Course Materials

The textbook/workbook for this course will be Norsk nå by Nancy Aarsvold. It is available for purchase in the St. Olaf Bookstore. The tapes which accompany the textbook are available for your use in the Language Lab.

Grading System

Participation........................................................................................15%

The participation grade will be based on students' attendance and active participation in all class sessions. Active participation requires that students come to class with homework finished so that they are prepared to use Norwegian in real-life contexts. If students know in advance that they will miss a particular class due to participation in a co-curricular activity, then they should notify their teacher beforehand.

Students are also required to attend weekly discussion group sessions which are led by native Norwegian students attending St. Olaf. The discussion groups last for a half hour and will meet during 9 of the 13 weeks in the semester. The discussion groups will give students the chance to use Norwegian in a more informal setting, get to know more of the students studying Norwegian at St. Olaf, and explore topics of general interest to young people, such as music, sports, hobbies, education, etc. Each group will have approximately 10 students. A sign-up sheet will be passed out on the first day of class.

In addition, students are required to spend three half-hour periods per week in the language lab. This time is to be spent listening to the tapes which accompany the textbook or supplementary material assigned by the instructor. Language lab tapes are intended for practice so they should be listened to more than once.

Homework............................................................................................15%

Homework will consist mainly of the exercises found on the yellow workbook pages which accompany the textbook. They include reading, writing, speaking, and listening exercises and will be assigned regularly. Most can be completed in pen or pencil, but essay assignments must be typed on a word processor to facilitate the revision process. In order to receive credit for the homework, the assignment must be complete and turned in during the class period on the day it is due. No late homework will be accepted, but at the end of the semester, the four lowest homework scores will be dropped. In addition to the workbook pages, students will also be asked to view videos, listen to tapes, and access Norwegian World Wide Web sites. Chapter assignment sheets will be kept updated on the Norwegian Department World Wide Web site.

Chapter Tests........................................................................................20%

There will be four chapter tests during the semester, after chapters 7, 8, 10, and 12. They will take approximately 50 minutes to write and will include sections for listening, reading, grammar, and writing. Students must take all tests and exams on the scheduled day. Exceptions to this policy will only be granted in cases of serious illness or emergency, and must be requested beforehand. Travel plans should be made with the course calendar in mind. Airline reservations or rides leaving do not constitute emergency.

Oral Tests.............................................................................................20%

There will be three oral tests during the semester. Each student will meet with the teacher individually or in pairs for a 10-15 minute test or demonstration of their speaking skills.

Midterm and Final Exams................................................................30%

The midterm and final are comprehensive exams, occuring after chapters 9 and 13 respectively. They will take approximately 50 minutes to write and will include sections for listening, reading, grammar, and writing.

Grading Scale