OD Day (Operation Day’s Work) at Norskkursa
It’s Thursday, October 30th. The time is 8:00 AM, and outside the HF building, a lively group of 28 students from Langhaugen Upper Secondary School is gathered. The students are ready for action. They’ve been hired as language assistants to give international students in the NOR-INTRO program the opportunity to speak Norwegian with native speakers before their exam. The payment for today’s work won’t go into their own pockets, but will be donated to this year’s Operation Day’s Work.
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This is the second time the Norwegian courses at UiB have offered school students jobs on OD Day. And it’s a joy to see several of the students who participated in 2024 return. That must mean the six hours they spent with exchange students last time were experienced as meaningful and rewarding.
At 8:05, the students are guided from the area outside the HF building into Sydneshaugen School. Three students have signed up as waffle makers and are given their own waffle station. Around 200 waffles will be made throughout the day.
Twenty-five students head into Room P to meet their first group of students. This large and pleasant room is perfect for the day’s first session. Desks are arranged in groups of 4–6, and by 8:15 the room has transformed into a buzzing language workshop where students and pupils introduce themselves and chat a bit before diving into the “The City is Bergen” game. Dice are rolled, pieces are moved, and lots of Norwegian is spoken!
At 9:00, the first group of students says goodbye and heads to their classroom for freshly made waffles. The pupils get a short break before the next session begins at 9:15. This time, the students get to choose the activity themselves: the Bergen game, conversations about topics they’ve studied in the Norwegian course, or discussions based on textbook illustrations. All activities are relevant for the upcoming oral exam. The pupils are well prepared – they’ve received teaching materials and course descriptions and are ready to meet the students’ wishes. Once again, Room P is buzzing with conversation, dice rolling, and topic cards being drawn: What’s your name? Where are you from? Do you like brown cheese? I don’t like the rain in Bergen. I take the light rail to UiB. Have you traveled in Norway? How often do you exercise? I’m a vegetarian. My mother tongue is Spanish. It’s your turn to roll the dice. What do you see in this picture? I see a penguin sunbathing.
At 10:00, the students thank the pupils for the conversation and go for a waffle before continuing their day. The pupils stretch their legs, grab a glass of juice, and jump into the third session. Room P is no longer available, so we move to neighboring rooms for the rest of the day. Students and pupils spread out nicely, and by 10:15 the pupils are back in action with new, eager students. Most of the students now want to play games. There’s small talk and discussion as pieces move and dice roll.
At 11:15, a longer break awaits, and this time it’s a waffle feast for both students and pupils. The waffle makers have prepared a mountain of waffles, much appreciated by everyone. After some chatting and sweet treats, the pupils get a chance to walk around the university area, check out the Sammen cafeteria, and observe student life. Many of the pupils have never been to UiB and find it exciting to explore and get a feel for university life.
The final session for the pupils begins at 12:15. They’re divided into three rooms because students from two INTRO groups will now practice with them. This is the last lecture for these INTRO groups. The students are excited (and a bit nervous) to test their language skills after nine weeks of instruction. Once again, dice are rolled, pieces moved, and conversations flow about home countries, studies, leisure, and food traditions. Pupils and students connect across linguistic, cultural, and academic backgrounds. Many of the Bergen pupils are bilingual, if not trilingual – the same goes for the students. They discover similarities and differences, have often visited each other’s home countries, and share several languages. Judging by the atmosphere in the classrooms, this is a very positive and exciting experience. The last twenty minutes of the visit are dedicated to mingling and waffles across groups and rooms. It’s been a long day, but the conversations continue to be light and easy-going in the classrooms and in the corridors. Pupils and students keep talking, now without games or topic cards. Imagine that!
The pupils’ verdict on the Norwegian skills of the INTRO students after the nine-week course is unanimous: Very impressive! We teachers in the Norwegian courses who met the pupils and witnessed their efforts today respond in kind: Very impressed! We’re looking forward to next year’s OD Day with the Langhaugen students.
At 2:00 PM, we say goodbye to the pupils and thank them for their efforts. What a day this has been!
