Modern Languages:
update on new
qualifications
New National Qualifications
♦ Support learning – assessment follows the curriculum
♦ Support aims, purposes and principles of Curriculum for
Excellence
♦ Provide progression from Experiences and Outcomes
and maximizes curriculum continuity between levels
♦ Build on existing strengths of reputation, standards,
reliability and validity of Scottish qualifications
♦ Provide more flexibility and choice
♦ Support teacher professionalism
♦ Enable the sharing of standards
How we have developed qualifications
 Qualifications developed in a more strategic way –
starts with learning, process is iterative
 Each stage informs the next – on-going process of
exploring issues/developing thinking, seeking
advice/guidance and then testing proposals
 Open and transparent – draft documents published at
each stage (both for information and feedback)
 Wide range of engagement – from formal groups to
Liaison Team visits to target activities
 Ongoing engagement – feedback from web
 Robust quality assurance – involving
partners at each stage
Timelines
 Draft AH Unit Specifications – September
2012
 Further Information on Course Assessment –
October 2012
 Subject-specific events – Autumn/Winter
2012/13
 Assessment support and exemplification –
October onwards
Key Features
• Units are points of assessment and skills-based
• Broad contexts of society, learning, employability and culture.
National 3
National 4
National 5
Higher
Understanding
Language
Understanding
Language
Understanding
Language
Understanding
Language
Using Language
Using Language
Using Language
Using Language
Added value —
assignment
Course assessment
Course assessment
Modern Languages - Key Features
 provides progression from Modern Languages
Experiences and Outcomes and same Course
structure and Unit titles National 3 - Higher
 will allow learners to draw on, combine and apply the
language skills learned throughout the Course in the
Added Value Unit Modern Language Assignment
 provides flexibility to apply language skills in contexts
relevant to learners, such as social media, job-related
topics or through thematic approaches
 provides opportunities to use a range of contexts
 provides opportunities to combine skills
Unit Assessment Support Packages
Package
N3
N4
N5
1 – October 2012
Combined:
L&T
R&W
Combined:
R&T
L&W
Combined:
L&T
R&W
2 - March 2013
Unit-by-Unit:
R&L
T&W
Unit-by-Unit:
R&L
T&W
Unit-by-Unit:
R&L
T&W
3 – April 2013
Unit-by-Unit:
R&L
T&W
Combined:
R&W
L&T
Combined:
R&T
L&W
Added value at National 4:
Assignment
 Assessing the skills of reading, listening &
talking
 guidance on setting and controlling the
assessment
 Guidance on making assessment judgements
 Personalisation and choice
 Support notes and assessment exemplification:
guidance on overtaking other Unit outcomes
Added Value at National 5: Course
Assessment
 Assessing the skills of reading, writing, listening
& talking
Question Papers:
 Reading – 3 texts (of same length)
 Listening – 1 monologue, 1 conversation
 Writing – job e-mail
Performance:
 Talking – presentation and conversation
Added value at Higher: Course
Assessment
 Assessing the skills of reading, translating, writing,
listening & talking
Question Papers:
 Reading – 1 text, including translation
 Directed Writing – choice of four scenarios (one from
each context)
 Listening – 1 monologue, 1 follow-up conversation
 Personal Response – stimulus based on Listening
Performance:
 Talking – presentation and conversation
Modern Languages for Life and
Work Award

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





Available at SCQF levels 3 and 4
Practical and relevant contexts
Personal development – employability skills
3 Units, 2 of which existing SQA Units
Opportunity to use 2 languages in one qualification
Available to Centres August 2012
Available to all pupils of all ages
Award Support Notes available on secure site
Course and Unit Support Notes
Access 3- Higher
• These provide guidance on delivering Units and
Course.
• Approaches to learning and teaching and
assessment
• Gathering naturally-occurring evidence
• Combining Outcomes within and across Units
• Useful appendices
Advanced Higher
 Course structure and Units same as current
 Contexts of society, learning, employability and
culture
 Open up types of text for internal unit
assessment for ERV to include media texts
 Emphasis on topical issues
 Draft Unit Specifications published end of
September 2012
Development
Process
NEXT PHASE: ASSESSMENT
Assessment Support
 Assessment Briefs – all levels N3-N5
 Unit assessments – combined across Units and
unit only
 Added Value Unit & making Assessment
Judgements information
 Specimen Question Papers & Marking
Instructions
 Specimen Coursework & Marking Instructions
 April 2013
Who
Enhanced Subject Working Group:
 Qualification Development Manager
 Qualification Development Consultant
 Qualification Manager/Qualification Officer
 Principal Assessor
 Item Writers
 Principal Verifier
 Subject expertise from CARG/QDT/SWG
Quality Assurance and Engagement
Internal Review of Courses Coordination Group
Languages Curriculum Area Review Group
QDT English,
Gàidhlig, and
Literacy
QDT ESOL
Sub-QDT
Sub-QDT
Enhanced
SWG
Enhanced
SWG
QDT Latin
sub-QDT
Enhanced
SWG
QDT Media
QDT Modern
Languages
Sub-QDT
Sub-QDT
Enhanced
SWG
Enhanced
SWG