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Courses

Urdu

Paper 1: Content Overview - Duration 12 weeks

Section A draws on vocabulary and structures from any one of the sub-themes within the

four themes listed on pages 8–9.

Section B draws on vocabulary and structures across all sub-themes from within the four

themes listed on pages 8–9.

Section C is based on independent research selected and carried out by the student. The

research must be based on one of the research subjects listed on pages 8–9. All aspects of

the chosen research subject must be studied. Students use information from their research

findings and from an unseen written text to answer the question

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Paper 1: Description

Students will be assessed on their ability to translate accurately from Urdu into English, their understanding of written Urdu from a variety of types of authentic texts, and their knowledge and understanding of culture and society via research. Texts vary in length and include an extended passage. All written materials are culturally relevant to Pakistan and areas of India where Urdu is an official language (depending on where they are covered within the themes) and are drawn from the four themes (listed on pages 8–9).

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Paper 2: Content Overview - Duration 12 weeks

Section A draws on vocabulary and structures from any one of the sub-themes within the

four themes listed on pages 8–9.

Sections B and C draw on the study of two discrete Urdu works: either two literary texts or

one literary text and one film. The works must be taken from the list provided in

Appendix 1: Prescribed literary texts and films. The literary texts listed include a novel,

short essays and a play. All of the films are feature length.

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Paper 2: Description

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Students should be able to:

● manipulate language accurately through translating an unseen passage from English into Urdu

● develop a detailed understanding and appreciation of the works studied, by writing critical and analytical responses in the language of study to the works, taken from the prescribed list provided (see Appendix 1: Prescribed literary texts and films)

● produce responses that relate to features such as the form and the technique of presentation; key themes concepts and issues; characterization; structure of the plot; and the social and cultural setting

● present viewpoints, develop arguments, persuade, analyse and evaluate. Although speaking skills are not directly assessed in the qualification, students should be encouraged to develop their speaking skills in Urdu during the course of study.

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Paper 3: Content Overview - 12 weeks

Section A draws on vocabulary and structures across all sub-themes within the four themes

listed on pages 8–9.

Section B draws on vocabulary and structures from any one of the sub-themes within

four themes that will be mentioned at the start of the course. There is one unseen listening source and one unseen written source that students must respond to.

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Paper 3: Description

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Students will be assessed on their understanding of spoken Urdu from a variety of authentic listening sources, as well as on their ability to summarise and evaluate viewpoints in spoken and written material.

Recordings vary in length and include an extended passage. All spoken and written materials are culturally relevant to Pakistan and areas of India where Urdu is an official language and for Section A are drawn from across four themes. Materials for Section B will be drawn from any one of the sub-themes from the four themes.

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Students should be able to:

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● listen, and respond in writing, to spoken passages, including an extended passage from a range of different contexts and sources, understand main points, gist and detail from spoken and written material.

● Infer meaning from complex spoken material

● assimilate and use information from spoken and written sources

● Summarise information from spoken and written sources, reporting key points and subject matter in writing

● identify main ideas, and summarise different points of view, drawn from spoken and written sources

● evaluate points of view and draw conclusions in writing

● apply listening, reading and writing skills in combination. Although speaking skills are not directly assessed in the qualification, students should be

encouraged to develop their speaking skills in Urdu during the course of study.