Summary of Advanced Higher Modern Languages
Advanced Higher Modern Languages: Cantonese, French, German, Italian,
Spanish, Mandarin (Simplified), Mandarin (Traditional)
Course Outline
There are three Mandatory Units in this Advanced Higher Course:
Modern Languages: Understanding Language
Modern Languages: Using Language
Modern Languages: Specialist Study
8 SCQF credit points
8 SCQF credit points
8 SCQF credit points
The Course Assessment includes 8 SCQF credit points and covers the added value of the
Course.
Structure and coverage of Unit assessments
Modern Languages: Understanding Language Unit
Outcome 1
The candidate will:
1
1.1
1.2
1.3
Understand complex and sophisticated written language by:
Identifying overall purpose and providing relevant explanation and / or analysis
Identifying and explaining main points and supporting detail
Applying knowledge and understanding of the modern language
Outcome 2
The candidate will:
2
2.1
2.2
2.3
Understand complex and sophisticated spoken language by:
Identifying and explaining overall purpose
Identifying and explaining main points and supporting detail
Applying knowledge and understanding of the modern language
Evidence Requirements for the Unit
For this Unit, the candidate will be required to provide evidence of their reading and listening
skills by:
 using showing understanding of at least one complex and sophisticated written text
 showing understanding of at least one complex and sophisticated spoken text
Assessment generated for this Unit must come from one of the following contexts: society,
learning, employability, or culture.
Modern Languages: Using Language Unit
Outcome 1
The candidate will:
1
1.1
1.2
1.3
Use complex and sophisticated spoken language in conversation by:
Using relevant ideas and content
Sustaining discussion, using a range of vocabulary, variety of structures and flexibility of
expression
Applying grammatical knowledge and understanding
Outcome 2
The candidate will:
2
2.1
2.2
2.3
Use complex and sophisticated written language by:
Using relevant ideas and content
Using a range of vocabulary, variety of structures and flexibility of expression
Applying grammatical knowledge to convey meaning and communicate with clarity and
accuracy
Evidence Requirements for the Unit
The candidate will be required to provide evidence of their talking and writing skills in the
modern language by using complex and sophisticated language in one of the following
contexts: society, learning, employability, or culture.
Modern Languages: Specialist Study Unit
Outcome 1
The candidate will:
1
1.1
1.2
Plan and research an independent specialist study, based on literature or language
in work by:
Identifying an appropriate focus and creating a study plan
Selecting and analysing evidence
Evidence Requirements for the Unit
The candidate will be required to provide evidence of their planning, research and analytical
skills by:
 planning and researching their specialist study
 presenting their initial findings
Structure and coverage of Course assessment
Component 1
Component 2
Component 3
Component 4
question paper
question paper
performance
portfolio
Total marks
50 marks
70 marks
50 marks
30 marks
200 marks
Component 1 — Reading and Translation question paper
(50 marks)
This question paper will give candidates an opportunity to demonstrate the following skills,
knowledge and understanding:
 understand, analyse and draw inferences from complex and sophisticated written
language and significant ideas/information and supporting details from one of the
following contexts: society, learning, employability, or culture
 extract the overall purpose, main points and details of the text
 translate one section of the written text into clear English
Candidates will read one written non-fiction text in the modern language. They will respond
to questions about the written text in English. They will translate part of the text into English.
30 marks will be for identifying, explaining, analysing and drawing inferences from significant
aspects of detail. 20 marks will be for translating part of the text into English.
Component 2 — Listening and Discursive Writing question paper (70 marks)
This question paper will give candidates an opportunity to demonstrate the following skills,
knowledge and understanding:
 understand complex spoken language and significant ideas/information and supporting
details from one of the following contexts: society, learning, employability, or culture
 extract the overall purpose, main points and details of the spoken language
 use complex written language in the modern language to analyse and evaluate
Part 1, titled ‘Listening’, will have 30 marks.
Part 1A: Candidates will listen to one monologue in the modern language.
Part 1B: Candidates will listen to one conversation between two people in the modern
language.
The content of the monologue and the conversation will be from one of the following
contexts: society, learning, employability, or culture.
Candidates will respond to questions about the spoken texts in English.
Part 2, titled ‘Discursive Writing’, will have 40 marks.
Candidates will write one essay using complex and sophisticated language in the modern
language from one of the following contexts: society, learning, employability, and culture.
Candidates may use a bi-lingual dictionary.
Component 3 — performance (50 marks)
Candidates will talk about themes or topics related to the Specialist Study Unit and at least
one context from Society, Learning, Employability or Culture studied in the Understanding
Language or Using Language Units or in preparation of the portfolio, which is likely to be the
same topic as for the Specialist Study Unit.
This performance will give candidates an opportunity to demonstrate the following skills,
knowledge and understanding:
 the ability to use complex and sophisticated spoken language, in the modern language,
as part of a discussion
 the ability to take part effectively in a natural discussion
 the ability to use language accurately to convey meaning in the modern language
 the ability to maintain interaction as appropriate to purpose
Component 4 — portfolio (30 marks)
Candidates will write one text in English of 1300-1500 words in length on either of the
following:
 literary and/or media texts in the modern language
or
 work-related written or media texts in the modern language
Points of change
Unit Assessment
The three skills, reading, listening and talking, previously developed in the Language Unit
and writing, previously developed in the Extended Reading and Viewing Unit or Language in
Work Unit, are now assessed in a productive skills unit, Using Language, and a receptive
skills unit, Understanding Language, following the same unit structure in a hierarchy from the
lower levels.
The Specialist Study Unit replaces the following two units:
 Modern Languages – Language in Work (Advanced Higher) Unit
 Modern Languages – Extended Reading and Viewing (Advanced Higher) Unit
Course Assessment
The same skills previously assessed in Advanced Higher Modern Languages will continue to
be assessed in similar ways in the new Advanced Higher. Talking will continue to be
assessed by a Visiting Assessor. The main changes to existing arrangements are as
follows:
Portfolio
Reading
Listening
candidates who choose to study Literature or Media now only write one
essay of 1300 - 1500 words. There is no change for those who choose the
Language in Work option.
the understanding of overall purpose has been combined with the
inferential question, where candidates identify the overall purpose of the
text and explain this by referring to points made by the writer and the
language he/she uses.
as at the lower levels in the new qualifications, overall purpose is assessed
in the monologue.