Introduction to Access 3 Courses in Cantonese and Mandarin

							Introduction to Higher and Advanced Higher
    Courses in Cantonese and Mandarin

              7th May 2009
         Radisson Hotel, Glasgow
Janet Brown
Chief Executive SQA
Jim McDonald
Qualifications Manager
NQ Languages
Aims of the Event
 To familiarise delegates with structure and
  delivery of Courses

 To explore approaches to assessment of
  Courses

 To build on experience/knowledge of
  delivery of Courses at Access 3,
  Intermediate 1 & 2
 Outline of the Event

 Background

 Presentation

 Workshop
Melany Lu Lin

Principal Assessor
Intermediate 1 & 2

Head of Chinese,
Eton College
Windsor
      Developments Since May 08
 Students undertaking and completing National
  Courses at Access 3, Intermediate 1 & 2

 Practitioners engaging with delivery of the
  Courses and sharing experience

 Practitioner experience will inform and enrich
  today’s workshop tasks
Overview of the National Course

A Course Award ( A/B/C/D) is made on the
basis of successful completion of both:

 Unit Assessments (internal assessment
  conducted and marked by teacher/lecturer)
AND
 Course Assessment (the final external exam)
            Introduction to Higher
Four skills are assessed in both Unit (internal)
and Course (external) assessment:
         Speaking

         Listening

         Reading

         Writing
Higher Courses on the Scottish Credit and
         Qualifications Framework

   National Course           SCQF

   Advanced Higher             7

       Higher                  6

    Intermediate 2             5

    Intermediate 1             4

      Access 3                 3
              Introduction to Higher

Two Units are assessed at this level:

 Mandatory Language Unit (80 hours)
 AND
 Optional Unit:
  - Extended Reading and Viewing*
  - Language in Work*
*Candidates choose one of these Units (40 hours)
          Units: Internal Assessment
Language Unit:

 Reading : One text of 500-600 characters. Approx. 40
  minutes

 Listening: One dialogue of approx. 3 minutes, assessed
  in approx. 30 mins.



 Questions for both assesments in English
Units: Internal Assessment (cont.)
Optional Unit: Extended Reading and Viewing

 Writing: One essay of approx. 120-200
  characters, on one aspect of the text(s) studied

Optional Unit : Language in Work

 Writing: Two letters of 120–200 characters and
  one message of 60-100 characters
Internal Unit Assessment: National
Assessment Bank (NAB)
 NAB assessment items will be available for the
  Language Unit and the Optional Units

 The NABs indicate the standard of assessments
  required at this level

 NABs can be downloaded by SQA coordinators
  at www.sqa.org.uk/sqasecure
          Speaking Assessment
 Speaking assessed by the centre

 Assessment guidance included in NABs

 This Speaking Assessment also meets the speaking
  requirement of the external examination (dual
  purpose)

 The assessment consists of a presentation, and then a
  follow-up discussion

 Assessment results are subject to
  Verification by SQA
        External Examination
Paper I : Reading and Directed Writing
Reading:
 1 text of 650-800 characters
 Questions in English
 Word list provided
 Dictionary : yes

Directed Writing
 Task based on a scenario given in English

OVERALL TIME FOR PAPER : 2hrs. 10 mins.
         External Examination
  Paper II : Listening and Short Essay
Listening:
 One dialogue of approx. 4.5 minutes
 Dialogue heard twice
 Questions in English
 Dictionary : yes

Short Essay:
 Personal Response essay in Chinese, 150-200
  Characters
 Related to Listening topic
 Dictionary : yes

OVERALL TIME FOR PAPER : 1hr. 20 mins.
                     Approval
 All candidates for NQ Courses (including Access 3)
  must be entered by a SQA Approved Centre

 Centres wishing to seek Approval should contact SQA
  Customer Contact Centre at customer@sqa.org.uk

 Centres which have sought and obtained Approval for
  Access 3/Intermediate 1/2 will have automatic Approval
  to deliver Higher and Advanced Higher
          Workshop Activities

 Activity 1 – Familiarisation with Units



 Activity 2 – Specimen Question Paper and
               construction of external examination
               Papers
For more information visit
    www.sqa.org.uk
Contact

Jim McDonald

Jim.mcdonald@sqa.org.uk
Any Questions?