1. Higher Course In brief

2. Folio – max. word count 1,300 You will create a folio which will contain a creative essay and a discursive essay. This folio will be sent to the SQA and form 30% of your grade. You must also pass a piece of writing that will be assessed internally.

3. Reading for Understanding, Analysis and Evaluation You will develop your skills significantly in this area. You must pass a RUAE internal assessment. Texts can be any genre. RUAE will count as half of your external exam. The text will be two newspaper articles (non- fiction). Reading quality newspapers will help familiarise you with this style writing.

4. Critical Essays These essays are a demonstration of your analysis of text we study in depth as a class. Once aware of the skills and structure requirements, you must be able to produce these under timed conditions (45 minutes). One critical essay will be written in your external exam. Choose the text you write about from those we have studied.

5. Scottish Set Text You will study a collection of poetry by Carol Ann Duffy. One of these poems will appear in your external exam, for you to answer questions about. You will also be asked to discuss, for one of these questions, a second poem that is not in front of you.

6. Critical Reading Paper The critical essay and the set text questions both appear in the critical reading exam paper.

7. Listening and Talk Both these elements must be passed and are internally assessed. Your pupil profile details the standards that must be met.

8. All language skills are interconnected The purpose of developing these skills is to enhance enjoyment and understanding of texts, plus to become more aware of the intended effects of writers’ techniques. This all makes you a more critical thinker. These developed skills can be applied to your own writing (folio) and enhance your communication skills.

9. Outcomes Analysis and Evaluation: These are your Reading and Listening internal assessments. Creation and Production: These are your Writing and Talking internal assessments.

10. To sum up Internal Assessments Reading Listening Writing Talk External Assessments Folio RUAE (reading) Critical Essay Scottish Set text