Need for the new strategies in Norway?
These strategies have their origin in research conducted in multi-lingual classrooms in the U.S., and focus on effective instructions for culturally and linguistically diverse language learners.
Certified English language instructor, and teacher educator, Elizabeth Grassi, has worked in schools around the world, including Spain, the U.S. and Costa Rica. She was also the Fulbright Østfold Rover 2023/2024, with her base at the Fremmedspråksenteret. When she came to Norway, she noticed a similar pattern in Norwegian classrooms regarding concerns teachers have for their diverse learners. Norwegian teachers asked the same questions as teachers in the U.S. about teaching content and language at the same time to additional language learners.
I feel inspired, usually we are left to our own devices. It is nice to have someone come in and inspire us to improve our teaching.
Elizabeth Grassi invited two researchers from Østfold University College (Malgorzata Wild and Christina Berg Tveitan) as well as Fremmedspråksenteret and a large group of teachers from four "vgs" schools to collaborate on this project.
The goal of this project is twofold
- To determine if the U.S. based strategies would assist Norwegian teachers in increasing the academic achievement of their language learners.
- To analyze the way the Norwegian teachers adapt the strategies to their classrooms and their style of teaching.
This is a hands-on project where teachers’ expertise and voice are integral to the project.
It is making me slow down, and think more about my teaching and what my language learners really need to learn.
The road ahead
This project is going to be presented at international teacher conferences in 2025. The researchers are looking to recruit more teachers for the project next year. They also plan on publishing the results in 2026.
Literature
- Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Exceptional Students: Strategies for Teaching and Assessment (Grassi & Barker, 2010).