The National 5 English Course
National 5 English offers learners opportunities to develop and extend a wide range of skills, including communication, independent learning, critical literacy, personal, interpersonal and team working, and creative thinking.
The National 5 English Course has a two-Unit structure, comprising two core Units and the external assessment.
The Units are Creation and Production (writing and talking - making texts) and Analysis and Evaluation (reading and listening - responding to texts).
National 5 English aims to enable learners to develop the ability to:
- listen and talk, read and write, as appropriate to purpose, audience and context
- understand, analyse and evaluate texts, including Scottish texts, as appropriate to purpose and audience in the contexts of literature, language and media
- create and produce texts, as appropriate to purpose, audience and context
- apply knowledge and understanding of language
External Assessment of the National 5 English Course
Component 1 — question paper
Section 1: Reading for understanding, analysis and evaluation
Preparation for this part of the assessment should focus on the development of higher order reading skills. Pupils should develop strategies for using their own words and summarising texts, and being able to comment on the content and style of other writers.
Section 2 — critical reading
Pupils will need to understand the key aspects of the texts studied, how to extract meaning from a question, and how to plan the writing of a critical essay in response.
They will also be required to respond to task set on a specific Scottish text that has been studied in class.
Component 2 — portfolio of writing
The writing portfolio will comprise writing that addresses two of the main language purposes: creative and discursive writing. Pupils will take responsibility for producing two pieces of writing of the required standard for the course.
The National 5 English Course has a two-Unit structure, comprising two core Units and the external assessment.
The Units are Creation and Production (writing and talking - making texts) and Analysis and Evaluation (reading and listening - responding to texts).
National 5 English aims to enable learners to develop the ability to:
- listen and talk, read and write, as appropriate to purpose, audience and context
- understand, analyse and evaluate texts, including Scottish texts, as appropriate to purpose and audience in the contexts of literature, language and media
- create and produce texts, as appropriate to purpose, audience and context
- apply knowledge and understanding of language
External Assessment of the National 5 English Course
Component 1 — question paper
Section 1: Reading for understanding, analysis and evaluation
Preparation for this part of the assessment should focus on the development of higher order reading skills. Pupils should develop strategies for using their own words and summarising texts, and being able to comment on the content and style of other writers.
Section 2 — critical reading
Pupils will need to understand the key aspects of the texts studied, how to extract meaning from a question, and how to plan the writing of a critical essay in response.
They will also be required to respond to task set on a specific Scottish text that has been studied in class.
Component 2 — portfolio of writing
The writing portfolio will comprise writing that addresses two of the main language purposes: creative and discursive writing. Pupils will take responsibility for producing two pieces of writing of the required standard for the course.