Norwegian Language and Culture for Foreign Language Students, level 4

Undergraduate course

Course description

Objectives and Content

Students with Norwegian as their first language cannot receive credits for NOR-U4 or any of UiB's Norwegian language courses.

NOR-U4 is an advanced course based on NOR-U3.

Course participants will learn to use oral and written Norwegian with reasonably good precision, both receptive and productive, in general and academic contexts. Norwegian language structure, vocabulary and idiomatic expressions will be emphasized, various topics will be covered, and participants will gain knowledge and insight into topics such as Norwegian literature and current events.

UiB's Norwegian language courses can be combined as follows:

  1. NOR-U1 (15 cred.) + NOR-U2 (15 cred.) + NOR-U3 (15 cred.) + NOR-U4 (10 cred.)
  2. NOR-U1/2 (30 cred.) + NOR-U3 (15 cred.) + NOR-U4 (10 cred.)

Learning Outcomes

On completion of the course the student should have the following learning outcomes defined in terms of knowledge, skills, and general competence:

Knowledge

Students should

  • be able to master complex sentence structures in Norwegian
  • have acquired a vocabulary that lets them understand authentic texts in Norwegian, both in general and on specialized topics
  • be able to update themselves in general and on specialized topics

Skills

Students should

  • be able to understand and talk fluently about authentic texts concerning general and specialized topics in Norwegian
  • be able to understand academic lectures given in Norwegian both about general and specialized topics, and be able to discuss these
  • be able to understand academic texts written in Norwegian
  • be able to express themselves both in written and oral idiomatic Norwegian with a varied language and complex structures

General competence

Students should

  • be able to communicate and update their knowledge in their field, and within general topics in both written and spoken Norwegian.

ECTS Credits

10 ECTS credits.

Level of Study

Not applicable.

Semester of Instruction

Autumn/Spring.

Place of Instruction

Bergen.
Required Previous Knowledge
The grade C or better from NOR-U2/3 or NOR-U3.
Recommended Previous Knowledge
None.
Credit Reduction due to Course Overlap
None.
Access to the Course

For more information about admission:

NOR-U4 has a limited number of seats. If there are more qualified applicants than seats available, applicant's grades from NOR-U2/3 or NOR-U3 will be a deciding factor.

Teaching and learning methods

The course has approximately 50 teaching hours.

It is expected that students are prepared and participate actively in lessons.

If fewer than five students are registered to a course, the department might reduce the teaching, please see the department's guidelines regarding this on "Mitt UiB". For courses where this is a possibility, students will be informed at the beginning of the semester, and before the semester registration deadline (February 1 / September 1).

Compulsory Assignments and Attendance

Attendance is mandatory. Students who are absent more than 25% of the time will not be permitted to take the exam. Students must also submit three written assignments during the course, and prepare a short lecture about a chosen subject which will be held in class.

The compulsory requirements are valid for three semesters. This includes the semester when the lectures are given and the following two semesters.

Forms of Assessment

The course concludes with an examination with an oral and a written part in Norwegian Bokmål. The oral part of the exam lasts about 20 minutes and is a conversation between an examiner and the student. The written part of the exam is a four hour, digital on-campus exam which includes listening test, a reading comprehension test and writing skills.

An overall grade is given. The written part of the exam counts for approximately 2/3 of the final grade, while the oral part counts for approximately 1/3. Students may only sit for the exam once per semester and both parts of the exam must be passed in order for the student to pass the course.

As a general rule, students cannot sit for an exam more than three times. The number of examination attempts is regulated by Forskrift om opptak mv. ved UiB § 6.8 (UiB's regulations on admissions i.a.).

Grading Scale
Graded scale A-F.
Assessment Semester
Autumn/Spring.
Reading List
The reading list is announced at the beginning of the semester.
Course Evaluation
The course will be evaluated in line with the Department's policies and UiB's quality assurance system. The evaluation may be conducted in writing or as a discussion with the responsible teacher.
Examination Support Material
Support materials are not permitted in any written or oral exam.
Programme Committee
Programme Committee for Norwegian Language and Culture for Foreign Language Students.
Course Coordinator
Programme Committee for Norwegian Language and Culture for Foreign Language Students.
Course Administrator
Department of Linguistic, Literary and Aesthetic Studies.