The main research interests of Professor Lise Iversen Kulbrandstad are literacy, second language teaching and learning, and professional development of teachers in kindergarten and schools. She has been especially engaged in the establishment of research networks in the Nordic countries, and was one of the founders of NORDAND, the Nordic journal of second language research.
Second language teaching practices across the curriculum
Abstract
In this talk, I will discuss results from studies of diverse classrooms and kindergartens in the Nordic countries. In which ways do teachers organize classrooms and activities to create language-rich environments? I will also explore the different roles given or taken by teachers in classroom research. In which ways can participation in research project contribute to teachers' professional development in second language teaching?
While teaching in earlier generations was characterized by stability and predictability, the last decades have been characterized by change. Thirty years ago few teachers in the Scandinavian countries met students with a multilingual background. Today "linguistic minority students", which is the official Norwegian label, make up 14 % of all students in compulsory school in Norway. This change challenges the provision of equal educational opportunities since an achievement gap is documented in PISA, PIRLS and in national tests in reading. To improve the situation the politicians have put more emphasis on kindergarten and the first school years, but also on the use of multilingualism as a pedagogical resource and on stressing the importance of long-term second language support. Teacher qualifications, teacher education and teachers’ professional development also are in focus.
