Norwegian Subject Curriculum (NOR1-05)

Main subject areas

The subject has been organised into main subject areas with associated competence aims. The subject areas complement each other and should be seen in the context of each other.

The subject is a core subject on all study programmes in upper secondary education and training. The tuition should be made relevant to the pupils by adapting it to the various study programmes.

There are competence aims in Norwegian after Years 2, 4, 7 and 10 at the primary and lower secondary stages, and after Levels Vg1, Vg2 and Vg3 on upper secondary general study programmes. On vocational study programmes there are competence aims after Level Vg2 and after completing Supplementary Studies to Qualify for Higher Education.

There are no competence aims for the written secondary language form (Nynorsk or Bokmål) after Level Vg2 on vocational study programmes.

Pupils on vocational study programmes, pupils receiving tuition in Sami or Finnish as a second language, and other pupils exempt from tuition and assessment in the secondary language form should only write in their primary language form.

Summary of main subject areas:

Oral communication

The main subject area of oral communication covers listening and speaking in various settings. Listening is a proactive endeavour during which the pupils should learn and understand by comprehending, interpreting and evaluating statements made by others.

By giving prepared oral presentations and engaging in spontaneous verbal interaction, the pupils should develop their ability to communicate with each other and to express knowledge, thoughts and ideas using a varied vocabulary within different genres. Oral communication also involves adapting language, forms of expression and presentation to different communication situations.

Written communication

The main subject area of written communication covers reading and writing the Norwegian language. It ranges from the pupils' first introduction to reading and writing to the systematic advancement of their literacy skills for the duration of their course of study. Reading training should stimulate the pupils' desire to read and their ability to read and write. This means that they should read a variety of texts, both in order to learn and for the experience itself. The tuition should also help make the pupils conscious about their own development as readers and writers.

Writing involves expressing, processing and communicating thoughts and opinions in different types of texts and genres. Composite texts form a natural part of the texts that the pupils should read and create. Good written communication requires good vocabulary, an ability to structure text, knowledge of written language conventions, and an ability to adapt text for a given purpose and recipient.

Language, literature and culture

The main subject area of language, literature and culture covers Norwegian and Nordic oral and written culture, also incorporating international perspectives. The pupils should develop an independent understanding of Norwegian language and literature and gain an insight into how language and text have evolved and continue to evolve over time.

The pupils should acquire knowledge of the language as a system and of the language in use. They should read and reflect on a large and varied selection of old and new texts in different genres and from different media. They should also familiarise themselves with the traditions of Norwegian writing in a comparative perspective between past and present and in light of external impulses.