For the first time, a qualification in the Scots language is now available. Created under the auspices of the Scottish Qualifications Authority, the new Scots Language Award has been available from August 2014 at SQCF levels 3, 4, 5 and 6. In a nutshell, this will provide learners with the opportunity to study the history and development of Scots and develop their own written and oral abilities in the language, with an Award which reflects the standards of the Curriculum for Excellence. 

The Award will be open to a wide range of learners in secondary schools, further education institutions and community learning centres. The Award will be automatic for secondary schools while other centres may seek approval via their own internal procedures. Centres should contact the SQA’s Business Development Team for guidance and complete the combined CA1/SA1 form. The Scots Language Award will consist of two mandatory units at each level as follows:

Scots Language: History and Development, which looks at the history of the language from origins to present, including knowledge of how Scots is related to other languages.

Scots Language: Understanding and Communicating, which allows participants to develop skills in the language, such as listening to and reading in Scots and producing written and oral communication in Scots.

If you would like to learn more about the Scots Language Award please download the PDF overview below or visit the SQA website at:
http://www.sqa.org.uk/sqa/70055.html