Skills for Life: British Sign Language

Da gwybod

• BSL is the one exception to the unit aggregation rule: "learners may complete British Sign Language units at more than one level", and "each unit taken may contribute to the overall qualification" (Section Two, Unit aggregation, page 9). For example, Level 1 BSL and Level 2 BSL together give 40 GLH towards a Level 2 Certificate, provided at least a further 60 GLH is at Level 2. This matches the WJEC unit and differs from Pearson, where BSL GLH count only once.
• Every level is 20 guided learning hours and 2 credits, with a "Lower age restriction: 14" (unit details, pages 30, 33, 36, 38 and 40).
• The signing evidence format is fixed: "Role-play - video and/or annotated photographic evidence with assessor observation statement is required for LO2 and LO3." (Prescribed Assessment Methods, Level 2, page 32). At Entry 1 and Entry 2 it covers all 3 outcomes (pages 39 and 41).
• The assessor "should be a competent BSL-user" (Assessor and Resource Requirements, page 32, repeated at every level).
• Minimum amounts rise with level, for example fingerspelling "Using at least ten letters." at Entry 2 (page 38) and "Using at least 15 letters." at Entry 3 (page 37), and feelings rise from 2 at Entry 1 to "A minimum of four different" at Level 2 (page 31).
• The command words set the literacy demand of the knowledge outcome: Entry 3 "State" means "Express in clear terms" (page 94), Level 1 "Outline" means "Give the main characteristics or key points/features" and Level 2 "Describe" means giving "detailed and factual information" (Command Word Definitions, page 93).
• Learners "must produce their own reference materials", "AI tools must not be used at all" and "Drafting and redrafting are not permitted in this summative task." (Appendix A, page 106).
• The assessment is short and supervised: "20 GLH incorporates assessment time of no more than 60 minutes." (Appendix A, Duration and timing, page 106), and "There are no resubmission opportunities available for these qualifications." (Section Five, page 99).
• The Areas of Learning and Experience are Languages, Literacy and Communication and Health and Well-being, with the What Matters statement "Languages are a key part of our identity and communicate our ideas, thoughts and feelings." (Statement(s) of What Matters for this unit, page 32, repeated at every level).

Cysylltiadau â chymwysterau eraill

The unit sits in Languages, Literacy and Communication and Health and Well-being, so its signing, fingerspelling and description of deaf culture build on the speaking, listening and translanguaging in GCSE English Language, GCSE Welsh Language and the modern foreign language GCSEs in French, German and Spanish, and the communication support content links to GCSE Health and Social Care, and Childcare and to the Agored Cymru units Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, Looking After Others and Fairness and Inclusion in the Workplace. The number work links lightly to GCSE Mathematics and Numeracy. Compared with the WJEC British Sign Language unit, which covers meeting people, fingerspelling, numbers, weather, transport and directions, Agored has no weather, transport or directions, so its numeracy is lighter, but it adds a written or signed knowledge outcome on BSL grammar, non-manual features, deaf culture and communication support from Entry 3, and asks for feelings and everyday questions. Both let each level count. Compared with Pearson, which has one broad criterion per level, covers time, dates and directions, and counts the GLH only once, Agored sets detailed minimum numbers at each level and prescribes video or annotated photographic evidence. All 3 are Medium literacy and Low numeracy.