MODERN LANGUAGES
SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE, AND UNDERSTANDING
National 5
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reading, listening, talking, and writing skills in a modern
language in the contexts of society, learning, employability,
and culture
knowledge and understanding of detailed language required
to understand and use a modern language
applying grammatical knowledge and understanding
Higher
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reading, listening, talking and writing skills in a modern language in
the contexts of society, learning, employability, and culture
knowledge and understanding of detailed and complex language
required to understand and use a modern language
knowledge and understanding required to apply the language skills
of translation
applying grammatical knowledge and understanding
COURSE STRUCTURE
National 5
Course Structure: 2 Units and Course Assessment
Understanding Language
Using Language
Higher
Course Structure: 2 Units and Course Assessment

Understanding Language
Using Language
COURSE ASSESSMENT
National 5
Higher
Course Assessment:
Component 1 — question paper 1: reading and writing (50 marks)
question paper 2 : listening (20 marks)
Component 2 —performance: talking (30 marks)
Question paper 1: reading and writing
Section one, titled ‘Reading’, will have 30 marks.
Learners will read three texts of equal length in the modern language.
Each text will be taken from a different context: society, learning,
employability or culture and will be followed by questions in English.
Learners will respond to the questions in English. Marks for the questions
on each text will come to a total of 10. One of the questions in the
reading paper will require learners to identify the overall purpose of the
text. Learners may use a dictionary and glossary (if appropriate).
Section two, titled ‘Writing’, will have 20 marks.
Course Assessment:
Component 1 — question paper 1: reading and writing (40 marks)
question paper 2: listening and writing (30 marks)
Component 2 — performance: talking (30 marks)
Question paper 1: reading and writing
Section one, titled ‘Reading’, will have 30 marks.
Learners will read one written text in the modern language. Learners will
respond to the questions in English. One of the questions in the reading
paper will require learners to identify the overall purpose of the text.
They will translate part of the text into English. Ten marks will be for
translating part of the text into English. Learners may use a dictionary and
glossary (if appropriate).
Section two, titled ‘Writing’, will have 10 marks.
Learners will produce one written text using detailed and complex
National 5
Higher
Learners will produce one written text in response to a job advert
stimulus supported by six bullet points which the learner must address.
Four of the bullet points are common and are predictable but there will
be two additional bullet points that are linked to the specific context.
Learners may use a dictionary.
language in the modern language. The written text will be in response to
a stimulus supported by four bullet points which the learner must
address. The learner will choose from four questions. Each stimulus will
come from the contexts of society, learning, employability, and culture.
Learners may use a dictionary.
Question paper 2: listening and writing
Section one, titled ‘Listening’, will have 20 marks.
Learners will listen to one monologue in the modern language, and
respond to questions worth 8 marks and one short conversation in the
modern language, with questions worth 12 marks. The texts will be linked
thematically and will be based on the context which was not sampled in
the reading texts. The questions will be in English and learners will
respond in English. The final question on the monologue will require
learners to identify the overall purpose of the text.
Section two, titled ‘Writing’, will have 10 marks.
Learners will produce one written text using detailed and complex
language in the modern language in response to a stimulus which arises
from the Listening Section. Learners may use a dictionary.
Question Paper 2: listening
Learners will listen to one monologue in the modern language, and
respond to questions worth 8 marks and one short conversation in the
modern language, with questions worth 12 marks. The texts will be linked
thematically and will be based on the context which was not sampled in
the reading texts. The questions will be in English and learners will
respond in English. The final question on the monologue will require
learners to identify the overall purpose of the text.
Both question papers will be set and marked by SQA, and conducted in
centres under conditions specified for external examinations by SQA.
Learners will complete question paper 1 in one hour and thirty minutes
and question paper 2 in 20 minutes.
Performance: talking
Learners will deliver a presentation in the modern language and will take
part in a natural conversation with the teacher/lecturer in the modern
language. 10 marks will be awarded for the presentation. The
presentation and conversation will be from one of the following contexts:
society, learning, employability, and culture. The presentation will be
from one of the following contexts: society, learning, employability, or
culture. The conversation will follow on from the presentation and move
into at least one other context. Fifteen marks will be awarded for the
conversation and 5 marks for the ability to sustain a natural conversation.
Both question papers will be set and marked by SQA, and conducted in
centres under conditions specified for external examinations by SQA.
Learners will complete question paper 1 in 1 hour and 30 minutes and
question paper 2 in 1 hour.
Performance: talking
Learners will deliver a presentation in the modern language and will take
part in a natural conversation with the teacher/lecturer in the modern
language. 10 marks will be awarded for the presentation. The
presentation and conversation will be from one of the following contexts:
society, learning, employability, and culture. The presentation will be
from one of the following contexts: society, learning, employability, or
culture. The conversation will follow on from the presentation and move
into at least one other context. Fifteen marks will be awarded for the
conversation and 5 marks for the ability to sustain a natural conversation.
This performance is set by centres within SQA guidelines and conducted
under a high degree of supervision and control. Evidence will be internally
marked by centre staff in line with SQA marking instructions.
This performance is set by centres within SQA guidelines and conducted
under a high degree of supervision and control. Evidence will be internally
marked by centre staff in line with SQA marking instructions.