Background and experience
I received my Cand.Philol.-degree in Nordic language and literature at UiT Norway's Arctic University in 1999 (English, Social Anthropology and Nordic language and literature (major)). My published master´s thesis was a study within the area of language policy/language planning, and targeted the work that led to the revision of the written Norwegian standard Bokmål of 1981 (Rambø 1999). Particular emphasis was placed on the work of the Særutvalg (the committee preparing the proposed changes of the written standard Bokmål), but also on the political decision-making processes in connection with the reform and reactions in the press and the public. The degree included a number of courses, including language sociology/sociolinguistics (methods and theories, language and gender, dialectology, lexicology, onomastics, language contact studies.
Since 1999, I have been employed at the University of Agder as a doctoral fellow, senior lecturer, postdoctoral fellow, associate professor and professor (since 2014). I completed the degree Dr.art. (PhD) in Nordic Linguistics at the University of Agder in 2009. My doctoral thesis was a linguisitic sociological work on historical and social pre-conditions for language contact between Middle Low German and the Scandinavian languages in the late Middle Ages. The degree included a number of courses in language theory, methods and research ethics, including courses in semiotics, sociolinguistics, language and identity, language standardization, historical linguistics and grammaticalization.
I am a member of The Agder Academy of Sciences and The Royal Norwegian Society of Sciences and Letters (DKNVS).
Areas of responsibility
I am a professor of Nordic linguistics at the Department of Nordic and Media Studies at the University of Agder. My research, teaching and supervision are in subjects such as multilingualism, language history, language policy and language planning, language and power, critical discourse analysis, language sociology/sociolinguistics, language contact, semiotics and rhetoric, and I have teaching experience from all levels within both the discipline studies in Nordic lingusitics, communication studies and teacher training programmes. My professional interests lie at the intersection between linguistics and social sciences. Together with my colleague Eli-Marie Drange, I am leader of the research group Multilingualism in Society and Education (MUSE), and we also actively participate in the university alliance FORTHEM through the lab Multilingualism in School and Higher Education (https://www.forthem-alliance.eu/get-involved /labs/multilingualism-in-school-higher-education-lab). I am also a member of the research group Language history.
In addition to my scientific interests, I am also interested in institution building and politics related to research and higher education. I have and have had various roles related to these interests:
I am a member of the University Board at the University of Agder (elected by permanent staff members in teaching and research positions) for the period 2023 - 2027, and was also elected as a board member in the previous period, 2019 - 2023.
From 2015 to 2024 I have been leader of the PhD specialization in linguistics at UiA, and in the period 2012 - 2015 I was a member of the PhD board for the specialization in linguistics.
In the years 2013 - 2021, I was UiA's board representative in the national researcher school LingPhil (Graduate Researcher School in Linguistics and Philology), funded by the Research Council of Norway. During the years 2014 throughout 2017, I was also chairman of this researcher school.
Since 2011, I have been a member of the board of the Center for Norwegian Studies Abroad (SNU).
In addition to the positions mentioned above, I have also had a number of other professional administrative roles (i.e. coordinator for teacher training at the Department of Nordic and Media Studies (2014 - 2016), member of the department council at the Department of Nordic and Media Studies (2016 - 2019 ), member of the research board at department and faculty level).
Teaching
PhD education in linguistics
Nordic linguistics (master level, bachelor level) - subjects such as multilingualism and multiculturalism, diversity in language and text in schools, language policy and language planning, language and power, language contact research, text linguistics, cognitive linguistics, linguistic variation (power, norms and ideology), language sociology /sociolinguistics, spoken language research, subject didactics, multilingualism, Norwegian as a second language)
Communication studies (master level, bachelor level) - subjects such as text and interpretation, writing skills, interpersonal communication, semiotics
Primary and secondary school teacher training (1 - 7 and 5 - 10), all linguistic subjects
Research
Research areas:
- Multilingualism/plurilingualism
- Linguistic and semiotic landscapes
- Diversity and equality (in academia)
- Language sociology
- Language history
- Semiotics and critical discourse analysis
- Linguistic variation, power and diversity
- Language contact studies
Ongoing research projects:
FemProf - Institutional exploration and change for a more equal and diverse academia (NFR, 2019 - 2025)
Understanding gendered faculty careers across academic contexts (Peder Sather Grant Program Awards, UC Berkeley and UiA)
Previous research projects (among others):
Critical Approach to Reading and Writing (2016 - 2018, Eurasia-project, Azerbaijan University of Languages (AUL) andThe University of Agder (Center for Norwegian Studies Abroad).
Holistic and sustainable teacher education at UiA (2014 - 2019, interdisciplinary project)
Digital text competence and use of learning resources in new primary and secondary school teacher training (DigiGLU, 2012 - 2014)
A new "Norwegian language history" (2014 - 2018)
Professional networks
- HiSoN (Historical Sociolinguistics Network)
- SASS (Society for the Advancement of Scandinavian Studies)
- FORTHEM (university alliance), Lab: Multilingualism in School and Higher Education