About the project
The Skolespråk project aims to develop valid instruments for measuring academic language in Norwegian and to establish a foundation for research on its role in learning across school subjects. Academic language refers to the set of language skills students are expected to master during their school years, including vocabulary, grammatical structures, and discourse functions. It functions as a gatekeeping mechanism for learning and plays a critical role in reading comprehension and academic achievement.
In its current phase, the project focuses on (1) translating and adapting the Core Academic Language Skills (CALS; Uccelli et al., 2015) and (2) developing a complementary academic vocabulary test tailored to the Norwegian context.
These instruments will provide the basis for future research examining how academic language develops over time, how it contributes to achievement in reading and other subject areas, and how it can be supported in educational practice.
Backgound
Recent large-scale assessments (PISA, PIRLS) highlight a need to strengthen students’ academic achievement in Norway, particularly in reading and mathematics, and among students with immigrant backgrounds and lower socio-economic status(SES). Differences in academic language proficiency can play an important role in these disparities. By strengthening access to the language of schooling, the project aims to contribute to more equitable educational outcomes, particularly for students from disadvantaged SES and minority language backgrounds.
