Modern Languages
In the modern world where international contacts are increasingly vital and where global communication is ever easier, the importance of being able to speak other languages and understand different cultures is paramount.
This globalisation does not mean that everyone will speak English - it means that we have more knowledge and contact with other countries and cultures than ever before. Learning other languages is not just about communicating information; it enables us to understand how other cultures think and express themselves.
At Uddingston Grammar School, we are committed to equipping our pupils with these skills and fostering a desire to be outward-looking and forward-thinking. Pupils are encouraged not to view languages in isolation. In addition to promoting linguistic skills, our teaching draws on history, culture, politics, geography, literature and film. We have a strong commitment to the use of ICT in the classroom to enrich learning and teaching, as we feel that this helps our pupils to be global citizens.
Modern Languages Department
Mrs McCafferty | Miss Tainsh | Miss Russell | Miss Hoff | Mrs Grzelak
BROAD GENERAL EDUCATION (BGE)
S1 In S1, pupils will have the opportunity to build on the French which they have learned at Primary school.
- Basics e.g name, age, where you live, birthday, siblings and pets
- Family – descriptions (character and looks)
- School
- Hobbies
- Home and area
- Food & Health
Homework is issued on a regular basis and this is based on the work in class (and teachers encourage pupils to keep up-to-date with new vocabulary too!). S1’s will have an assessment in at least one of the four skills (Reading, Talking, Writing & Listening) and all four will have been assessed at least once before the transition into S2.
S2 In S2, pupils have two periods of French per week. The focus is about using the language and we spend much time looking at the idea of visiting France and transactional situations in which we would use the language.
- Finding out about a town
- Asking directions
- Buying a train ticket
- Booking accommodation
- Buying food
Francophonie Project:
In S2, pupils choose a French-speaking country – other than France- to explore and research. This is then presented in the form of a brochure and submitted to the department. Classes then have a peer presentation where groups present their finished work to the class and explain why they chose that particular destination and what they thought of the group project.
Spanish: S2 pupils have one period of Spanish per week and we look at several different topics – basics, school, descriptions, house and area. Pupils are assessed in all four skills and this gives pupils a taste of the ‘new’ second foreign language maybe with a view to carrying it on in S3.
S3 In S3, pupils have three periods of French or Spanish per week. In S3, the vocabulary and the grammar used in class builds on previous knowledge from S1 & S2 to prepare pupils for National Qualifications in S4. We focus on the essential skills of reading, listening, talking and writing and pupils will complete at least one assessment in each skill.
- Family and friends
- Lifestyle
- Media (computer, TV, cinema)
- Global Language
- Global citizen
Languages for Life and Work Award Pupils in S3 can also decide to do German or Spanish as a one year course and on completion of unit assessments in some skills throughout the year, pupils can achieve the Languages for Life and Work award. The course provides learners with the opportunity to develop language skills in combination with employability skills while also being able to follow their own interests in a cultural context. Pupils will look at:
- develop listening and talking skills in one or two modern languages in the contexts of life and work
- develop basic knowledge of one or two modern languages in the contexts of life and work
- develop employability skills
The main purpose of this Award is to study German or Spanish in practical and relevant contexts for life and work, and identify, develop and demonstrate employability skills.
SENIOR PHASE
NATIONAL 5
The National 5 Modern Languages course provides candidates with opportunities to continue to acquire and develop the attributes and capabilities of the four capacities as well as skills for learning, skills for life and skills for work. Pupils will study these skills in the context of:
- society
- learning
- employability
- culture
There is an external examination at National 5 which consists of a reading and writing paper(in the form of a job application in the modern language) and a listening paper. Talking is internally assessed and the second piece of writing(from 2017-2018 onwards) is done in class, but graded externally.
HIGHER
The course offers learners more opportunities to develop and extend a wide range of skills. In particular, the course aims to enable learners to develop the ability to:
- read, listen, talk and write in a modern language
- understand and use a modern language
- develop the language skills of translation
- apply knowledge and understanding of a modern language
The course offers learners the opportunity to develop detailed and complex language skills in the meaningful real-life contexts of society, learning, employability, and culture. Pupils have to pass all Unit Assessments as well as the Added Value Unit. There is an external examination at Higher which consists of a reading and personal response essay (Paper 1), and a listening and directed writing paper(Paper 2) . Talking is internally assessed and the mark is 30% of the overall SQA mark so it is vital that this is well prepared in advance.
ADVANCED HIGHER
This course offers learners opportunities to develop and extend a wide range of skills. In particular, it aims to enable learners to:
- further develop the ability to listen and talk, read and write in a modern language, as appropriate to purpose, audience and context
- further develop the ability to understand and use a modern language in a range of contexts
- develop the ability to plan and research, integrating and applying language skills, as appropriate to purpose, audience and context
- develop independent learning and higher-order language skills
The exam includes a reading and translation paper, a listening and discursive writing paper, a portfolio and a performance talking. Pupils will also have to pass Unit Assessments in the four skills (reading, writing, listening and talking) as well as the Added Value Unit.
Learning another language is not only learning different words for the same thing,
but learning another way to think about things.
- Flora Lewis
USEFUL LINKS
Atantot – see teacher for password
Scholar – see Mr Wilson or Mod Langs for passwords
Below is the page for the SQA Modern Languages: