw reading activities. Games-based learning allows learners to review what they have learned in an
enjoyable, motivating way.
Learning independently
Learners undertaking Modern Languages National 4 will continue to develop as independent learners, either
working or their own or in groups in a collaborative way. Activities which offer a choice of approaches and
encourage pupils to be self-reliant will allow pupils to develop self-confidence and encourage self-motivation. The
use of websites in the modern language allows pupils to review topics that are most beneficial for them personally.
Pupils can choose how to respond to a text and demonstrate their understanding of it, for example, through writing
or talking. Teaching dictionary skills will allow pupils to read and write with increasing independence and accuracy.
The Added Value Unit gives pupils the opportunity to research a topic independently and decide which aspects of
the topic to focus on in more detail.
How will you encourage learners to develop and become more independent in their learning?
Responsibility for learning
Learners should be expected to take responsibility for, and plan, their own learning based on an understanding of
how they learn best. Opportunities for personalisation and choice will help learners to show what they can do. This
will provide increased motivation and ensure that individuals are challenged appropriately. Learners should be
encouraged to monitor their own progress and set targets, aiming to make effective use of feedback to improve. By
planning regular opportunities to discuss and review learning, including self- and peer-assessment activities, staff
will help learners engage with this process and set meaningful targets for improvement. Staff could discuss and
model strategies for learning to encourage a reflective approach. This might include different methods for learning
vocabulary or grammatical structures, in keeping with learners’ preferred learning style.
How might you develop a more flexible approach which embeds personalisation and choice and encourages
learners to take responsibility for their own learning?
Collaborative learning
Learning and teaching approaches should provide opportunities for collaborative working, which develops essential
social and interpersonal skills. A collaborative approach to learning ensures that all learners are involved in their
own learning and gives them the opportunity to develop the social skills and communication skills that are both an
essential part of language learning and skills for life and work.
Group or partner activities, such as paired reading, ‘give one, get one’ and jigsaw activities, may offer suitable
opportunities for learners to work in partnership, take on responsibilities and learn from each other. Learners could
be given the opportunity to work together to prepare debates on, for example, healthy lifestyles or the advantages
and disadvantages of new technology. This will allow learners to share their skills, learn from each other and make
MODERN LANGUAGES
effective contributions as part of a team, thus providing the opportunity to develop skills for life and work in a
realistic context. Learners could work together to produce more extended pieces of written work, each taking
responsibility for a specific section of, for example, a brochure or website about their local community.
How will you ensure learners use their initiative and work together responsibly during group tasks?
Applying learning
The skills developed throughout Modern Languages National 4 will build on those developed in the BGE. Learners
will become increasingly confident in dealing with familiar language in unfamiliar contexts and with unfamiliar
language.
Throughout Modern Languages National 4, learners will develop a range of skills that can be applied both within
modern languages, across the wider curriculum and in future learning, life and work. In particular, literacy skills,
which will provide meaningful links to other curricular areas, will be developed. Links with other curricular areas will
ensure that skills are reinforced and transferable.
As learners complete the Added Value Unit, they will be able to use their language skills in a purposeful way in
order to research and present their chosen topic.
The Modern Languages National 4 course pays due attention to the culture of the county/countries in which the
language is spoken through, for example, the study of songs or events of cultural significance in another country.
The cultural context within Modern Languages National 4 will allow learners to deepen their understanding and
appreciation of life in another country. For example, learners may study a film in the target language and compare
it with a film in their own language. In this way, pupils will become global citizens with a wider view of the world in
which we live.
How are you developing skills for learning, life and work as outlined in the course specification?
MODERN LANGUAGES
3.
Qualification information
The SQA website provides you with the following documents:
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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:
Modern Languages National 4: http://www.sqa.org.uk/sqa/47409.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
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