ONE-YEAR COURSE IN NORWEGIAN LANGUAGE AND CIVILIZATION FOR FOREIGN STUDENTS
PURPOSE
The course aims to give students knowledge and skills necessary for studies at Norwegian colleges and
universities. The emphasis is on giving students good general capabilities in Norwegian language. The course is
also meant to make it easier for students to adapt to the Norwegian society.
ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS
To be accepted for the course, applicants must satisfy the general entrance requirements for Norwegian colleges.
For applicants from some countries 1 - 2 years of university studies will be required. TOEFL-test in English is not
required, but the minimum level of English must be documented at an upper secondary level. Knowledge of
Norwegian language is not required at the entrance stage.
ORGANISATION OF COURSE
The course concentrates on two subject areas: Norwegian language and Norwegian Social Studies. During the
course these two areas are, wherever possible, treated as one unit. The main emphasis is on Norwegian
language, especially practical language skills.
Teaching comprises 13-15 periods per week each term. Attendance is obligatory. Students with less than 75%
attendance will not be allowed to sit for the exams.
Portfolio
Each student must collect all tests and essays, included corrections, in a folder. The texts required will be listed at
the term start autumn and spring. The portfolio will be marked passed or failed. Students not passing will be
allowed a second chance within two weeks time.
Term Paper: In the second term, students write a term paper on a given topic to be completed within 3 weeks.
Students choose a topic within the field that they are going to study further. Students are given help with
vocational and practical problems in connection with their term paper work that should comprise about 15 data
pages and comply with formal requirements. The term paper will be evaluated internally and is graded pass/fail. If
a term paper is graded fail, the student will get another 2 weeks and more instruction to improve the paper. The
student must obtain the grade pass in order to sit for the final exams.
Term test
Before Christmas there will be a written and an oral test, both internally evaluated. The tests will be marked, but
are just informative, and not a part of the final assessment. This also applies to a written and an oral test held
prior to the final exams.
COURSE CONTENT
A) Norwegian language
The course in Norwegian language aims to make students able to
- read and understand contemporary texts, literary texts, non-fiction, and vocational texts
- understand lectures in Norwegian in their own special field of study, and take down lecture
notes
- carry on a conversation about everyday issues and about topics from their own special field
of study
- speak Norwegian reasonably correctly with correct intonation patterns
- write Norwegian without serious errors
- read texts at normal speed
In the first part of the course the main emphasis is on phonetics and grammar. Students are trained to understand
spoken Norwegian and read fairly easy texts. Later, more emphasis is placed on vocabulary knowledge and on
writing.
Teaching methods will vary between lectures, group work, language laboratory exercises and homework. The
language exercises will comprise textreading, role play, conversation and interviews, listening comprehension,
dictation, report writing, grammatical exercises and essay writing, adapted to the content of the teaching and the
skill level of the students. At regular intervals advisory testing will be carried out.
Throughout the course students will have to read Norwegian language texts intensively as well as extensively.
The teaching programme gives instruction in bokmål, but the students take an obligatory course (8-10 hours) that
comprises language history, nynorsk and some Norwegian dialects. During the oral examination questions may
be asked about the content of this course or fram a compendium of nynorsk texts which is a part of the course
curriculum.
B) Norwegian Social Studies
The course in Norwegian Social Studies aims to give students the general overview they need when they begin
their vocational studies. It is also meant to provide an insight into Norwegian social structures and the living
conditions of Norwegians.
Teaching in Social Studies has text reading as its basis, and is to the greatest possible extent co-ordinated with
the teaching in Norwegian Language.
Special emphasis is placed on orientation within the following aspects of Norwegian society:
-
the form of government
the educational system
trade and industry
the social security system
the language situation
religion
equal rights and migration
co-operation with developing countries.
CURRICULUM
1. An introductory course in Norwegian as a foreign language:
Ellingsen og Mac Donald: På vei, 2004 (Cappelen) (Tekstbok og arbeidsbok)
Ellingsen og Mac Donald : Stein på stein, 2005 (Cappelen) (Tekstbok og arbeidsbok)
2. One Norwegian grammar for foreign studentes, i.e.:
Kirsti Mac Donald: Norsk grammatikk for fremmedspråklige
(grunnbok og arbeidsbok) Cappelen 1999.
3. Phonetics
Åse-Berit Strandskogen: Hva sier du ?, 2002 Oris
4. Social Studies
Ellingsen og Mac Donald: Her på berget (Tekstbok og arbeidsbok). Cappelen 2002.
The curriculum in Norwegian Social Studies is limited to about 100 pages of Norwegian non-fiction prose dealing
with social and cultural aspects of life in Norway, especially in our own time. Texts may be taken from
newspapers, periodicals, popularized scientific texts, etc. in addition to the textbook mentioned above.
5. Literature
Gjernes og Arntzen: Sirkel (utdrag for HVO, 1998) Pensumtjenesten (a selection of
about 100 pages).
Saabye Christensen: Herman, 1988 (Cappelen)
6. Other workbooks/reference books:
Åse-Berit og Rolf Strandskogen: Preposisjoner og partikler i norsk. (Oris)
Escolas ordbok (synonymordbok, bokmål)
Golden, Mac Donald og Ryen: Norsk som fremmedspråk. Grammatikk. Universitetsforlaget 1991
EXAMINATION AND EVALUATION
The following exams are taken at the end of the course and will be evaluated externally.
-
a written 6-hour examination concerning language and social studies.
an oral examination. Questions are asked from the content of the curriuculum texts.
In the calculation of the final mark the written examination count 2/3 and the oral examination count 1/3. The term
paper and the portfolio assessment must be passed in order to get your certificate.
When evaluating the exams the marks A – F will be used where E must be obtained in order to pass.
CREDITS
Successful candidates of the One-Year Course for Foreign Students are awarded 60 credits in a combined
college or university degree course.
Please NOTICE:
Students without a permanent resident permit in Norway, cannot sit for another exam in Norwegian if the permit
awarding you status as a student in your passport has expired (according to § 5.7 in The Guidelines for Exams at
HVO).