1 Norwegian Language Tuition for Various Groups of Immigrants in the County of Nordland Rights and Opportunities Migration project in Nordland Photo: Espen Mortensen /esmofoto 2 Contents 1. Introduction 3 2. The right and the obligation to learn Norwegian 4 3. Funding for Norwegian language courses 6 4. Norwegian language skills – requirements and various levels of proficiency 7 4.1 The common European framework of reference for languages 7 4.1.1 A more detailed description of language skills 8 4.2 Norwegian and social studies tests 10 4.3 Norwegian Test – advanced level. “The Bergen Test” 10 5. Career Centres 11 6. Net School in Nordland 12 7. Tools and methods used in training 13 7.1 LearnNow 13 7.2 CALST – Computer-Assisted Listening and Speaking Tutor for Norwegian. 13 7.3 NoWin – Norwegian on the Web in Narvik 13 7.4 Min Vei (My Way) 13 7.5 Migranorsk - Norwegian for Immigrants 14 7.6 NorskPluss – Complete set of teaching aids 15 7.7 Mot målet – (Nearing your goal) Course in Norwegian and Social Studies 15 7.8 Advanced Level Norwegian Course (B2-C1) 16 8. Suggestopedia 17 9. Useful links 18 10. Free web-based resources 19 11. Contact details 20 Front page: Espen Mortensen (top picture) og Erik Veigård. 3 1. Introduction Norwegian language skills and knowledge of Norwegian society are preconditions essential to ena- bling immigrants to take part in work and community life. This document contains a summary of those who have the right and the obligation to learn Norwegi- an, a description of the various levels of proficiency and an assortment of tools and resources for use in the training of the various different groups of immigrants. Additionally, a list of some of the providers of Norwegian language courses for adults in Nordland is enclosed. The list provides an insight into the various types of offerings available in Nordland as of autumn 2014. The guide is intended to be a useful tool for anyone with an advisory or training capacity in the work with adult immigrants, and is one of the initiatives in Nordland County Council’s immigration project. Katharina Hanssen has been in charge of its development. The Nordland Career Centres offer career guidance for adults and young people. A separate guide for the career guidance of immigrants is also available. The Nordland County Council Department of Education is responsible for the annual revision of this guide. Contact person: Bjørn Bonsaksen, Email: [email protected]. Telephone +47 75 14 28 08 Photo: Tommy Andreassen 4 2. The right and the obligation to learn Norwegian Some immigrants have the right to free Norwegian language tuition paid for by the local authorities, whereas others must pay for tuition themselves. The following table was provided by IMDI and shows which groups of immigrants have the right and/or obligation to take Norwegian language tuition: http://www.imdi.no/no/Norskopplaering/Rett-og-plikt-til-norskopplaring/Hvem-har-rett-ogeller- plikt-til-opplaring/ Grouping Right Obligation Free Number of lessons 1) People who have been granted asylum, people allowed to stay on humanitarian grounds, the reunited families of these groups Yes Yes Yes 600 lessons (550 and those granted collective Norwegian language protection, 16–55 years of age. lessons and 50 social studies lessons). 2) The reunited families of If necessary up to Norwegian and Nordic citizens an additional 2400 living in Norway, 16–55 years Yes Yes Yes Norwegian language of age. lessons. 3) People from group 1) or 2) aged 55–67 years. Yes No Yes 4) Immigrant workers not 300 lessons (250 subject to EEA/EFTA rules, Norwegian language 16–55 years of age. No Yes No lessons and 50 social studies lessons) Asylum seekers have a right to 175 lessons, and the local authorities in towns and boroughs where there is a local reception centre for asylum seekers are responsible for this. The local authorities are not obliged to provide Norwegian language tuition for people who have neit- her the right nor the obligation to take Norwegian lessons, but are free to offer tuition to these groups where they see fit. The above table shows which groups have the right and/or obligation to take Norwegian and social studies tuition. The term “right” refers to the right to free tuition. The term “obligation” is associated with the possibility of permanent residence and citizenship. It is the grounds on which a person’s stay is based, that determines whether they have a right/obligation to take Norwegian and social studies tuition. What do we mean by a “right”? Having a right to Norwegian tuition means that the person in question is entitled to free Norwegian language and social studies tuition in the municipality where he or she lives. 5 What do we mean by an obligation? Having an obligation to take Norwegian tuition means that the person in question is required to complete a course in Norwegian language and social studies in order to be eligible to apply for a perma- nent residence permit or Norwegian citizenship. Those who have an obligation to take tuition, but not a right to it, are required to pay for the course themselves. What do we mean by a right and an obligation? Having a right and an obligation to take Norwegian lessons means that the person in question is entit- led to free Norwegian language tuition in the community where he or she lives, and that the compul- sory Norwegian course must be completed before the person may apply for a permanent residence permit or Norwegian citizenship. Immigrants who have a right and an obligation or simply an obligation to take lessons in Norwegian and social studies can, in certain cases, be exempted from the obligation when applying for a permanent residence permit or Norwegian citizenship. People with the following documentation can apply to their local authorities for exemption from the obligation to take Norwegian lessons, re.§ 3 in the Introducti- on Act (introduksjonsloven): In this case, documentation of adequate knowledge of Norwegian or Sami means: (The applicant must be able to verify one of the following items) • Passed language test – Norskprøve, Norwegian Test, Level A2, both oral and written, or • Completed course in Norwegian or Sami language, where marks/grades are given in the subject, or • ompleted studies in Norwegian or Sami at university or other higher education level in Norway, or in a foreign country, to the equivalent of 30 ECTS credits (studiepoeng), or • That the applicant meets the admission requirements for Norwegian or Sami language studies at a university or other higher education institution. Courses in Norwegian are available on the Internet, at certain workplaces and in the classroom. Ho- wever, not all of these follow the curriculum required for approval as mandatory Norwegian language courses. NB! Immigrants wishing to take Norwegian tuition are required to contact the local authorities where they live, and complete courses offered by providers approved by the local authorities. Photo: Thor-Wiggo Skille 6 3. Funding for Norwegian language courses Students who have a right to tuition (as mentioned in the above table) are entitled to receive it free of charge. For those who do not have this right, offerings vary from place to place and between the various course providers. Some web-based courses are free of charge. Norwegian lessons for students with the above-mentioned right are funded by the government, and each local authority is remunerated for providing free tuition to this group. The funding is allocated by the Directorate for Integration and Diversity (IMDI), which is also responsible for reporting, statistics, etc. For those who do not have the right to free Norwegian lessons, conditions vary from place to place with regard to who offers tuition and how much it costs. The basic principle is that everyone is responsible for paying for their own education, as is the case with all other types of education in Norway that are not associated with specific rights. Many employers cover the cost of this type of tuition and keep in contact with local providers. Many municipal adult education authorities also offer tuition to those without the legal right to it, at some places it has to be paid for, at others not so. Norwegian language tuition is offered by municipal adult education authorities, private course providers, colleges of further education associated with the OPUS organisation, web-based schools and universities/colleges of higher education. In Nordland most of it takes place at the municipal adult education authorities. Certain groups requiring basic Norwegian language tuition may apply for funding from VOX, the National Agency for Lifelong Learning. http://www.vox.no/Tilskudd/ Photo: Ivan Arntzen 7 4. Norwegian language skills – requirements and various levels of proficiency 4.1 The common European framework of reference for languages The framework of reference is a common European scale used to establish levels of language proficiency based on the 5 language skills: listening, reading, oral skills, oral interaction and written skills http://www.vox.no/Norsk-og-samfunnskunnskap/Lareplan/ he framework is a description of what it means to be proficient in a language and constitutes a guideline and a scale for language learning to this effect. The scale is used to describe the levels of knowledge and skills among language students in Europe and to an increasing extent also in other countries. Its aim is to provide a common European standard for the various levels of language skills. The scale is divided into three sections, each of which includes two subsections, altogether six different levels: A – Basic User o A1 – Beginner o A2 – Elementary B – Independent User o B1 – Intermediate o B2 – Upper Intermediate C – Proficient User o C1 – Advanced o C2 – Language skills almost on a level with a native speaker Kan oversette denne om vi får tilsendt hovedfilen til bildet.