1. No category

Advanced Higher Modern
Languages
Writing
The folio
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You will need two pieces of writing, each of around 750
words in English.
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You can vary that by up to 100 words
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These are about either the texts you are studying, or
the background topic
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In total, they make up 15% of your mark for Advanced
Higher
For the Extended Reading/Viewing Unit,
candidates will be expected to submit
an essay of no more than 750 words on
one literary written text with or without
related film, and a second essay of no
more than 750 words on any one of the
following, with or without related film:
a second literary written text
a set of linked written texts
a background topic.
Appropriate essay titles are likely to
feature such phrases as “To what
extent ...”, “Examine critically ...”, and
“... Discuss this point of view”. Titles of
this nature will readily stimulate much
more in the way of original argument
and genuine personal response by the
candidate than those such as “The Life
and Works of Pagnol”, “The Characters
in La Peste”, “Tourism in Brittany” or
“The French Revolution of 1789”, which
may simply encourage the regurgitation
of notes.
The folio
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write them on a computer
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key to a successful essay is getting the topic, subject or
question right
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it should allow you to argue for and against
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compare and contrast, do you agree that, discuss
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you will also need to follow the rules for a bibliography
and word count
Bibliography
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There is no prescription as to the format of the
bibliography, although the use of standard academic
conventions should be encouraged. The most important
thing, however, is that the details in the bibliography
should be sufficiently clear to allow the marker to identify
the sources that the candidate has consulted.
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The most common sets of conventions are those of the
Modern Humanities Research Association (MHRA) and
the Harvard and Vancouver Author/Date systems, full
details of which are available from most libraries and a
number of online sources. A few examples are given here
as illustrations of how to cite common types of sources
using the MHRA conventions.
Bibliography
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A book would be cited as follows:
Carrère, Emmanuel, La classe de neige, Paris, Gallimard,
1995.
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A film would be cited as follows:
Holland, Agnieska, Europa, Europa, London, Arrow Video,
1991.
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An article consulted on a website would be cited as
follows:
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Mayor Zaragoza, Federico, “Gen ética”, EL PAÍS Edición
digital, 5 July 2002, Available:
http://www.elpais.es/articulo.html?d_date=20020705&xref
=20020705elpepiopi_8& type=Tes&anchor=elpepiopi
The folio
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put in place a structure before you start to write:
introduction, arguments, counterarguments and a
conclusion
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quote in the language, but explain why your quotes are
relevant in English (the quotes don’t count as part of
your total)
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remember Shazam!
Key Points
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1. Folio pieces do not require to be written under controlled conditions
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2. The content of Folio pieces must be the candidate’s own work 3. Folio pieces which
are well structured, developing towards a conclusion in the final part of the essay/report,
may lead to a better performance
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4. A bibliography of all sources consulted in preparation of the Folio must be included
for each Folio piece; a penalty will be applied in the marking for failure to include a
bibliography
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5. reasonable quotation from texts or from works of criticism lies outwith the word limit
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6. Text(s) studied for the Extended Reading/Viewing option must be read in the target
language and any quotations included in essays from such text(s) must also be in the
target language
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7. Appropriate and carefully copied quotation may lead to a better performance
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8. Text(s) studied for the Extended Reading/Viewing option may be enhanced by the
viewing of a film/documentary etc. A film on its own, however, is not sufficient. A
candidate may refer to a film, but only in conjunction with a related text (which may
include a published screenplay).
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9. The study of one film, on its own, is unlikely to provide a suitable basis for a
background topic
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10. Background topics should be written with an analytical/critical slant
The discursive essay
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this is worth 20%, more than the folio!
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in the time you have, you could expect to write 250-300
words
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you will normally have a choice of essays from 5, all of
which come from the themes and topics of Advanced
Higher
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you cannot simply have a set of essays learned off by
heart, and choose one on the day
The discursive essay
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you will have about 50 minutes to an hour to
write it
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the actual writing takes about 10 minutes
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take 15 minutes at the start to choose your
topic, and to read the question carefully
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write a structured plan in the language
The discursive essay
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Les femmes sacrifient souvent leurs carrieres
pour s’occuper de leur famille. Est-ce vrai?
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start off with an introduction, really a kind of
rephrasing or elaboration of the question
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then put together your conclusion!
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write things you know: you should have a
collection of short paragraphs on the likely
topic areas
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Leben wir, um zu arbeiten, oder arbeiten wir, um zu leben?
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Warum sind so viele Leute von Prominenten besessen? Ist
das einfach natürliche
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Neugierde, oder gibt es auch negative Aspekte bei diesem
Interesse?
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Warum sind die Deutschen so viel umweltfreundlicher als
andere europäische Nationen?
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Inwiefern sind wir heutzutage von der neuen Technologie
abhängig, und inwiefern ist diese Abhängigkeit eine Gefahr?
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Wie stehen Sie zu der Meinung, dass die Europäische Union
ausgedient hat und abgeschafft werden sollte?
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Doit-on avoir peur de son téléphone portable?
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‘Ce n’est pas surprenant que les gens soient
malades sur une planète malade’. Êtes-vous
d’accord avec cette affirmation?
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À travail égal, salaire égal. Est-ce toujours le cas à
votre avis?
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L’Europe semble de plus en plus en difficulté.
Quels sont les problèmes et solutions, d’après
vous?
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Les médias: source d’information ou de
désinformation. Qu’en pensez-vous?
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La televisión ya no influye tanto en los adolescentes como lo
pueden hacer Internet, los amigos o la publicidad. ¿Estás de
acuerdo?
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El racismo se cura viajando. Discute.
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Es buena idea cerrar al tráfico determinadas zonas de la ciudad
para reducir la contaminación atmosférica. ¿Qué te parece?
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Una Escocia independiente dentro de la Unión Europea. ¿Cómo
lo ves?
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La revolución familiar: bebés fuera del matrimonio, segundas
parejas, madres solas, padres homosexuales, hijos de
laboratorios o adoptados. ¿Pueden convivir estos nuevos
modelos con la familia tradicional?
The discursive essay
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go for arguments and counterarguments
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use your dictionary to check spellings, genders and
verbs
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then write your essay, without looking up new words in
the dictionary
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nearly always, there is a question on the environment,
on the role of women, and on Europe, but they are not
predictable
Structure for discursive writing
Para 1
An introduction to the topic: rephrasing the question, saying what 40 words
you are going to look at
Para 2
Argument 1
Counterargument 1
70 words
Para 3
Argument 2
Counterargument 2
70 words
Para 4
Argument 3
Counterargument 3
70 words
Para 5
Conclusion
40 words
Total
250 -300 words
marks
Very
Good
Good
Satisfactory
The language is characterised by a high degree of
accuracy and/or may show some flair. Uses a good range
of structures and vocabulary appropriate to Advanced
Higher with few, if any, errors of spelling and/or
punctuation. The essay is well structured and all aspects
are relevant to the title.
The language is clearly comprehensible throughout and fairly
free of serious errors in areas appropriate to Advanced Higher.
Contains a reasonable range of vocabulary and structures
appropriate to the level. There are few errors in spelling and/or
punctuation. The essay has an adequate sense of structure
and most aspects are relevant to the title.
Sufficient control of structures appropriate to Advanced Higher
to convey meaning clearly. Contains a reasonable range of
vocabulary and some complex sentences. Spelling and
punctuation are generally correct. The essay has some sense
of structure and most aspects have some relevance to the title.
Performance may be uneven, but the good outweighs the bad.
40
32
24
Spanish discussion vocabulary
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a mi parecer
to my mind
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apenas
just
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sin embargo
nevertheless, yet
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por un lado
on the one hand
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por otro
on the other hand
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además
furthermore
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más vale que
it is better to
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aunque
even if
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no obstante
nevertheless
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en contraste
however, in contrast
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según
according to
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Continuamente
continuously
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Especialmente
especially
German discussion vocabulary
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Ich finde es doof, dass…
I find it stupid that…
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Es ist besser (schlechter), …zu…
It is better/worse to…
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Es ist besser, auf dem Land zu wohnen. It is better to live in the country
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Es wäre gut, wenn…
It would be good if…
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Meiner Meinung nach
In my opinion
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Man muss wissen, dass…
You have to know that…
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Man darf nicht vergessen, dass…
We mustn’t forget that…
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Wir sollen… Wir sollen nicht…
We should…/shouldn’t
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Ich möchte wissen, ob…
I would like to know whether…
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Ich möchte sehen, dass…
I would like to see that…
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auf der einen Hand
on the one hand
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auf der anderen Hand
on the other hand
French phrases
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J’ai horreur de…
I really hate
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Je trouve que c’est…
I think that it’s…
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Je le trouve bête que…
I find it stupid that…
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C’est mieux/pire de…
It is better/worse to…
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Il y a trop de…(il y avait)
there is too much/many…(there were)
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Il n’ y a pas assez de…
there is not enough…
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Il serait utile de pouvoir…
It would be useful to be able to…
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Il faut penser à…
You have to think about…
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Il ne faut pas oublier que…
We mustn’t forget that…
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Nous devons/Nous ne devons pas …
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J’aimerais savoir que…
I would like to know that…
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Je voudrais voir…
I would like to see…
We should…/shouldn’t
French discussion vocabulary
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à mon avis
à peine
cependant
de l'un côté
de l'autre côté
en outre
il vaut mieux
Je suis très..
même si
néanmoins
par ailleurs
par contre
quant à
sans cesse
surtout
to my mind
just
nevertheless, yet
on the one hand
on the other hand
furthermore
it is better to
I really like
even if
nevertheless
besides
however, in contrast
according to
continuously
especially