Progression

Having a sense of progression is key to learners having a relevant language learning experience.  Progressive pathways and meaningful outcomes at all levels help ensure that learners have a clear understanding of their achievements and developing skills

This section will explore themes relating to Progression and Language Learning in relation to the following three How are we doing? self-evaluation statements:

  • Our learners are engaged in the progressive development of their learning and are motivated by their learning goals, objectives, and progress.
  • We support learners to develop learning strategies and reflect on their next steps.
  • We plan for progression by developing learning which supports breadth, depth and challenge over time.

Click on the links below to read more about the key themes of Progression and Language Learning and then use the How are we doing? statements to reflect on your current practice and explore your next steps.  Further reading and resources are also provided at the bottom of this page.

Motivation and progression Planning learning and progression Tracking progression

Motivation and progression

A sense of progression is key driver in our perception of our own ability to learn a language.  When learning a language for the first time and faced with the challenges of the scale as a whole and with retaining new language, it can be very easy to develop a feeling of being “bad at languages”. Such a negative self-perception can be in part due to the amount of time it takes to learn a new language, reluctance to take risks (e.g. formulate language aloud) and make mistakes – both key aspects of the language learning process.  Feeling like we are not ‘good’ at something is inherently demotivating and so in order to ensure that learners are motivated and engaged in their learning, it is key that they feel like they are building success and moving forward. This underlines the importance of being aware of our own progression in our language learning. By understanding and experiencing progression, we are better placed to to feel motivated, have a growth mindset about our learning and develop a sense of self-efficacy.

As practitioners, we should be mindful of this as we plan and structure learning so as to build a sense of progression, achievement, and ongoing improvement.  Reinforcing progress through tangible steps, regular reflections on skills’ development and achieving communication in real contexts can support in motivating and engaging learners.

When considering motivation and progression, key aspects for reflection include:

  • A sense of purpose in learning aligned to learning outcomes
  • A shared understanding with learners about the trajectory of their learning e.g. within a term, within a year, or discussing what learners are looking to achieve by the end of P7, the end of the BGE. This can be further enhanced by learners sharing experiences and discussing their progress e.g. secondary learners sharing learning progress with primary learners
  • A breadth of learning which introduces and revisits language across a range of different learning contexts, continuously applying and building on prior learning
  • Language learning which builds confidence, language skills and knowledge about language progressively and continuously
  • Meaningful progression pathways developed through the BGE and into the Senior Phase
  • Co-creation of success criteria throughout learning and as part of planning for assessment
  • Meaningful and realistic target setting and reviewing of goals and progress
  • Differentiated models for learning where all learners have opportunities to succeed
  • Application of skills in real-life and meaningful contexts e.g. visit to a restaurant, school visits from L1 speakers of the language being learned or working with partner schools abroad
  • Assessment which is meaningful, and which demonstrates learning for both the teacher and the learner
  • Assessment which contributes to an ethos of language skills as being useful and relevant
  • Learner development of a range of learning and metalinguistic strategies to support their learning
  • Progressive and meaningful outcomes, planned across a range of skills and with opportunities for learners to problem solve, reflect on progress, and plan next steps
  • Learners are supported, encouraged, and enabled to make links and develop skills across languages, including literacy and English, by developing strategies to enhance and develop their learning                                                          

Planning learning and progression

The basic premise of progression in language learning is that, over time and with continuous input, learners develop the skills to first understand and then produce language with increasing complexity.  As opposed to being a linear process, language learning is in fact  complex and recursive – language is introduced, revisited in different contexts for learning, understood, recalled, and eventually independently produced. This process loops until language becomes part of active memory and so can be used with confidence and fluency.

Historically, school-level language learning has often been organised in a linear fashion, with a topic-to-topic model. This topic-to-topic approach, however, runs the risk of not allowing enough opportunity for retrieval of language out of context.

For example, if the language learning focus is a list of nouns and phrases particular to that topic – with an expectation that learners memorise these before moving on to the next topic – then there is a likelihood that there is insufficient depth of learning for learners to retain this language over time. This is further compounded where there are insufficient opportunities for learners to retrieve (recall and use) language introduced in previous topics. This can lead to learners struggling to build on prior learning which in turn can make them feel like they are not making meaningful progress.

Therefore, although part of the process of learning a language is about increasing amounts of language, the process also requires practice of language through meaningful learning experiences where learners can apply skills with increasing confidence over time. By approaching progression from the perspective of depth as opposed to volume, we can begin to identify opportunities to embed language across learning.

A spiral or retrieval approach is developed around the principle of revisiting key language and structures across a range of contexts. This approach means that learners are not expected to master language before moving on and the learning takes place though exposure to and retrieval of language over time. This exposure and repetition encourage deeper learning by allowing learners the opportunity to learn more gradually and by developing their learning more naturally through a range of learning contexts.  When we shift the focus to communicative skills and deeper knowledge of key structures by means of exposure to, and independent use of language, we also provide opportunities to explore more interesting and thought-provoking contexts for learning.

Planning progression across learning provides opportunities for reinforcing language structures and grammar across a range of contexts. This enables learners to build their skills and develop their confidence in using and constructing language with increasing independence and spontaneity.

Tracking progression

An understanding of our own progress and next steps is motivating and contributes to a sense of achievement, ownership, and progression in language learning.  A range of key considerations around tracking progression in partnership with learners is provided below:

  • Explicit discussion about language skills when determining learning intentions and success criteria
  • Meaningful and supportive feedback, which relates back to success criteria, helps to inform learners about what they have done well and where they need to improve
  • Learning conversations which reflect upon the language learning process, strategies for language learning, and the broad range of skills being developed
  • Dedicated improvement and reflection time
  • Opportunities for learners to reflect upon their own learning e.g. through creating learning records, or recording their own reflections in their jotters. These can be used to reflect upon key activities such as writing and can be scaffolded to allow for reflection upon strategies the learners applied, what they felt that they did well, how they can improve etc.
  • Peer-assessments provide learners with opportunities to discuss learning with their peers, to share and explore strategies, and to identify areas for improvement
  • Exemplification and modelling of language for discussing, and reflecting upon learning, and for identifying next steps
  • Discussing development of distinct skills when reporting, tracking, and monitoring
  • Use of events, initiatives, partnerships, and trips to raise pupils’ awareness of links between skills being developed in the classroom and skills required beyond school

How are we doing?

  • Our learners are engaged in the progressive development of their learning and are motivated by their learning goals, objectives, and progress.
  • We support learners to develop learning strategies and reflect on their next steps.
  • We plan for progression by developing learning which supports breadth, depth and challenge over time.

Record your practice

Now you have researched the methodology and best practice in Progression it's time to record how you are doing. Download the interactive/printable PDF file which you can fill in digitally (or manually if you prefer) for your records and CPD.

Download the Progression self-evaluation PDF (124 KB)

Education Scotland (2017) Benchmarks Modern Languages

Available at: https://education.gov.scot/improvement/Documents/ModernLanguagesBenchmarksPDF.pdf

Education Scotland Curriculum for Excellence Modern Languages Principles and Practice,

Available at: https://education.gov.scot/Documents/modern-languages-pp.pdf

Education Scotland Curriculum for Excellence Modern Languages Experiences and Outcomes,

Available at: https://education.gov.scot/Documents/modern-languages-eo.pdf

Education Scotland Progression in Language Learning

Available at: https://education.gov.scot/improvement/Documents/modlang3-1Overview.pdf

Education Scotland Progression from Second to Third Level in Language Learning

Available at: https://education.gov.scot/media/efoeydxo/nih147-progression-from-second-to-third-level.pdf

Progression Documents

Modern Languages Experiences and outcomes are a set of clear and concise statements about children's learning and progression in Modern Languages. They are used to help plan learning and to assess progress.

https://education.gov.scot/Documents/modern-languages-eo.pdf

Modern Languages Benchmarks provide clarity on the national standards expected within languages at each level. They set out clear lines of progression from first to fourth levels. Their purpose is to make clear what learners need to know and be able to do to progress through the levels, and to support consistency in teachers' and other practitioners' professional judgements.

https://education.gov.scot/nih/Documents/ModernLanguagesBenchmarksPDF.pdf

The Early Level Partial Experiences and Outcomes and Benchmarks provide clarity on the national standards expected within languages in P1.

Early Level Modern Languages Experiences and Outcomes and Benchmarks for use from Primary 1

This suite of resources brings together all the national documentation practitioners need to plan for progressing language learning from First to second, second to third and third to fourth levels.

Modern Languages Progression Framework: First to Second Level

This suite of resources brings together all the national documentation practitioners need to plan for progressing language learning from First to second, second to third and third to fourth levels.

Modern Languages Progression Framework: Second to Third Level

This suite of resources brings together all the national documentation practitioners need to plan for progressing language learning from First to second, second to third and third to fourth levels.

Modern Languages Progression Framework: Third to Fourth Level

This website contains example progressions as well as resources and ideas to support the teaching of grammar and phonics in the target language.

NCELP - National Centre for Excellence for Language Pedagogy

The European Language Portfolio (ELP) was developed by the Language Policy Unit of the Council of Europe (i) to support the development of learner autonomy, plurilingualism and intercultural awareness and competence and (ii) to allow users to record their language learning achievements and their experience of learning and using languages.

European Language Portfolio

In order to ensure that the reference levels set out in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) are interpreted in a similar same way by all language professionals, the Language Policy Unit of the Council of Europe developed materials illustrating these levels in a number of languages.

Illustrations of the European levels of language proficiency

A framework to demonstrate and explain different levels of language competencies for young learners aged 7-10.

Collated Representative Samples of Descriptors of Language Competences Developed for Young Learners

A framework to demonstrate and explain different levels of language competencies for young learners aged 11-15.

Collated Representative Samples of Descriptors of Language Competences Developed for Young Learners

The British Sign Language Award at SCQF level 3 has been designed to appeal to both hearing and deaf learners. This Award will help learners to develop their language skills and enable them to communicate with British Sign Language (BSL) users in various contexts. Learners will also develop their understanding of how sign languages work, and how they differ from spoken and written languages.

Award in British Sign Language SCQF level 3

Sign languages and the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, Descriptors and approaches to assessment. This resource establishes European standards for sign languages for professional purposes in line with the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) and provides an overview of assessment descriptors and approaches.

ProSign - Sign languages and the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages

The Reference Level Descriptions (RLDs) are scales which aim to support adults who are learning Gaelic and their tutors.

Gaelic Reference Level Descriptions (RLDs) for Learners

Reference Level Descriptions (RLDs) for national and regional languages provide detailed specifications of content at the different CEFR levels for a given language.

Reference Levels Descriptions (language by language)

Information and guidance about NQ courses in Scotland for secondary pupils. Subject updates, past paper and marking instructions can also be found for each NQ.

SQA National Qualifications Course Information

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