A new qualification in schools

A photo of a pupil and teacher working on an Urdu language document on a computer screen

Shawlands Academy in Glasgow is one of the first schools to present pupils for the new SQA qualification in Higher Urdu. Esther Cairney (Development Officer for Assessment, Achievement and National Qualifications) interviews Mrs Tasneem Karim, teacher of Urdu and Principal Assessor for Higher Urdu with SQA, to find out more about the innovative practices used to deliver this course.

Introduction to the school

Shawlands Academy is a secondary school of approximately 1200 pupils. Situated in the Shawlands area of the south side of Glasgow, its catchment spans a wide urban area. The Academy is also Glasgow’s International School and is a centre of excellence in Modern Languages with strong links to schools abroad. Its diverse multi-ethnic community is a base to engender international dimensions to teaching and learning.

The teacher’s view

Mrs Tasneem Karim has been a teacher of Urdu at Shawlands Academy for 17 years. She is currently the Principal Assessor for SQA for Higher Urdu and was appointed a Qualifications Development specialist and Verifier for SQA in 2007. She explains why she decided to present pupils for Higher Urdu this year.

Q.Higher Urdu is a new qualification. This is the first year that schools have been able to present pupils for the qualification. Why did you decide to present pupils from your school?

I had worked with SQA to produce the syllabus for Standard Grade Urdu which was first examined in schools in 1998.

After Standard Grade Urdu there was no progression in the Scottish system, the only qualification open to pupils was A level. Higher Urdu is a more appropriate qualification for our pupils as it progresses from Standard Grade and it is a Scottish Qualification. Many of our pupils wanted to progress their learning of Urdu after securing a Standard Grade award.

Q. What would you say were the main challenges you have faced in delivering the course? What solutions did you come up with to solve these challenges?

One of the main challenges was the difference in the numbers of letters in the alphabets of Urdu and English. In Urdu there are 38 letters but only 26 in English, which is challenging when using a keyboard. The use of an ICT software package called Inpage was helpful as it helped pupils to recognise the letters. In addition, Urdu has hard and soft sounds. The shift key on the keyboard helped pupils as soft sounds could be identified without pressing the shift key; hard sounds could be identified when the shift key was pressed.

Another challenge was understanding the structure and demands of the course. Extended reading and viewing is a key element of the Higher Urdu course and this was a challenge for pupils. As the class teacher, I had to make sure that I covered the main themes of the course, namely Education and Work, Lifestyles and The Wider World. I had to provide the pupils with lots of opportunities to read and write in Urdu as this was a big challenge for them. I used some Urdu poetry books, which the pupils quite liked.

Grammar in English is different from grammar in Urdu. In English, sentences are constructed using subjects and verbs but it is not like this in Urdu. I used a variety of resources to teach grammar points. I sourced many exercises from books but many exercises I developed myself. I was also able to adapt past papers in Standard Grade Urdu to provide additional practice for pupils.

Directed writing was the next challenge. Pupils found this challenging as they had not been formally examined in the writing of Urdu before. There is no requirement to write in Urdu at Standard Grade level.

Q. You have mentioned that Inpage was a useful piece of software in the delivery of the course. Did you make use of any other technology?

Yes, the smartboard. I used it to access internet sites which contained stories and articles written in Urdu. I displayed these on the smartboard for the pupils to read. From these stories and articles I was able to make up questions for the pupils to answer, which tested their understanding. As part of the Higher Urdu course, pupils must read a book or short story in Urdu so this was a good way for the pupils to practice this skill.

I encouraged the pupils to watch news channels in Urdu. These help to develop language skills as well as helping pupils to develop their understanding of cultural issues. I also suggested they look at websites like:

Jang Group Online Editions

Q. In what ways do you feel this course meets the demands of Curriculum for Excellence?

In many different ways.

Successful learners. I believe it allows the pupils to be successful learners as they are enthusiastic and motivated to continue with their studies in Urdu. They are also determined to reach high standards of achievement and are open to new thinking.
Effective Contributors. The course also allows them to work independently, for example, they have to read a text in Urdu independently as part of the course. Some of the pupils have expressed an interest in translation and interpreting work in Urdu, so I feel the course has prepared them well for this.
Confident Individuals. Certainly, securing the qualification will help build their confidence as individuals, as it will help many of them to gain a place at university or college when they leave school. Many of the pupils already volunteer to support older family members and friends in interpreting for them in everyday situations.

Q.What use did you make of the strategies from Assessment is for Learning in the delivery of the course?

I am familiar with Assessment is for Learning and I started introducing formative assessment strategies into the classroom when I was preparing adult students for A level Urdu.

The most effective strategies in the Higher Urdu course were the use of peer and self assessment: I felt the pupils responded well to these and I was able to use these to develop pupils’ skills in reading, listening and speaking. I also made sure that I always shared the learning intentions at the beginning of each class.

Q.If delivering the course again next session, is there anything which you would do differently?

Yes. I would begin the course by teaching the skills of directed writing, as this was a challenge for the pupils. I would provide more homework in writing.

The views of pupils

Nadia, Saadiya, Bilal and Fatimah are all senior pupils at Shawlands Academy. They are among the first group of students in Scotland who have studied the Urdu course at Higher level this year. Here, they speak to Esther Cairney about their experiences.

Q. Higher Urdu is a new qualification and you are among the first group of young people to be presented for it. Why did you decide to study for it this year?

Saadiya:	I had an interest in it. I have a Standard Grade in Urdu and I wanted to develop my knowledge of the language.
Bilal:	I have a Standard Grade in Urdu. I speak Punjabi at home and I can see similarities between some of the vocabulary in Punjabi and Urdu. Writing in the two languages is completely different, though.
Nadia:	I speak Urdu at home so I wanted to study for a qualification in it.
Fatimah:	I got a grade 1 for my Standard Grade Urdu so wanted to do the Higher course. Although I don’t speak Urdu at home, I read some Urdu with my gran, who is an Urdu speaker.

Q.What has been the most challenging area of the course for you this year?

Bilal:	Writing.
Saadiya:	Writing. I can read some Urdu but writing is more difficult.
Nadia:	Writing. We did not have to write in Urdu at Standard Grade level, which is why I think I found the writing hard. I also found the reading part a bit challenging in places.
Fatimah:	Writing! In Standard Grade you are able to write in English but at Higher level you must write in Urdu, which is harder.

Q.Have you made any use of technology in your study of Higher Urdu this year?

Saadiya:	I watched Urdu News Channels. These are Geo News (channels 815 and 825) and the channels called Prime and ARY. AAJ TV was also helpful. These helped me with my listening skills and also the news channels provide headlines running across the bottom of the screen, so that helped my reading skills.
Fatimah:	I used Inpage – the software package. This was helpful.
Nadia:	Pakistani TV channels provided me with good practice in listening and helped me to add to my vocabulary.

Q.Have you been engaged in any forms of peer and self assessment when you have been studying for this course?

Saadiya:

When we were practising our speaking skills we worked in pairs. This was helpful as we were able to help each other and give each other feedback.

Q.Do you think you might use your qualification in Higher Urdu when you leave school?

Fatimah:	I am going to use the points from Higher Urdu to gain entry to either college or university.
Saadiya:	I am going into nursing. The higher will help me get onto the course.
Nadia:	I am going into childcare. I think nurseries need assistants who are bilingual as many young children don’t have English as their first language. I could also communicate with parents who speak Urdu.