Course Description

The general curriculum for Foreign Languages Didactics focuses, as it has earlier, on the important role foreign languages serve in today’s society, and most likely will also serve in the future.

The elective languages German and French hold a more prominent position in the lower secondary school than before. English is an obligatory subject from the first grade of the primary school up to the foundation level in the upper secondary. English is a universal language for the world and has become an important tool in international cooperation.

Language subjects function as subjects demanding practical skills, as tools, and also as cultural subjects and subjects of general education; so it is clear that effective language teaching in schools is important.

Discussions of important questions concerning what acquiring foreign language competence entails, how one learns a foreign language, and why it is important to gain competence in foreign languages are also an important aspect of this course.

Assessment Methods

The examination for students taking 15 ECTS:

• Portfolio assessment: three texts must be submitted in a portfolio on a specified date. Information concerning the type of texts will be provided by the course teacher at the beginning of the course. One of the texts may also be an oral presentation. This portfolio counts for 40% of the final grade.
• 5-hour individual written examination: 60% of the final grade.

The examination for students taking 30 ECTS:

• Portfolio assessment and written final examination (similar to the 15 ECTS course): 60% of the final grade.
• Project assignment: 40% of the final grade.

Students who take Foreign Languages Didactics 30 ECTS must write a problem-based subject-didactics project assignment which counts for 15 ECTS. The assignment is in addition to the obligatory syllabus of 15 ECTS. The assignment should be 20 pages long, and the topic of the project should be discussed with the subject teacher. A draft of the project assignment, and the project assignment’s reading list, must be submitted on a specified date. Students will be provided with the opportunity for supervision while writing the project. The project assignment must be presented orally to the rest of the class.

A single grade will be entered on the diploma, graded from A to F, where A represents the highest grade, and E the lowest passing grade. Each part of the assessment must receive a passing grade in order to achieve a final passing grade for the course.

Please refer to Telemark University College’s examination regulations for further information.

Minor adjustments may occur during the academic year, subject to the decision of the Dean