Norwegian or English?
The Norwegian academic language is in danger of losing its foothold in parts of the university and university college sector, according to The Language Council of Norway. This Friday, an early-morning debate meeting about the topic will be held at Kilden Performing Arts Centre.
This article is more than two years old, and may contain outdated information.
"It is not a question of having either this or that. It is more a question of having both. The international reality we live in means that students and others must learn both Norwegian and English academic terminology. The issue is how do we go about it," Vice Rector Astrid Birgitte Eggen says.
Parallel language evolution
As one of the seminar's three introductory speakers, the Vice Rector for Education at UiA is especially interested in language as a prerequisite for learning.
"The way I see it, that is more important than the question of Norwegian or English. Being able to learn academic terminology depends on having a language to build on. That applies to all languages. The context in which academic terminology has evolved is important to convey. However, that may differ from language to language. Therefore, I am interested in how we can develop our study programmes so that students can learn their discipline in both Norwegian and English."
"Thus, our challenge going forward lies in what way to face such a parallel language reality in our educations," she says.
See also: Towards a parallel language reality
INTRODUCTORY SPEAKERS: Rector Petter Aasen of USN, Director General Åse Wetås of The Language Council of Norway, and Vice Rector Astrid Birgitte Eggen at UiA are interested in language balance and academic terminology.
Worried about the Norwegian academic language
The basis for the early-morning seminar is The Language Council of Norway's new focus this winter on the conditions of academic language in the Norwegian university and university college sector. For example, 90 % of all academic publishing from Norwegian researchers is now in English. The Language Council of Norway is worried that this may start happening in teaching and thus Norwegian academic terminology will disintegrate.
The two other introductory speakers at the debate meeting on language balance in academia is Rector Petter Aasen of the University of South-Eastern Norway, who will speak about the linguistic challenges they are facing, and Director General Åse Wetås of The Language Council of Norway, who will speak about the Norwegian academic language's significance for the Norwegian society.
Faculty of Engineering and Science offers the most English education
Today at the University of Agder, 15 % of the university's 1300 individual courses is available in English. This amount is spread out over a number of study programmes and faculties – from 36 courses at the Department of Engineering Sciences and down to one or two at some institutes.
For the study programmes, the amount of education in English is also largest at the departments at the Faculty of Engineering and Science. There, all programme areas offer education in English. No other faculties or the Teacher Education Unit can match this.
Exchange students and context determine available English education
"We also see that a lot of the education we offer in English follow our incoming exchange students. They are unable to follow education in Norwegian and are therefore offered education in English where it is available. The context is also a deciding factor for the engineering courses. The engineering field is international, and therefore it is natural to offer education in English for these courses. For the teacher educations and also other educations such as nursing, the context is different. The graduated students will start working in surroundings where Norwegian professional terminology is the most relevant," Astrid Birgitte Eggen says.