English

Course Overview

National 4/5 English courses build on the skills developed in covering the Levels Three and Four Experiences and Outcomes across Reading and Listening, Writing and Talking. Students will: 

• read, analyse and evaluate a range of texts – novels, plays, poetry, media 

• create and produce a range of texts for different purposes and audiences 

• develop an understanding of language through the study of a range of texts 

• analyse the impact of language 

• develop an appreciation of Scottish culture and literature by studying Scottish texts 

Learning and Teaching Approaches

These will take account of increased student maturity. Through direct teaching, collaborative, pair and individual work, we aim to develop students’ confidence in using language in different contexts and to prepare National 5 students thoroughly for the examination. 

Students will study a wide range of texts, not only from literature, but also from journalism and other non-fiction and will be encouraged to write in a variety of forms – personal, imaginative, argumentative and persuasive. 

Homework

Strict deadlines operate for these courses. Students can expect homework, which may consist of reading, completing assignments, planning or researching for writing tasks, at least once a week. 

Assessment Approaches

Course assessment at National 4:

• Internally assessed with no external exam

Course assessment at National 5: 

• Portfolio – 30 marks (30%) 

• Question Paper 1: 30 marks (30%) 

• Question Paper 2: 40 marks (40%) 

• Performance – Spoken Language (Achieved / Not Achieved)