Purpose
Norwegian for the Hearing Impaired is a key subject with regard to cultural understanding, communication, enlightenment and developing an identity. By actively using the Norwegian language, children and young people are introduced to culture and society and prepare themselves for participation in working life and democratic processes. Together with Norwegian Sign Language the subject creates arenas where pupils can find their own voice, express themselves, be heard and get answers – all based on the potential of the individual pupil.
Tuition in the subject should also help develop the pupils' linguistic competence based on the abilities and potential of each pupil with respect to language, auditory perception, communicative strategies and use of audiological equipment. Oral and literacy skills are both a goal in themselves and a prerequisite for learning in all subjects and in every year of study. The subject should stimulate the pupils' desire to read and write, and it should help them develop good learning strategies.
In Norwegian for the Hearing Impaired the pupils will encounter a wide range of terms, signs, words and different types of spoken, written and composite texts where writing, picture and sound all play a part. The subject should help the pupils navigate this multiplicity of texts, and it should provide room for both stimulation and reflection. During the course of study they should read fiction and non-fiction, develop their capacity for critical thought, and acquire a perspective on the history of the written word. They should produce their own texts in different styles using appropriate tools, and they should adapt language and form to suit a variety of purposes, recipients and media. Eventually they will be able to study specialist topics in more depth and to better convey specialised content to others.
Norwegian for the Hearing Impaired spans from the historical to the contemporary, from the national to the global. By seeing Norwegian language and culture in a historical and national perspective, the pupils can gain a better understanding of the society they live in. International perspectives in the subject can help develop cultural understanding, tolerance and respect for others.
Norwegian and Sami are the two official languages in Norway, while the written language forms Bokmål and Nynorsk enjoy equal status, and Norwegian Sign Language is a fully recognised language. Norwegians speak a wide variety of dialects and sociolects, as well as languages other than Norwegian. Linguistic diversity is an asset in the development of linguistic competence in children and young people. In view of the language situation in Norway, children and young people should develop awareness of linguistic diversity and learn to read and write Norwegian.
Norwegian for the Hearing Impaired should be seen in the context of the Norwegian Sign Language curriculum. In combination the two languages provide the necessary foundations for the tuition of pupils who will go on to become functionally bilingual in Norwegian society. The two languages should also help create a basis for multilingualism and participation in international arenas.
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