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Vold, Eva Thue; Grung, Simen; Wold, Stephanie Hazel Grønstad & Brevik, Lisbeth M.
(2023).
Comparing students’ proficiency levels in English and French across contexts.
Vis sammendrag
The large-scale empirical research project LANGUAGES aims to compare language teaching policies, methodologies and outcomes for secondary school learners (aged 13-15) of English and French in three European countries: England, France and Norway. English and French have different statuses in these countries: depending on the context, they are first, second or foreign languages. In addition, students’ language proficiency in second and foreign languages is known to vary extensively across contexts (European Commission, 2012).
In order to conduct meaningful cross-context comparisons, the LANGUAGES research team needed valid and reliable measures of language proficiency. Altogether, the selected tests needed to offer comparable data and be appropriate for adolescent learners of French and English in each country at different levels. In terms of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) levels, we expected proficiency to vary from the pre-A1 level (Norwegian and English learners of French), via A, B and possibly C-levels (Norwegian and French learners of English), to native speaker competence. For feasibility reasons, the tests also needed to be relatively quick and easy to conduct.
This paper discusses the challenges with selecting and using standardised tests developed for specific languages and contexts, and combining them into a battery of tests that would allow for cross-context comparisons. We will discuss how and why we decided to use standardised reading comprehension tests that were aligned with the CEFR levels (the Evalang tests for English) in combination with a new vocabulary test that we developed specifically for the LANGUAGES project in order to cover the pre-A1 level, building on existing resources and tests (Cobb, n.d.; Meara & Milton, 2003).
In the paper, we present findings from the first year of the project, with data gathered from students (aged 13-15) in French and English classes. The contribution outlines key characteristics of each national context and presents a comparison of the estimated proficiency levels achieved in French and English by students in each country. Implications for the refinement of language attainment comparisons across national contexts are discussed, alongside the potential for such tests to inform language teaching policy and practice.
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Fohr-Prigent, Estelle; Haukås, Åsta; Brevik, Lisbeth M. & Vold, Eva Thue
(2023).
Languages in the classroom: teachers’ perspectives.
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Second and foreign language teaching has slowly started to steer away from the monolingual ‘dogma’ (Butzkamm, 2003), by welcoming the first language (L1) and students’ additional language resources in the second and foreign language classroom (De Angelis, 2011; Haukås, 2016; Macaro, 2001; Molway, 2021). Furthermore, governing bodies in countries such as France (MEN, 2020), England (Ofsted, 2021) and Norway (NDET, 2020) encourage teachers to use students’ multilingual repertoire. However, little is known about the connection between teachers’ beliefs about multilingualism and how it actually translates into the multilingual classroom.
In this paper, we present findings from the international LANGUAGES project. Drawing on teacher surveys and video-recorded lessons, the presentation will focus on teachers’ perspective on multilingualism; English and French teachers’ attitudes towards multilingualism and their teaching practices in second and foreign language classrooms. We present findings among teachers of English as a second or foreign language in France and Norway, and teachers of French as a foreign language in England and Norway, based on two datasets: (1) the Multiteach survey, where teachers express their attitudes towards and experiences with multilingualism, and (2) video-recorded lessons, to see whether and how they encourage the use of L1 or other languages than the target language in their lessons.
Comparing teachers’ perspectives on multilingualism and actual second or foreign language teaching, our analysis provides a unique perspective on two language subjects across three countries revealing traditions within each education system, as well as similarities and differences across contexts related to language policy, recommendations from national curricula, teachers’ beliefs, and actual classroom teaching. The findings provide important insight concerning opportunities and challenges for language teachers, teacher educators and policy-makers across multilingual contexts.
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Vold, Eva Thue & Myklevold, Gro-Anita
(2022).
Demokrati og medborgerskap i norske styringsdokumenter: språkfagenes rolle.
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Brkan-Masud, Altijana & Vold, Eva Thue
(2022).
Prononciation: quantité, pratiques d'enseignement et de correction.
LMS : Lingua.
ISSN 0023-6330.
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Brevik, Lisbeth M.; Vold, Eva Thue & Myhill, Debra
(2022).
Å forske på språkundervisning
– verdien av å sammenligne undervisning i ulike språkfag på tvers av land
.
Bedre Skole.
ISSN 0802-183X.
3,
s. 14–17.
Vis sammendrag
Ved å se på språkbruk, språkidentitet og språkundervisning i engelsk- og franskklasserom i Norge, England og Frankrike ønsker LANGUAGES-prosjektet å finne svar på hva som kjennetegner god språkundervisning på tvers av fag og kontekster.
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Bakken, Jonas; Brevik, Lisbeth M. & Vold, Eva Thue
(2022).
Flere vil bli språklektor.
Bedre Skole.
ISSN 0802-183X.
s. 28–33.
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Casoli Uvsløkk, Julie; Vold, Eva Thue & Brevik, Lisbeth M.
(2022).
Intercultural Competence in Language Subjects in Norwegian Lower Secondary Schools: A Classroom Video Observation Study.
Vis sammendrag
In precarious times, seeing each other and seeking to understand each other is a key competence. To deal with inequality and social injustice around the world, it is essential to acquire intercultural “knowledge”, “skills” and “attitudes”, and hence develop “critical cultural awareness” (Byram, 2020, p. 44). These elements are fundamental within the field of intercultural competence. Learning processes focusing on developing students’ intercultural competence are therefore central in making young people reflect on contemporary social challenges. This paper presentation will give an account of the role of intercultural competence in Norwegian lower secondary English and French classrooms. Based on video- observations of 60 English lessons and 45 French lessons in 9th and 10th grades (ages 14-15)—collected by researchers between 2015 and 2017 and showing naturally occurring instruction over two school years at seven lower secondary schools in Norway—we will first quantify the amount of time allotted to work on intercultural competence in these classrooms, then investigate the types of instruction and strategy use that take place in the classrooms. In the analysis of instructional practices, we particularly build on the works of Michael Byram, Darla Deardorff (Deardorff, 2011) and Hild Elisabeth Hoff (Hoff, 2020). Given that there are variations between the English and foreign language curricula in how explicitly they refer to intercultural competence, we expect to find variations between the two subjects when it comes to actual teaching and the extent to which intercultural awareness is an integrated part of classroom discourse. Questions we will explore are: To what degree is intercultural competence taught in French as a foreign language (L3) and English (L2) classes? What can we actually observe? Is intercultural competence an integrated part of foreign/second language teaching, or is it treated separately? Is the focus mainly on Great Britain, the USA, and France, or are other relevant language areas and/or minority cultures also included in the teaching? Are there any common characteristics across the subjects? Are there noticeable differences? Although there is a considerable body of research literature on the concept of intercultural competence and different theoretical models, few studies provide findings based on empirical observations of intercultural competence within second and foreign language classroom teaching. Even fewer studies have compared across different language subjects. Consequently, the findings from this study will contribute to filling a knowledge gap in Nordic educational research.
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Brkan-Masud, Altijana & Vold, Eva Thue
(2022).
L’enseignement de la prononciation en classe de FLE dans des collèges en Norvège: quantité, pratiques d’enseignement et de correction
.
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Brkan-Masud, Altijana & Vold, Eva Thue
(2021).
Foreign language prononciaiton instruction in a communicative language teaching context: amounts and practices.
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Vold, Eva Thue & Brkan, Altijana
(2021).
Antall elever som velger fag som fransk, spansk og tysk har aldri vært lavere. Har elevene for mange valgmuligheter?
Forskersonen.no.
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Vold, Eva Thue & Straume, Ingerid
(2017).
Acta Didactica 10 år.
Acta Didactica Norge.
ISSN 1504-9922.
11(3).
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Doetjes, Gerard & Vold, Eva Thue
(2013).
Større fremmedspråktilbud forutsetter kvalifiserte faglærere.
Utdanningsnytt.no.
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Vold, Eva Thue
(2013).
La formation des enseignants de langues en Norvège − quelle place pour la didactique du FLE?
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Vold, Eva Thue
(2013).
Meningsfull form. Grammatikken i fremmedspråkfagene.
Bedre Skole.
ISSN 0802-183X.
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Doetjes, Gerke & Vold, Eva Thue
(2011).
Framandspråk i skulen. Situasjonen i dag og behov for språkkunnskapar i åra framover.
I Aasbrenn, Magne (Red.),
Aust i Vika 2010-2011. Årbok for Østfold Mållag.
Østfold Mållag.
ISSN 978-82-993615-9-0.
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Doetjes, Gerke & Vold, Eva Thue
(2011).
Ny arbeidsmarkedsmonitor: fremmedspråk fortsatt sjelden krav i stillingsutlysninger. Notat 7/2011.
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Vold, Eva Thue & Doetjes, Gerke
(2010).
Samarbeidsmodeller for tilbud av programfag innen fremmedspråk. Notat 6/2010.
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Doetjes, Gerke & Vold, Eva Thue
(2010).
Engelsk og andre fremmedspråk sjelden nevnt i stillingsutlysninger. Notat 5/2010.
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Vold, Eva Thue & Doetjes, Gerke
(2010).
Fremmedspråk på barnetrinnet - teoretisk grunnlag. Notat 3/2010.
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Vold, Eva Thue & Doetjes, Gerard
(2010).
"Behov for fremmedspråk - hva forteller jobbannonser oss?".
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Vold, Eva Thue
(2009).
Tidlig start med fremmedspråk.
Språk og språkundervisning.
ISSN 0038-8521.
s. 40–41.
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Vold, Eva Thue
(2009).
We - Britain, We - the European Council. Pronoun reference and collective identity construction in Gordon Brown's speeches to the British Parliament.
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Vold, Eva Thue
(2007).
Force through Mitigation: Epistemic Modality as an Argumentative Strategy in the Genre of the Research Article.
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Vold, Eva Thue
(2006).
Epistemic modality and cross-disciplinary variation.
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Fløttum, Kjersti; Dahl, Trine; Kinn, Torodd; Vold, Eva Thue & Gjesdal, Anje Muller
(2006).
Snapshots from the KIAP project.
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Vold, Eva Thue
(2005).
Epistemic modality markers in scientific research articles - a cross-linguistic and cross-disciplinary study.
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Vold, Eva Thue
(2004).
Expressions of uncertainty in scientific research articles.
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Vold, Eva Thue
(2004).
Comment sélectionner ses observables dans l'analyse d'une catégorie sémantique?
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Doetjes, Gerard; Carrai, Debora & Vold, Eva Thue
(2017).
Språk uten grenser. En rapport om nettbasert språkopplæring.
Kompetanse Norge.
ISSN 978-82-7724-264-4.
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Doetjes, Gerke & Vold, Eva Thue
(2012).
Valg av fremmedspråk i videregående opplæring - en kartlegging.
Fremmedspråksenteret.
ISSN 978-82-8195-058-0.
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