National 5 Information Evening French Structure of course

National 5 Information Evening French

Structure of course National 5 French made up of 4 skills – all assessed separately. Talking – final SQA assessment w/b 25 th November – worth 25% of final grade Writing – 2 elements: • Assignment writing – completed in class w/b 9 th December – worth 12. 5% of final grade • Job application letter – in exam in May – worth 12. 5% of final grade Listening – in May SQA exam. Worth 25% of final grade Reading – in May SQA exam. Worth 25% of final grade

Talking assessment is made up of 2 parts – a presentation and a conversation. Presentation: Candidates carry out a spoken presentation in the modern language, using detailed language on a topic chosen from at least one of the following contexts: society, learning, employability or culture. Candidates choose the topic and develop this into a short presentation. 40 words are allowed as support for the presentation. Conversation: Following the prepared presentation and any associated questions, candidates are required to take part in a conversation using detailed language on a different topic or context and to respond to some questions in the modern language on that topic. The information to be exchanged is mainly of a factual nature and also includes some ideas and opinions. Candidates may also ask questions where appropriate during the conversation. 15 marks are awarded for the conversation and 5 marks for the ability to sustain the conversation.

Writing assignment • The purpose of this assignment is to allow candidates to produce a piece of writing in the modern language based on one of the following contexts: society, learning or culture. • Pupils produce the first draft in class. They are given a choice of topics to write about. The must write 120 – 200 words. • The class teacher then corrects this draft using a correction code. • Pupils have time in class to then examine where they may have gone wrong and fix any mistakes. • Pupils then complete a final draft under exam conditions w/b 9 th December.

S 4 Writing Exam - What do you have to do? The task is to write a letter with the intention of applying for a job. There are 6 bullet points which pupils must answer. They can prepare for 4 of these and learn them for the exam. These are called the PREDICTABLE bullet points. The final 2 bullet points change each year. These are called the UNPREDICTABLE bullet points. Pupils will be given a booklet to help them prepare for these 2 bullet points.

Reading and Listening SQA exams • The final reading exam is made up of 3 reading passages in French. Pupils must answer the questions in English. Each section is worth 10 marks. A dictionary is permitted. Pupils will be given regular reading homework to prepare them for the skill of answering the questions fully. • The final listening exam involves listening to 2 passages in French – one monologue (worth 8 marks) and one dialogue (worth 12 marks). • Pupils hear the passages 3 times. The skill is taking notes, while the French is playing.

Assessment dates • All important assessment dates are accessible on the Modern Languages pages of the school website.

How can I best support my child? • Listen to them practise their Nat 5 presentation aloud. Encourage the use of study cards to support the presentation. Practise asking them questions in French. • Encourage them to attend Supported Study for talking • Revise vocabulary with them on a regular basis • Support them to practise the Job Application letter. Focus on accuracy and meaning. Have they practised the “Unpredictables? ” • Encourage them to complete their reading homework each week, using a dictionary to support them (not Google translate!!)

Supported study dates • Will be published on the ML website • Available through end of October and all of November. • Pupils will sign up for sessions in advance • Targeted support for Talking assessment

Useful resources for revision • S 3 & S 4 vocabulary booklets • Helpsheets for talking assessment • Linguascope: username: wwood / password: langs 4 life • BBC Bitesize • “Unpredictables” booklet • SQA website (although pupils will complete all recent past papers in class)