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Why study English?
Language and literacy are of personal, social and economic importance. Your ability to use language lies at the centre of the development and expression of your emotions, thinking, learning and sense of personal identity.
This course gives you the opportunity to develop skills in listening, talking, reading and writing, which are essential for learning, life and work. You will develop your ability to communicate your thoughts and feelings and respond to those of other people.
The skills that you develop in English are useful in a wide range of careers; these include teaching, editorial, journalism, administration, legal work or in the arts.
What do I need to get in?
The school or college will decide on the entry requirements for the course. You would normally have achieved:
What will I study?
This course will help you to develop skills in listening, talking, reading and writing. You will learn how to communicate well in different situations and for different audiences. You will study different types of literature including novels, plays, short stories, poetry and other written materials such as newspapers. You will develop confidence in talking about a range of topics in groups and through individual presentations. You will also learn how to write clearly and effectively for a wide range of purposes and audiences by, for example, writing stories, reports, letters and poems.
The course has three compulsory units.
English: Understanding Language (6 SCQF credit points)
In this unit you will:
- develop reading and listening skills in the context of literature, language and media
- develop skills needed to understand, analyse and evaluate simple texts.
English: Producing Language (6 SCQF credit points)
In this unit you will:
- develop talking and writing skills in familiar contexts
- develop the skills needed to produce simple texts in both written and oral forms.
English: Literacy (6 SCQF credit points)
In this unit you will:
- develop reading, writing, listening and talking skills in a variety of forms relevant for learning, life and work
- develop the ability to talk and write about ideas and information with technical accuracy.
How will I be assessed?
Your teacher or tutor will assess your work on an ongoing basis throughout the course. Items of work might include
- reading, speaking or listening to texts
- writing simple texts.
You must pass all units to gain the course qualification.
What can I go on to next?
If you complete the course successfully, it may lead to:
Further study, training or employment in:
Which jobs are related to this subject?
Where can my parents find out more?
Your school will give your parents an Options or Choices information booklet, which has detailed information on the curriculum and the individual subjects or courses you can study. It will also invite them along to a Parents’ Information Evening.
They can also read the information leaflet(s):
Nationals in a Nutshell - (National 3)