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Modern Languages
New National Qualifications
Modern Languages sits within the languages curriculum area.
Finalised documents have now been published for all the new Curriculum for Excellence Advanced Highers. This means that, along with the documents that were published last April, finalised Course and Unit documents are now available for all the new qualifications, from National 2 to Advanced Higher. These documents contain both mandatory information (in the Specifications) and advice and guidance (in the Support Notes). You can download all of these documents for this subject from our download page, using the button below, or use our check-box facility to download a selection of documents.
Assessment support materials are also now available for all the new National 2, National 3, National 4 and National 5 qualifications. Information on Course assessment support material (such as Specimen Question Papers and coursework information) is available on the National 5 subject page and, for all National 2 to National 5 qualifications, information on how to access Unit assessment support materials can be found on each subject page.
Following the development of these support materials, some documents with mandatory information (in particular the Course Assessment Specifications) will be updated with further information and clarifications by mid-June. In line with our standard practice, these documents will contain version information and a note of changes, if necessary. This will ensure that you can recognise the most up-to-date documents.
Development process
The final documents have been published following a lengthy engagement process. Find out how we got here. Considerable work has been carried out by the Curriculum Area Review Groups (CARGs), the Qualifications Design Teams (QDTs) and Subject Working Groups (SWGs) to develop the final documents.
At each stage of the qualification development process, we publish draft documents outlining our proposals and plans.
Visit our timeline to find out when the next documents for each qualification will be published.
Key points
National 3 to Higher
- develops the skills of reading, listening, talking and writing, in order to understand and use a modern language
- develop learners’ knowledge and understanding of a modern language
- contributes towards the development of literacy skills by providing learners with opportunities to read, listen, talk and write in a modern language, and to reflect on how this relates to English
- covers the contexts of society, learning, employability and culture
- has a hierarchical Unit structure that provides progression from National 3 to Higher
- has Units that are focused on listening and reading (receptive skills) and talking and writing (productive skills)
- offers opportunities for skills to be developed and integrated throughout the Course
- has added value assessments that provide personalisation and choice in an assignment at National 4 and performances at National 5 and Higher. Question papers also provide added value at National 5 and Higher
Modern Languages
- offers opportunities for flexible delivery through the use of Units which can be delivered sequentially, in parallel or in a combined way
- offers increased opportunities for personalisation, choice and flexibility in Unit assessment, with opportunities for integrated assessment
- provides increased opportunities for interdisciplinary and cross-curriculum working
- allows the use of alternative contexts in the Transactional Language Unit
At National 2, the Life in Another Country Unit is now a mandatory Unit within the Course.
