Thursday 19 June 2014 saw the official launch of the first ever SQA Scots Language Award and units. In an event in Glasgow, more than 60 teachers heard about how this new Award was developed and the background reasons for it. Scots language: History and Development and Scots language: Understanding and Communication are available at levels 3 to 6. If both units are studied, the student will gain a new qualification - the Scots Language Award. The units can also be used by those studying for the Scottish Studies Award.

A great deal of flexibility has been build in to how these Scots language units can be delivered. Teachers will be able to get pupils to work on the courses over several months or years and are not tied to the annual exam diet. They will also be free to choose their focus areas and methods of output from a wide range of choices.

Delegates were introduced to some of the free resources available which will help deliver the courses, including the Scots Language Centre website, Scots Language online dictionaries and a forthcoming online Scots language thesaurus. Two of the newly appointed Scots language school coordinators gave brief details of how they will support schools or colleges deliver these Scots language SQA units.

Most teachers at the event already have plans for the forthcoming teaching year in place and wouldnt immediately be able to include the new qualification in timetables.  However one or two schools do have pupils embarking on Scots language studies this summer. The academic year 2015/16 should see the start of formal Scots Language studies in many more Scottish schools.

More details about the Award and unit specifications are available at SQA.