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In an article printed in the February 2009 issue of
the Norwegian American Weekly newspaper, Director of
Education and Research at the Honorary Norwegian Consulate in
Minneapolis, Minnesota, Ellen Ewald said; “It’s vital that we strengthen
exchange and networking in research and education between the United
States and Norway. . . . Young people studying abroad learn a lot about
people, which adds a new dimension to their lives. They build phenomenal
networks that will be useful throughout life.”
The young people she refers to are most often teens and
university-age students, but what about the elementary students with
minds still like sponges, ready to soak up anything and everything they
are exposed to? I have always thought that if we get them while they are
young they are hooked for life, and if a connection between Norway and
the United States is the goal, then getting young people excited about
their international counterparts is essential and language skills are
the key.
THE PROGRAM
The Norwegian-American Classroom Connection was designed as a
means of connecting students and teachers in grades 4 through 7 (Norway)
and grades 3 through 6 (U.S.) in order to share stories, learn about
each other’s culture, and practice English language skills. Because of
the 7-hour time difference between Minnesota (USA) and Nord-Trøndelag
(Norway), communication between students primarily involved written
correspondence through letters, Ning Web sites (password-protected
interactive blog/WebPages), and e-mails.
I provided direction to the teachers and visited the Norwegian
classrooms three times throughout the year to inject some enthusiasm for
English language learning, and also visited the American classrooms at
the end of the program to talk a bit about Norway. Because this was a
nonfunded experiment, I could not be as closely involved as I would have
liked and the bulk of the responsibility fell to the teachers
themselves.
WHY THIS PROGRAM WAS RELEVANT
- Norwegian youth are fascinated with the United States, and are
exposed to it on a daily basis through music, TV, and film.
- Norwegian children begin learning English at age 6 (1st grade)
and are required to take it throughout their school years.
- The Norwegian government has expanded the writing component of every subject, including English.
- Technology is an important part of today’s education and opens up the world in new and exciting ways.
- Norway is experiencing a new wave of immigrants and has
doubled the number of refugees and asylum seekers this year. How
interesting for an immigrant from Somalia now living in the United
States, for example, to share stories with an immigrant from Somalia now
living in Norway.
- In this age of technology, this program provides the
opportunity for children to write and receive letters in the
mail.
- Knowing someone personally opens up the world in a way nothing else can.
- Teachers can share ideas on education, lesson planning, and
student learning, enriching learning on both continents. It also gives
the Norwegian English teachers an additional opportunity to use English
on a professional level and for teachers in the Midwest to experience
education in “modern Norway.”
- This program makes language learning relevant, purposeful, and interesting.
GETTING STARTED
I provided the teachers with a list of general questions. Most
chose to match up students, often with great success. “I live with
sisters,” an American fourth grader told me. “It was so nice to talk to
someone who understands and likes the same things I do.” He was talking
about his Norwegian pen pal.
Everyday subjects like what is eaten at school for lunch or the
types of things that occupy free time were the most fascinating, and I
wouldn’t be surprised if a few of the connections lasted even after the
project was over. It also gave the Norwegian students a reason to write,
so it made their English language learning relevant. “I have a seventh
grader who never writes much, but when she knew she was writing to
someone and that writing so she could be understood mattered, she took
the time to do it right,” commented a Norwegian teacher participating in
the program.
THE CHALLENGES AND THINGS THAT WORKED
Because this was an “extra thing” the teachers were inserting
into their already overflowing curriculum, it took a while to get the
program off and running. For the Norwegians, especially in the lower
grades, time was also a factor; English lessons were limited each week,
sometimes to only one class period, and they had other things they had
to cover. But progress was still made and I saw in the Norwegian
students a sense of pride knowing they had connected with someone their
age in America. Even for the fourth graders, who had a basic knowledge
of words but limited conversation skills, there were personal victories.
“I met someone who didn’t know any Norwegian and I gave them
directions, in English!” one young girl told me, bursting with a sense
of accomplishment.
Liz Carlson, a fourth-grade teacher in the United States, had
this to say; “My students have truly enjoyed writing to their pen pals.
They have enjoyed learning more about the cultures and sharing hobbies
that are similar like reading and playing sports on the weekend. My
students like a more purposeful reason for writing rather than for a
grade; they are writing to learn from a friend. They look forward to the
next letter and are eager to respond. As a classroom teacher, I like
the idea of broadening the students’ scope of understanding of the world
around them. At the fourth-grade age, they can be a little
self-involved and this project gets them to think of others in a social
and cultural way. It helps them to think beyond the boarders [sic]of the
U.S. which is very important.” Hearing that Norwegian students their
age put liver paste or fish in tomato sauce on their open-faced
sandwiches instead of peanut butter on two slices of bread brings with
it a tangible understanding of cultural differences, whereas hearing
they play the same video games even if they don’t speak the same
language highlights similarities for the students.
Overall it was a positive experience and once I secure
funding, am eager to try it again. Meanwhile, I will continue to explore
opportunities that are already out there:
- ePals Global Community: providing safe
collaborative technology for schools to connect and learn in a
protected, project-based learning network(www.epals.com)
Heidi Håvan Grosch immigrated to Norway in 2007 and
now uses the arts to inspire English language teaching for all ages
(preK–adults). She also works as a writer for the Norwegian
American Weekly newspaper and writes a weekly blog about
English as a global language (www.childrensliteraturenetwork.org/blog/wontok). |
