{"id":6660,"date":"2025-02-25T11:12:44","date_gmt":"2025-02-25T10:12:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.glowscotland.org.uk\/nl\/brannock\/?page_id=6660"},"modified":"2025-09-01T21:02:50","modified_gmt":"2025-09-01T20:02:50","slug":"modern-languages-senior-phase","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/blogs.glowscotland.org.uk\/nl\/brannock\/modern-languages-senior-phase\/","title":{"rendered":"Modern Languages Senior Phase"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: center\"><em>This section of the website was last updated in September 2025.<\/em><\/p>\n<h3><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-6337 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.glowscotland.org.uk\/nl\/brannock\/files\/2023\/11\/Poster-Modern-Languages-284x300.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"284\" height=\"300\" \/><\/h3>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center\">Brannock Modern Languages department is committed to providing all learners with a full experience of the wider world and the languages it contains.<\/h3>\n<h2>Senior Phase Modern Languages<\/h2>\n<p>All S4-S6 pupils within the Modern Languages Department &#8211; and wider Languages Faculty &#8211; will be enrolled in an SQA accredited course.<\/p>\n<p>Spanish is our primary option for pupils in S4-S6 who wish an SQA certificated course in a Modern Language for the 2025-26 sessions, although our Department has expertise in French and German also.<\/p>\n<p>These courses are extensions of the Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) BGE experience young people had undertaken and build upon previously taught skills and areas of interest. These courses are designed to enrich the experience of candidates and develop existing knowledge.<\/p>\n<h2>What do we currently offer at SQA Level<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>National 3 Spanish<\/li>\n<li>National 4 Spanish<\/li>\n<li>National 5 Spanish<\/li>\n<li>Higher Spanish<\/li>\n<li>Advanced Higher Spanish<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><strong>Class Organisation within Modern Languages<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>All senior phase classes are mixed ability and all classes have multiple levels of presentation within them based upon pupils&#8217; previous knowledge and desire outcome.<\/p>\n<p>In the 2025\/26 session, senior phase Spanish currently has:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>one S4 class timetabled for four periods a week each. Pupils may be enrolled anywhere between National 3 up to National 5 Spanish depending upon previous knowledge and desire to achieve. We always encourage National 5 Spanish as much as possible as we aim for as high as possible for all young people.<\/li>\n<li>There is one S5\/6 class for six periods a week with pupils primarily enrolled in Higher Spanish, although some &#8216;returning&#8217; seniors (pupils who did not take Spanish in S4) are sitting National 5 within this class.<\/li>\n<li>Advanced Higher Spanish is delivered concurrently to the Higher course within the Senior Spanish class with one period of &#8216;top up&#8217; tutoring\u00a0 to ensure Advanced Higher specific teaching.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Formal Assessments in the Senior Phase<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16px;font-weight: 400\">As for the BGE, the majority of assessments that your young person will sit in Modern Languages are in class with the support of their teacher and further support from Support for Learning or the LCSC if required. These are used diagnostically by the class teacher to identify strengths and next steps for your young person. These assessments are set by the classroom teacher and dates vary from class to class.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>On top of these, there are more formal assessments that young people are required to undertake either due to SQA criteria or to prepare for the exam. Some assessment dates for the 2025-26 year include<\/p>\n<p>National 5<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>N5 Assignment Draft 1 : <strong>TBC<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>N5 Assignment Write Up: <strong>TBC<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>N5 Talk Exams: <strong>TBC<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>N5 SQA Exam: <strong>TBC<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Higher:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Higher Assignment Draft 1: <strong>TBC<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>Higher Assignment Write Up: <strong>TBC<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>Higher Talk Exams: <strong>TBC<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>Higher SQA Exam: <strong>TBC<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Advanced Higher:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Advanced Higher Portfolio: <strong> TBC<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>Advanced Higher Talk Exams: <strong>TBC<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>Advanced Higher SQA Exam: <strong>TBC<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Pupil Levels &amp; Reports<\/h2>\n<p>Brannock High School has a formal calendar of reports and Parent &amp; Carer consultation evenings.<\/p>\n<p>S4-S6 pupils sitting a graded course will have a discussion with their class teacher and decide a &#8216;target grade&#8217; that we are working towards. This will be based upon prior attainment as well as aspiring for the absolute best for all young people.<\/p>\n<p>This target will be used as a tool to allow young people and their teachers to make judgements about the pace, style and depth of learning.\u00a0Target grades may get shifted upwards as the year goes along but we try not to lower them &#8211; we always keep our expectations high.<\/p>\n<p>Target grades are purely a tool and do not represent what a young person &#8220;will&#8221; get or &#8220;only get&#8221; &#8211; performance in the final exam in English is the only deciding factor in the final grade.<\/p>\n<p>Mr. McEwan, the head of Faculty, would be happy to discuss any young person&#8217;s individual levels, tracking or reports. Please get in touch by phone, email or the contact element of this blog.<\/p>\n<h4>National 4 Spanish<\/h4>\n<p data-start=\"102\" data-end=\"716\">The National 4 Spanish course consists of three mandatory units.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"102\" data-end=\"716\">The first unit, <strong data-start=\"208\" data-end=\"252\">Modern Languages: Understanding Language<\/strong>, helps students develop their reading and listening skills in Spanish, focusing on society, learning, employability, and culture.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"102\" data-end=\"716\">The second unit, <strong data-start=\"400\" data-end=\"436\">Modern Languages: Using Language<\/strong>, focuses on productive skills, including speaking and writing in Spanish, within real-world contexts.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"102\" data-end=\"716\">The third unit is the <strong data-start=\"561\" data-end=\"593\">Added Value Unit: Assignment<\/strong>, where students research and present on a chosen topic in Spanish, applying their language skills in practical situations.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"718\" data-end=\"826\">National 4 candidates can move on to National 5 if they wish.<\/p>\n<div>\n<ul>\n<li>National 4: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sqa.org.uk\/sqa\/47409.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">SQA\u00a0<\/a><\/li>\n<li>National 4: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/bitesize\/subjects\/zg6f9j6\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">BBC Bitesize<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<h4>National 5 Spanish<\/h4>\n<p>National 5 Spanish prepares students for an external exam, typically in May. The course includes a detailed exploration of Spanish in the contexts of society, learning, employability, and culture.<\/p>\n<p>The exam has several components.<\/p>\n<p>In the <strong data-start=\"1081\" data-end=\"1104\">Reading and Writing<\/strong> section, students will read three texts and complete a 120-150 word writing task.<\/p>\n<p>The <strong data-start=\"1191\" data-end=\"1204\">Listening<\/strong> section tests comprehension through a monologue and conversation. In the <strong data-start=\"1278\" data-end=\"1300\">Writing Assignment<\/strong>, students write a 120-200 word piece related to society, learning, or culture.<\/p>\n<p>This is completed in class but marked externally by the SQA. The <strong data-start=\"1445\" data-end=\"1457\">Speaking<\/strong> section involves a conversation and role-play with an examiner, testing spoken Spanish.<\/p>\n<div>\n<ul>\n<li>National 5: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sqa.org.uk\/sqa\/47415.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">SQA<\/a><\/li>\n<li>National 5: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/bitesize\/subjects\/zrtykqt\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">BBC Bitesize<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<h4>Higher Spanish<\/h4>\n<p>The Higher Spanish course builds on the skills gained in National 5 and prepares students for an external exam, usually in May. The course focuses on using detailed language in society, learning, employability, and culture.<\/p>\n<p>The exam is made up of several components.<\/p>\n<p>In the <strong data-start=\"1893\" data-end=\"1925\">Reading and Directed Writing<\/strong> section, students read a text and answer related questions, then write a 150-180 word piece based on a given scenario.<\/p>\n<p>The <strong data-start=\"2049\" data-end=\"2062\">Listening<\/strong> section assesses comprehension through a monologue and conversation.<\/p>\n<p>The <strong data-start=\"2136\" data-end=\"2158\">Writing Assignment<\/strong> involves writing a 150-200 word piece on a relevant topic, marked externally by the SQA.<\/p>\n<p>In the <strong data-start=\"2255\" data-end=\"2267\">Speaking<\/strong> section, students discuss at least two contexts, such as society, learning, or culture, to demonstrate fluency and interaction.<\/p>\n<div>\n<ul>\n<li>Higher: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sqa.org.uk\/sqa\/47909.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">SQA<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Higher: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/bitesize\/subjects\/zchv87h\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Bitesize<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<h4>Advanced Higher Spanish<\/h4>\n<p data-start=\"125\" data-end=\"428\">The Advanced Higher Spanish course builds on skills gained at Higher level and prepares students for an external exam, typically in May. The course includes a range of components designed to assess reading, listening, translation, writing, and speaking skills in Spanish.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"430\" data-end=\"616\">The <strong data-start=\"434\" data-end=\"461\">Reading and Translation<\/strong> section, worth 50 marks, assesses students&#8217; ability to understand written Spanish and translate it accurately. This section lasts 1 hour and 30 minutes.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"618\" data-end=\"866\">The <strong data-start=\"622\" data-end=\"658\">Listening and Discursive Writing<\/strong> component is worth 70 marks. Students will listen to spoken Spanish and write a discursive essay on a given topic. This section lasts 1 hour and 20 minutes (or 1 hour and 45 minutes for Chinese languages).<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"868\" data-end=\"1025\">Students also complete a <strong data-start=\"893\" data-end=\"906\">Portfolio<\/strong>, worth 30 marks. This component involves preparing written work on a specific topic, assessed as part of the course.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1027\" data-end=\"1248\">Finally, the <strong data-start=\"1040\" data-end=\"1065\">Performance \u2013 Talking<\/strong> section, worth 50 marks, is an oral exam lasting approximately 20 minutes. Students will demonstrate their ability to speak fluently in Spanish through discussions and presentations.<\/p>\n<div>\n<ul>\n<li>Advanced Higher: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sqa.org.uk\/sqa\/48456.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">SQA<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<h1>Useful Links<\/h1>\n<ul>\n<li>National 5 Modern Languages Brannock revision links: <a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.glowscotland.org.uk\/nl\/public\/brannock\/uploads\/sites\/26737\/2025\/02\/25111034\/N5-Spanish-Links.docx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">download this document<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Higher Modern Languages Brannock revision links: <a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.glowscotland.org.uk\/nl\/public\/brannock\/uploads\/sites\/26737\/2025\/02\/25111033\/H-Spanish-Links.docx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">download this document<\/a><\/li>\n<li>General revision tips for Modern Languages: <a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.glowscotland.org.uk\/nl\/public\/brannock\/uploads\/sites\/26737\/2025\/02\/25111035\/Spanish-Revision-Tipsdocx.docx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">download this document<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h1>Where can Modern Languages take you<\/h1>\n<ul>\n<li data-start=\"73\" data-end=\"86\">Translator<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"87\" data-end=\"101\">Interpreter<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"102\" data-end=\"131\">Teacher (Languages or ESL)<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"132\" data-end=\"159\">Foreign Service Diplomat<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"160\" data-end=\"192\">Travel and Tourism Consultant<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"193\" data-end=\"229\">International Business Consultant<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"230\" data-end=\"268\">Language Specialist in Intelligence<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"269\" data-end=\"310\">Subtitler\/Closed Captioning Specialist<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"311\" data-end=\"354\">International Marketing or Sales Manager<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"355\" data-end=\"373\">Export Manager<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"374\" data-end=\"404\">Diplomatic Service Officer<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"405\" data-end=\"441\">Journalist\/Foreign Correspondent<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"442\" data-end=\"507\">Customer Service Representative (for international companies)<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"508\" data-end=\"541\">Linguist\/Phonetics Specialist<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"542\" data-end=\"567\">Content Writer\/Editor<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"568\" data-end=\"596\">International NGO Worker<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"597\" data-end=\"617\">Voiceover Artist<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"618\" data-end=\"649\">Cultural Advisor\/Consultant<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"650\" data-end=\"707\">Public Relations Specialist (International Relations)<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"708\" data-end=\"745\" data-is-last-node=\"\">Global Communications Coordinator<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>___________________________________________________________________________<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><strong>Our Faculty Vision Statement:<\/strong><br \/>\nKind in Action, Happy in Participation, and Successful in Achievement.<\/p>\n<p>___________________________________________________________________________<\/p>\n<p><strong>Follow our Twitter<\/strong>: <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/BrannockModern\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">@BrannockModern<\/a><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"6309\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/blogs.glowscotland.org.uk\/nl\/brannock\/modern-languages\/modern-languages-twitter\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/blogs.glowscotland.org.uk\/nl\/public\/brannock\/uploads\/sites\/26737\/2023\/11\/02122019\/Modern-Languages-Twitter.png\" data-orig-size=\"591,366\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Modern Languages Twitter\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/blogs.glowscotland.org.uk\/nl\/public\/brannock\/uploads\/sites\/26737\/2023\/11\/02122019\/Modern-Languages-Twitter-300x186.png\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/blogs.glowscotland.org.uk\/nl\/public\/brannock\/uploads\/sites\/26737\/2023\/11\/02122019\/Modern-Languages-Twitter.png\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-6309\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.glowscotland.org.uk\/nl\/public\/brannock\/uploads\/sites\/26737\/2023\/11\/02122019\/Modern-Languages-Twitter-300x186.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"186\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.glowscotland.org.uk\/nl\/public\/brannock\/uploads\/sites\/26737\/2023\/11\/02122019\/Modern-Languages-Twitter-300x186.png 300w, https:\/\/blogs.glowscotland.org.uk\/nl\/public\/brannock\/uploads\/sites\/26737\/2023\/11\/02122019\/Modern-Languages-Twitter.png 591w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This section of the website was last updated in September 2025. Brannock Modern Languages department is committed to providing all learners with a full experience of the wider world and the languages it contains. Senior Phase Modern Languages All S4-S6 pupils within the Modern Languages Department &#8211; and wider Languages Faculty &#8211; will be enrolled &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.glowscotland.org.uk\/nl\/brannock\/modern-languages-senior-phase\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Modern Languages Senior Phase<\/span> <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":61673,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-6660","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.glowscotland.org.uk\/nl\/brannock\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6660","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.glowscotland.org.uk\/nl\/brannock\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.glowscotland.org.uk\/nl\/brannock\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.glowscotland.org.uk\/nl\/brannock\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/61673"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.glowscotland.org.uk\/nl\/brannock\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6660"}],"version-history":[{"count":14,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.glowscotland.org.uk\/nl\/brannock\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6660\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6751,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.glowscotland.org.uk\/nl\/brannock\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6660\/revisions\/6751"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.glowscotland.org.uk\/nl\/brannock\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6660"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}