Course Objectives

Students will learn how to write academic and journalistic texts. They will gain insight into various written genres and the Norwegian linguistic context, they will be able to analyse text structures and argumentation, and they will learn to discuss criteria for good and bad texts. Students will be able to guide others and learn how to proofread.

Students will acquire knowledge of, and skills in, oral presentation in front of an audience. They will learn how to present material clearly and effectively. They will be given practice in practical and mental preparation for presentations in various contexts, and increase their awareness with regard to body language and voice-use. Students will gain insight into various oral genres, and they will be able to assess the quality of oral presentations.

Course Description

• Introduction to communication theory and various oral genres
• Introduction to voice-use and presentation behaviour
• Introduction to current orthographical rules
• Orientation on the use of dictionaries and other aids for good language use
• Discussion of the criteria for good and bad texts (written and oral)
• Training in reviewing and proofreading
• Analysis of structure and argumentation in written and oral texts

Learning Methods

The course includes 5 hours’ seminar teaching per week over a period of 15 weeks. Students’ own work constitutes an important part of the course. Four texts, written in agreement with the subject teacher, must be approved before the final examination. Both of the Norwegian language variants must be represented. An oral presentation must be approved before the final examination.

Assessment Methods

Two written texts comprising 6 pages together. One of the texts must be related to the syllabus. Both language variants must be represented, and the texts will be given a single grade, which counts for 60% of the final course grade.

An oral presentation which must be approved before the final examination. The final examination is an oral presentation of a text written by the student, either a speech, lecture or a talk, of about 10 minutes’ duration. The student must be able to comment on his/her own presentation. The final examination counts for 40%.

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