Urdu – Aims of the course

Studying Urdu at Plashet allows students to become confident in understanding the spoken language and taking part in the sort of conversations you might have when you go to an Urdu speaking country or meet an Urdu speaker in this country.

After the creation of Pakistan in 1947, Urdu was chosen to be the national language of the new country. Today Urdu is spoken in many countries around the world, including Britain, Canada, the USA, the Middle East and India. In fact, there are more Urdu speakers in India than there are in Pakistan. Throughout the course, students will find out more about the culture and countries of Urdu speaking people, through music, film and literature.

Within the different topics studied, students will focus on developing their listening, speaking writing and reading skills. They will become confident in giving and justifying their own opinions whilst developing an understanding of grammar and key structures.

Exam board and Syllabus: Edexcel Urdu (1UR0)

The topics taught at KS3 and KS4 are personal information, school, my hobbies, weather, shopping, festivals, health and fitness. Students will learn how to talk about themselves, their family, their interests, school life and future plans etc. as well as wider issues affecting young people such as the environment and other problems society faces. Through these topics, students will acquire a wide vocabulary and develop a solid understanding of Urdu grammar.

The topics studied at KS4 will be identity and culture, local area, holiday and travel, school, future aspirations, study and work, international and global dimension.

Students will be expected to participate actively in lessons, whether working as a whole class, in pairs, groups or by themselves. They will be encouraged to deepen their own learning using a range of reference materials and on line resources.

Our KS3 course aims to provide a strong foundation for students to build on at KS4. Throughout both keys stages, students continually develop and practise the key skills. Regular internal assessments reflect actual GCSE questions and feedback from teachers’ guides students in how to make further progress.

How students are assessed at the end of the course

The Urdu GCSE consists of 4 exams taken at the end of Year 11:

• Listening (25%)
• Speaking (25%)
• Reading (25%)
• Writing (25%)

Home study

Home study is set each week to consolidate students’ knowledge and understanding of what has been covered in class. Home study includes vocabulary learning, grammar and writing practice and preparation for speaking tasks. Students can also access additional support and practice questions on Google Classroom.

Enrichment opportunities

There are opportunities to take part in debate club and drama club in Urdu. Students also have the chance to take part in our pen-friend scheme with an orphans’ charity in Islamabad. The department also benefits from an Urdu language assistant who works with small groups of students at a time on their spoken Urdu. Cinema visits and language projects with partner schools also take place.

Learning essentials

A Urdu/English bilingual dictionary is useful for students.

Contact Information

Please contact us on info@plashet.newham.sch.uk.