Contents
President's
Greeting
Hilsen fra NORTANA. This past year has been one of
changes-the name of our organization now includes
"Researchers", and has a new, all-caps acronym; Lars Fure
and Astrid Gundersen, with whom we have enjoyed a
wonderfully supportive relationship, have moved back to
Oslo; we look forward to future cooperation with Eva Vincent
and Hilde Haaland Kramer, in her expanded role working with
the colleges and universities; and it is time to elect a new
executive committee. I urge you to send nominations-either
of your colleagues, or of yourself-as soon as possible to
Gerry Anderson <aga@u.wshington.edu>, Peggy Hager
<pehager@facstaff.wisc.edu>, or Katherine Hanson
<kjhanson@u.washington.edu>. The deadline for
nominations is February 15.
One of the most important and most successful functions
of NORTANA has been communication with the membership. In
this newsletter you will find information on Study
opportunities in Norway (please help us by recruiting your
students!), travel grants for NORTANA members, courses and
workshops for language teachers, book reviews, suggestions
for classroom teaching and more. We also have an e-mail
listserv. To ask questions, to inform the membership of an
event, project, visitor, etc., just write to
<nortana@stolaf.edu>. If you are not currently on the
list and would like to be, please e-mail me at
<oleary@stolaf.edu> and I will be happy to add your
name.
It has been an honor to have served on the NORTANA board
since its inception in 1987, and as president of the
steering committee for the past six years. Thank you all for
that opportunity. As I look forward to my sabbatical next
year in Norway, I also look forward to seeing new faces on
the steering committee with lots of new ideas.
Med vennlig hilsen fra
Margaret Hayford O'Leary
NORTANA President
NB: Because the publication of this newsletter has
unfortunately been delayed until January, the deadline for
call for nominations for new officers has also been pushed
back from Jan 15 to Feb 15.
-ed.
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Results of Members'
Referendum
I alt blei 56 stemmesetlar mottatt. 9 stemde for å
halde på det same namnet som i dag, 40 røysta
for å endre det og 7 stemte blankt på dette
punktet. I valet mellom NoRTANA og NORTANA var 36 for
NORTANA og 16 for NoRTANA; 4 røysta blankt.
Lars Fure
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Greetings from Old and New
Colleagues in the Norwegian Information Service in New
York
fra Lars Fure:
Kjære NORTANA-gjengen!
I desse Norgesseminartider går tankane mine tilbake
til dei fire hyggelege åra som eg hadde saman med
dykk. For meg var kontakten med dykk utan tvil den mest
givande delen av arbeidet ved Informasjonstenesta. De
representerte ikkje berre ein ressurs og eit nettverk som
nokon kvar i informasjonsbransjen kunne misunne, men
også ei samling av spennande og trivelege menneske -
det eg i min første ungdom (før eg formelt
blei bymenneske og statstilsett) brukte å kalle for
kulturpersonar.
Eg håpar å kunne halde kontakten med mange av
dykk. Sjølv om eg igjen har lagt kulturen på
hylla, og nå som Utanriksdepartementet sin
flyktningrådgivar i staden engasjerer meg i det
internasjonale samarbeidet kring
flyktningspørsmål, ville eg sette pris på
at de leitar meg opp når de kjem til Kongeriket.
E-postadressa er den same lf@mfa.no
Beste helsing,
Lars Fure
fra Eva Vincent & Hilde Haaland Krame:r
This past summer both Lars Fure and Astrid Gundersen left
the Information Service for "greener pastures" at the
Ministry in Oslo. In return, Eva Moksnes Vincent has been
appointed consul and director of the Information Service,
after 6 years in the Protocol Department of the Ministry.
Eva is delighted to be back in the US (was stationed in
Washington DC, 1991-95) and looks forward to working with
culture and information, especially keeping in touch with
the NORTANA members. Coordinator of International Education
Hilde Haaland Kramer will take over Astrid's duties in
regards to contact with the universities and NORTANA members
and is excited to add those duties to her educational
portfolio. Hilde generally works with Norwegian students in
the USA and Canada, helping them with questions and problems
which may arise during their stay in North America. In
addition Hilde tries to stimulate and promote closer ties
between educational institutions in Norway and North
America.
With this short presentation we want to thank everyone
present in Ogden for a wonderful seminar. We look forward to
meeting more of you at the SASS conference next spring (new
trip to Utah!). If there is anything we can do for you
before then, please do not hesitate to contact Hilde at
hhk@mfa.no or Eva at
emv@mfa.no. Requests for
videos or other information material can be sent to
Bjørg Ricke at cons.gen.newyork@mfa.no.
Also, lots of useful information about Norway in general can
be found at www.norway.org.
Information on study in Norway as well as Norwegian-American
Studies has been posted on www.norway.org/education and more
will come. We hope you will take a look at it. Feedback is
appreciated. Last but not least, we want to remind you that
the application deadline for the Travel Grant for 2002 is
15. February.
Lykke til med undervisningen!
Med vennlig hilsen,
Eva M. Vincent, Konsul
Hilde Haaland Kramer, Utdanningsrådgiver
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Travel Grants from the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs and Norwegian Information Service in the
United States
1. Type of grant
The Norwegian Ministry of
Foreign Affairs and the Norwegian Information Service in the
United States are offering travel grants to members of
NORTANA. The awards are meant as a financial assistance for
teachers and graduate students visiting Norway for study and
research purposes. Within these general limitations the
awards may be used in accordance with personal
preferences.
2. Amount of grant: $ 750 -
$ 1,500
3. Who is
eligible?
Citizens and residents of
the United States who are members of NORTANA. They must be
university or college teachers of Norwegian or other courses
in Norwegian culture or society, or graduate students who
have passed their preliminary examinations in these
fields.
4. Application
form
There is no application
form. Your letter of application should include:
- name, address, e-mail
address, phone number
- date and place of birth
- member of NORTANA since
______
- suggested amount
- outline of subject to be
studied/researched in Norway
- what kind of grants you
have previously received from the Norwegian Government,
if any
- brief description of
professional position and education
- other factors you
consider relevant
5. Applications should be
sent to
The Norwegian Information
Service in the United States
825 Third Avenue, 38th floor
New York, N.Y. 10022-7584
6. Application
deadline
15 February 2002
7. For further information,
please contact
The Norwegian Information
Service in the United States
825 Third Avenue, 38th floor
New York, N.Y. 10022-7584
Tel. (212) 421-7333
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NORTANA Business
Call for Nominations
It's time to elect a new NORTANA Executive Committee.
Nominations should be submitted to the Nominating Committee
(see below) by January 15, 2002. (NB: February 15. -ed.) The
election will be conducted by mail ballot and the results
will be announced at NORTANA'S annual meeting at SASS (Salt
Lake City, May 2-4, 2002). To be nominated one only need be
a NORTANA member in good standing and willing to serve! You
may either nominate yourself or another member. E-mail your
nominations to Gerry Anderson <aga@u.wshington.edu>,
Peggy Hager <pehager@facstaff.wisc.edu>,
or Katherine Hanson <kjhanson@u.washington.edu>.
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Minutes of meetings on October 19-20, 2001
Weber State University, Ogden, Utah
PART ONE
The first of two meetings was called to order on Friday,
October 19 at 3:45 p.m.
Reports
o In the absence of Treasurer Tanya Thresher, an informal
update was provided by Margaret O'Leary. Our balance is
approximately $10,000.
Announcements
Editor Torild Homstad requested articles and information
for the newsletter by Nov. 1.
Margaret O'Leary reported the sad news of Anne
Hvenekilde's death. (Shortly thereafter we heard of the
death of Gerd Manne, another colleague and friend of many
NORTANA members. -ed.)
Two doctoral milestones have been passed: Troy Storfjell
has successfully defended his dissertation at the U. of
Wisconsin-Madison and Claudia Berguson completed her
qualifying exam for the Ph.D. program at the U. of
Washington-Seattle.
Kari Lie has completed her M.A. in curriculum and
instruction at the U. of Minnesota and is teaching full-time
at St. Olaf College.
Congratulations were extended to Audun Toven of Pacific
Lutheran University, who has received the Kongelig
fortjenstorden and advanced to ridder 1. klasse.
Greetings from: Lars Fure and Virpi Zuck
New Business:
Louis Janus and Torild Homstad reported on the US-Norway
forum, held in mid-October in Seattle.
This is an initiative started by the previous ambassador
involving all Norwegian-American organizations and colleges
and universities, NACC, Team Norway, NAHA, et. all.
Strategies were discussed for getting Norwegian students to
the US. Ideas should be forwarded to the new ambassador,
Knut Vollebæk. Hilde Haaland Kramer is working on a
draft analysis of the roadblocks to recruitment (cost and
lack of information). Should we send US representatives to
study-abroad fairs in Norway? These occur annually in
January and February in Oslo, Bergen, Trondheim and
Stavanger. Norge-Amerika Foreningen is having difficulty
identifying stipendiater to the US. A discussion of ways to
get Norwegian students to American institutions followed. We
must determine the needs of Norwegian students-short-term
exchanges or long-term degree programs? The annual NAFSA
conference will be held in San Antonio, TX in 2002.
The Information Service in New York, under the new
leadership of Consul Eva Vincent, is eager to maintain an
accurate cultural calendar. Bjørg Rikke will oversee
this project and may be contacted at bir@mfa.no Eva also
announced the availability of travel stipends. Applications
should be sent to the Information Service.
Kjellaug Myhre, UD's liason to universities abroad,
renewed her invitation of proposals for funding of cultural
visits and other related projects.
PART TWO
The second meeting of NORTANA was called to order on
October 20 at 4:30 p.m. at the Wolf Creek Resort and Golf
Club.
Reports
Report of the NorTANA meeting of May 2001 was distributed
and approved.
Study abroad: Torild Homstad made a plea for aggressive
advising and recruitment to the ISS, OYP and SUST programs.
International understanding is needed now more than
ever!
Katherine Hanson and Christine Ingebretson will lead a
study seminar in Rome, September 2-22, 2002 to focus on
Scandinavian culture in Rome.
The bylaws/constitution committee, consisting of Chris
Hale, Katherine Hanson, Troy Storfjell, and Terje Leiren,
reported that the name change and a consistent policy of
inclusiveness will require some amendation of the five
articles of the constitution. The committee sought other
members for this task, but the will of the assembly was that
they continue in this capacity and bring potential changes
to the membership in the course of the winter.
The Scandinavian Center at the U. of Minnesota has been
defunded. In the absence of director, Susan Larson,
leadership will be shared by Professors Bill Mischler and
Kaaren Grimstad.
The Norwegian American Foundation, established on the
initiative of Kjetil Flaten and directed by Louis Janus,
will serve as an umbrella organization of all
Norwegian-American entities, rather than in competition with
any of them. They hope to distribute news of interest to the
various organizations via e-mail on a biweekly basis
starting in November.
CARLA (U. of Minnesota) will again sponsor a summer
institute on language materials development, July 29-August
3, 2002. NORTANA will award two travel stipends of $250
each.
Workshop: NORTANA plans to hold a workshop using some of
the funds received for the Akademika Prize for our work in
promoting Norwegian literature in the US. A cyber workshop
focusing on the use of literary texts in teaching language
and cultural studies has been suggested. Pre-workshop
distribution of materials would be followed by asynchronous
on-line participation from January to April, followed by a
summary session at SASS.
(Workshop arrangements have not yet been finalized, so
this timetable will be somewhat delayed. An expression of
interest from members who would like to participate in the
workshop would be helpful to the organizers. -ed.)
Election: Nominations for new board officers will be
taken until January 15. (February 15 -ed.) Self-nomination
is encouraged. Mail-in ballots will be counted by the
Information Service. Nominations may be sent to the
nominating committee (Jerry Anderson, Peggy Hager, and
Katherine Hanson).
Future Norgesseminarer: PLU will sponsor the 2002 seminar
with a joint topic of "Barnelitteratur og musikk". Tentative
dates are Oct 25-27. Participants favored jazz over
classical music as a focus. Discussion of possible artists
and authors to invite from Norway included Jan Garbarek,
Annbjørg Lien, Jon Roar Bjørkvold, the
Bertano-quartet, Tor Åge Bringsværd, Klaus
Hagerup, Ingvar Ambjørnson, Erlend Loe and the
current Barneombud. Possibly an exhibit from the Children's
Art Museum in Oslo might be obtained. The 2003 seminar will
be co-hosted by the University of Alberta and Augustana
University College. Other future hosts may include Arizona
State University and U. of North Dakota.
Respectfully submitted
Frankie Shackelford, Secretary
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Study Abroad
Oslo Year Program offers
students who have studied Norwegian language for at least
three semesters the opportunity to study at the University
of Oslo during Fall or Spring semesters or for an entire
academic year. Participants take one course each term from
the Oslo Year Program Leader plus courses offered for
foreign students at the University of Oslo. Some regular
University of Oslo courses may also be open to qualified
students. We are pleased to announce that the Program Leader
for the Academic Year 2002-2003 is Prof. Margaret Hayford
O'Leary (St. Olaf College). The Topics course for Fall
Semester 2002 will be Heroes and Villains: World War II in
Norwegian Literature; the Spring Semester topics course will
be Norway Today: Defining Norway in the 21st Century. For
more information, contact the ISS at 1-800-639-0058 or
iss@stolaf.edu.
Oslo International Summer
School is a six-week summer program at the University of
Oslo, in an exciting international milieu, with over 500
students from 80-90 different countries participating every
year. Students can study Norwegian language at all levels,
or study a variety of courses (Norwegian literature,
history, art history, Norwegian society and culture,
political science, international relations, etc.) in
English. For more information, contact the ISS at
1-800-639-0058 or iss@stolaf.edu.
Scandinavian Urban Studies
Term is a fall semester program offering students the
opportunity to examine issues facing industrialized welfare
states and social democracies in Scandinavia through courses
in Urbanization and Sustainable Development, Scandinavia in
the World, and Scandinavian Art and Literature: Perspectives
on Social Change. There is no language prerequisite and
students can choose to study Norwegian language or
participate in an independent study project. Field trips to
Tallinn, Estonia, and Stockholm, Sweden, plus two weekend
home stays add to the experience. For more information,
contact HECUA (Higher Education Consortium for Urban
Affairs) 1-800-554-1089 or info@hecua.org.
Telemark Regional College in
Bø is offering a new fall semester program. More
information is avaialble at this website.
<http://fag.hit.no/scandstud/>
ARCHITECTURE, LITERATURE,
AND POLITICS IN ROME, ITALY
September 2-22,
2002
Twenty University of
Washington students are invited to participate in a unique
study abroad opportunity at the UW's Rome Center in Italy,
September 2-26, 2002. Under the supervision of three
scholars from separate disciplines, students will examine
the role of Italy in inspiring other Europeans in design,
the arts, and political philosophy.
Architectural historian
Kathryn Merlino (Lecturer, Dept. of Architecture, UW) will
offer a course on the history of Roman architecture and the
Italian influence throughout Europe. Scandinavian literary
expert Katherine Hanson (Affiliate Associate Lecturer, Dept.
of Scandinavian Studies, UW) will offer a course on
Scandinavian literary figures in Rome (such as Sigrid Undset
and Henrik Ibsen), exploring the connections between Italy
and Scandinavia. European Studies Program Chair, Christine
Ingebritsen (Associate Professor, Scandinavian Studies) will
offer a course on the history of European integration,
contrasting the Italian experience with those of other
European Union member-states. Hanson, Merlino and
Ingebritsen will jointly teach a course on culture, design
and politics in Rome. Each faculty advisor will also provide
individual mentoring to students on projects of particular
interest, suitable for independent research in Rome. Three
UW credits will be provided for completing each of the
courses offered in this program.
Building upon a new
relationship between the University of Washington and the
University of Rome (Universita' di Roma-La Sapienza),
students will also have the opportunity to hear guest
lectures from local faculty experts during their stay in
Rome. With the vast museum resources readily available, many
of the classes will involve excursions in and around the
region.
Prior to departure, students
selected to participate in the Rome 2002 Program will be
asked to join the faculty for a five-day orientation, which
will include assigned readings on the themes of study;
logistic preparation for living in Rome; and events
celebrating the influence of Italian culture (film, cuisine,
the arts).
The Office of International
Programs and Exchanges in Schmitz Hall will administer the
program's finances. Applications should be submitted no
later than May 1, 2002 to Professor Christine Ingebritsen,
Dept. of Scandinavian Studies, Box 353420, University of
Washington, Seattle, WA 98195.
Student fees $1833
*Students will be required
to purchase their own air travel. Discounts will be
negotiated for the group with Kristina Trowbridge, WinWin
Vacations.
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Events
New
on-line course
The University of Minnesota
is offering a two credit online beginning Norwegian course
in Spring semester 2002. The course is intended for students
with no previous knowledge of Norwegian. An abridged version
of Nancy Aarsvold's text, "norsk nå" will be used and
students will have audio and video materials available on a
CD rom. The course will be accessed through WebCt and will
include chat, discussion postings, and email of assignments
to the instrutor and online activities in addition
to
CD rom exercises. Those
wishing further information can email the instructor, Marte
Hult at hultx002@tc.umn.edu.
CARLA
Summer Institute Report
Thanks to a generous grant
from NORTANA I was able to attend CARLA's summer institute
language workshop "Developing Classroom Materials for Less
Commonly Taught Languages" from June 25-29, 2001. My goal in
attending the workshop was to get training that I could
apply to an ongoing project on developing an instructional
unit for nynorsk instruction at the late second-year level
in North American university classes. The workshop was well
attended, with languages ranging from Arabic to Zulu.
Norwegian was actually in the majority, which was a welcome
surprise.
The workshop instructors,
Louis Janus and Bill Johnston were wonderfully inspiring,
and the week passed incredibly quickly. Bill focused on
getting the most out of poor but existing teaching materials
and using authentic texts (including video, literature,
advertisements, and arrest warrants!) to generate learning
activities. Louis introduced us to the internet resources
like
Track Star <http://scrtec.org/track/>http://scrtec.org/track/>
Makers <http://lang.swarthmore.edu/makers/index.htm>
and
Hot Potatoes <http://web.uvic.ca/hrd/halfbaked/>
that we can use to create web-based lessons. Both workshop
facilitators grounded their presentations in the latest
second language acquisition theory, and many of the
participants were equally experienced and stimulating
sources for new ideas.
During the week I was able
to conceptualize how I might present authentic nynorsk texts
and generate useful exercises for them. The project is now
well under way, and together with Stephen Walton from
Høgskulen i Volda I presented the project to other
Norwegian instructors at the 2001 Norgesseminar that was
recently held in Ogden, Utah. The project is on-going, and I
receive a lot of support and offers of help from many of the
participants. Any other Norwegian instructors with
experience or interest in teaching nynorsk to North American
bokmål-learners are encouraged to get in touch with
me. I can be most easily reached at erees@asu.edu.
On a personal note I would
like to thank Frankie and Jole Shackleford, who were my kind
and generous hosts for the week, and Anne Sabo, who was
definitely my entertainment!
I highly recommend the CARLA
workshops for anyone hoping to get caught up on recent
pedagogy and gain renewed inspiration and enthusiasm for
teaching Norwegian. The workshop was wonderfully
professional and stimulating. Thanks very much to NORTANA
for sponsoring me!
Ellen Rees, Arizona State
University
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Ibsen
Conference
The 10th International Ibsen
Conference will be held June 1 -7, 2003 at Long Island
University. The conference is organized by The Ibsen Society
of America and Long Island University under the auspices of
The International Ibsen Committee. Papers are welcomed on
all aspects of Ibsen Studies. An official call for papers
will be held in February 2002. Contact Joan Templeton,
Organizing Committee Chair <Joan.Templeton@liu.edu>
or Errol Durbach, President, The International Ibsen
Committee <Edurbach@interchange.ubc.ca>
for more information.
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Classroom Suggestions
Music is a great way to
introduce students to poetry. Many Norwegian poems have been
set to music and my students have been especially receptive
to renditions sung by Herborg Kraakevik on her CD
"Kraakeviks Songbok." The collection includes poems by
Bjoernson, Vinje, Oeverland and Skaeraasen and music by
Grieg, R. Nordraak, Geirr Tveitt. I've also had success with
Birgitte Grimstad's album "Ord over grind" with poems
by
Halldis Moren Vesaas, Tarje
Vesaas, Aslaug Vaa, Inger Hagerup as well as traditional
"folkeviser" and "stev." Another interesting album is Sondre
Bratland's "Atterklang" which includes poems by Olav. H.
Hauge, Tarjei Vesaas and Jakob Sande.
My objective is to show
students that poetry is accessible and music, with its
greater emotional appeal, is a good way to pull them in. So
I don't have suggestions for how others can use that
material.
Katherine Hanson, University
of Washington
(Please contribute
suggestions of cds, literature, films or video, or tips from
your own classroom experiences. We would like to include
shared materials as a regular column to appear in each issue
of the NORTANA Newsletter. -ed.)
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New Positions
Norwegian Program
Coordinator
Alaska public charter
school, serving 200 K-8th grade students in Anchorage, seeks
an experienced teacher to coordinate their Norwegian
Language Program. The majority of 30 hours per week will be
spent teaching K-8th graders. The position also entails
hiring part-time teachers to assist, and substitute
teachers.
A fluent, native speaker who
grew up in Norway would be ideal, so that the childhood
games, songs and customs and culture can be easily
incorporated into the curriculum. The ability to use
Norwegian 90% to l00% of the time is required.
Compensation is similar to
other public school positions in Anchorage. Position is
available now. Please send a resume, and any other
information to us, if you are interested:
Linda Sharp, Program
Implementor
Village Charter School
2710 West 34th Avenue
Anchorage, AK 995l7
Email: lsharp@alaska.net
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Reviews and Publications
Norsk for utlendinger, CD-ROM and workbook
package, NKS Forlaget. ISBN: 82-508-2008-8
NOK 998,00 + porto)
If you are constantly getting requests for materials
suitable for non- traditional Norwegian language learners,
you may be interested in learning about Norsk for
Utlendinger, a CD- Rom and workbook package released this
year from NKS-Forlaget.
This program is best suited for someone who has some
basic knowledge of Norwegian. It is intended for students
wishing to practice listening and speaking skills. The
CD-ROM comes with a 'workbook', which in essence is really a
written collection of all the materials on the CD-ROM. It
should be noted that this CD-ROM only functions on Windows
platforms. The CD- Rom distinguishes between British and
American English (for both translations and user
information); this is in addition to German, French,
Italian, Spanish and Norwegian.
The CD-ROM contains 3 sections, dialoger, diverse, and
nyttige uttrykk. The dialogs may be spoken a bit too fast
for many second language learners, but there is a pause
button and it is easy to listen to things numerous times.
The set-up of the dialog section is good. Students are able
to choose to listen, practice (with pauses after each line)
or role-play (only one role speaks and the learner takes on
one of the roles). The role-play function even allows
students to record themselves so that they can listen to
themselves later. In addition, students are able to choose
to read the Norwegian text while listening to a dialog
and/or an English translation. Although I would argue that
looking at the English translation is pedagogically a weak
method of learning a language, it is often what many adult
learners want. Another note about the dialogs, there is a
picture of the two people talking in the environment that
fits the dialog, but there are no video clips. While it
would be nice for learners to see the mouths of the
speakers, those who do not have computers that are top of
the line can still use the CD-ROM without difficulty.
Both the diverse and nyttige uttrykk sections are a
series of decontextualized phrases and useful expressions.
Both these sections are simply click on a word or sentence
and hear it spoken, while seeing the text. There is little
in the means of content here.
There are definite pros and cons to this CD-Rom package.
The best part is the dialog section, but it goes so fast
that many novice learners will certainly not be able to keep
up. The diverse section is good for listening and vocabulary
practice. Although the nyttige uttrykk section has
potential, the expressions are not taught or introduced in
context, and are so culturally based that it is unlikely
that learners will be able to use them appropriately. The
CD-Rom is however very user friendly and easy to
manipulate.
Although this is by far an improvement in what is
available for adult learners in CD-ROM materials, it is
still a far cry from what we wish some day will be available
for Norwegian learners here in the U.S. We can hope that
this will be the first of other such projects in the
making.
Kari Lie, St. Olaf College
Oppdag Språket! en praktisk idébok for
norsklærere. Helge Ridderstrøm.
NKS-forlaget. ISBN 82 508 1984 5. NOK 279.
This resource book for instructors of Norwegian is
advertised (on the back cover) as untraditional. When one
compares this with the pedogogical materials that have come
out of Norway, this definition is suitable. However, when
one compares it to what has been available for over a decade
for other languages (even some LCTLs), coining it as
untraditional is clearly an advertising exaggeration. For
instructors who have relied on grammar translation or other
traditional methods of instruction, this book will be filled
with new ideas and approaches to teaching. For those who
have already incorporated more contemporary methodologies
into their teaching, this will be a book of a few good
ideas. Much of it will be similar to what is already
available for many other langauges.
This book is modeled after Awareness of Language, a
British program that focuses specific attention on
metalinguistic awareness, with an inductive approach to
learning. Activities are set up for students to understand
language by finding patterns and to examine the langauge
with a critical eye. Awareness of Language uses a mixture of
contextualized and decontextualized activities.
Although this book is clearly aimed at teachers who teach
Norwegian as a First or Second language, teachers of
Norwegian as a Foreign Language in North America could
certainly benefit from the ideas and activities. Culture is
incorporated very well and the ideas in this book could be
incorporated for use at all levels, from very novice
students, to third year language studies at the University
level.
I noticed one major difference in this book compared to
the many other resource books; this text did not make it
easy to access information quickly. Many other resource
books that I have used have contained an index or tables
labeling the part of speech, the communicative function, the
level each activity is aimed at, and/or how long the
activity would last. This would have made Oppdag
Språket more valuable.
Although this was not a book that will alter my teaching
or gave me an idea that changed my classroom drastically, I
did find a few activities that fit very well into my first
year Norwegian classes and would assume that others would
find a similar use for it. Keep in mind, however, it did
take time to search through the activities and really read a
lot to access the information.
Kari Lie, St. Olaf College
Godt Sagt 1. Ellen Hanssen. Forlaget Fag og Kultur.
ISBN 82-11-00487-9. NOK 228. 2000.
This picture dictionary is aimed at foreign adults who
want to learn to speak Norwegian, but feel it is hard to
read it. The book contains more than 1,000 pictures (mostly
color photos), presented in categories, with each word or
sentence available on the accompanying CDs. While the title
of this fine book is Godt Sagt 1, suggesting Godt Sagt 2 or
beyond, the clerks at Tanum, where I bought it in December
2001, could find no record of the continuation's
publication.
The 114 categories seem relevant to foreigners in Norway,
with each category taking up a page. Categories range from
numbers (1-100), family, money, stores, seasons, hobby and
free time, insects, birds, Christmas, 17. mai. The graphics
are outstanding; most are clear and colorful pictures of
authentic scenes and people. Just looking at many of the
photos makes we want to hop on the first plane to Norway,
not that the pictures are tourist shots, but rather everyday
views of streets, shops, interiors of buildings. The people
represent the diverse population of modern Norway, too.
The two CDs contain native speakers uttering each word
and sentence. The sounds are clear and distinct, and would
be valuable for imitation by students anywhere.
The section of pictures is followed by an index of the
words arranged alphabetically, referring the user to the
picture's page / category. There is no grammatical
information provided (except for genders of nouns), and no
explicit pronunciation guides. One is expected to listen to
the CDs. Sequence of events (and appropriate verbs) are
presented in the section Verb før og siden where the
pictures quite naturally show, for example, a girl putting
on her helmet, getting ready to ride her bike "Eva skal
sykle", the girl riding "Eva sykler" and then her walking
away from the bike "Eva har syklet." Similar and natural
contexts are shown for Gro preparing food. Most of the
pictures have sentences using the words naturally, although
some present the pictures and lists, for example, of fruit
and body parts.
What I like best about this book is the graphic realism,
the organization and the accompanying CDs. The boy with a
stomach ache looks really sick, and you can also see a
headache, ]a toothache, a broken arm, and a bloody
finger on the same page. The words and pictures are aimed at
adults. The book could probably be used as a supplement to
various in-class exercises, or as a start-point for writing
projects. The CDs are invaluable for pronunciation guidance
and practice, as well and are perfectly suited for students
without access to a native speaker.
--Louis Janus, U of MN.
Hippocrene Children's Illustrated Norwegian Dictionary:
English-Norwegian, Norwegian-English. Compiled by the
editors of Hippocrene books, proofreading and Norwegian
language translation by Siri Ostensen. 94 pages, 2002, ISBN
0-7818-0887-1. $11.95
This paperback book is designed for children between 5
and 10. There are 500 entries, each illustrated with a clear
drawing. Each word is presented in English and Norwegian.
Norwegian words have an approximate pronunciation guide
provided. The words are arranged alphabetically by the
English headword, with 5 or 6 words / illustrations per
page. The index lists all Norwegian words, with reference to
the English, where one can look up the Norwegian and see the
picture.
Norwegian nouns are presented with their indefinite
articles, so grammatical gender is provided, although there
are no other forms shown. The few verbs are presented in the
infinitive with "to" in the English, but no "å" in
Norwegian.
The words included are almost entirely nouns, with the
types of nouns we assume children want to see and perhaps
learn. Animals range from platypus to raccoon, and from
field mouse to walrus. Colors are easily represented with
overflowing paint cans, with the colorful paint spilling
over. Non-color adjectives are scarce-I see only "dirty,
empty, messy, naked, old, small." Verbs are also fairly
rare, but include "dance, show, fly, float, give, hide, cry"
and approximately 30 others.
I enjoyed thumbing through this dictionary, and assume
anyone who has or knows kids might also appreciate this
collection. Adults who want to know the Norwegian names of
animals or fruit, for example, might pick up some discreet
words. Context, of course, is not a strong point for this
dictionary, but it isn't supposed to be.
My one complaint is the generic quality of the pictures.
An American child would not be exposed to cultural
differences in clothing or material - the house does not
look at all Norwegian, for example. Most of the pictures
look like they arrived straight from a kids' book in the
50's. Of course the pronunciation guides are not scientific
or designed to teach native production, however I was
confused by a few of the codes which seemed
counterintuitive. For example the short /a/ in "katt" is
pronounced "kut", "gammel" is "gum-mehl" but "vannmelon" is
"vahn-meh-loon."
I think kids and college students (and community ed
students) might enjoy this dictionary, although one needs to
remember that the publishers state it is for children from 5
to 10.
--Louis Janus, U of MN
Ave Eva: A Norwegian Tragedy
Riverside, CA: Xenos Books, 2000. An English
translation of Edvard Hoem's Ave Eva:
Herregårdsroman by Frankie Belle Shackelford.
When it was first published in 1987, Ave Eva drew instant
attention and gave the prolific Norwegian writer Edvard Hoem
his third nomination for the Nordisk Råds
Litteraturpris. The highly acclaimed story of Edmund
Saknevik, who returns from a self imposed mysterious exile
in Germany, having abandoned his young wife and infant son,
in order to claim his inheritance to a west Norway farm,
only to eventually lose it to Statoil, has been compared to
a modern version of Isak Sellanraa, a comparison Hoem
himself cleverly draws attention to when he has the feminist
anti-heroine exclaim that "it was necessary to remind him
that I had no intention of being Inger Sellanraa in
that-there book" (my translation). An important modern
Norwegian novel, Ave Eva earned Edvard Hoem both the
Norwegian Melsom Award and the Swedish Academy's Dobloug
Prize. Now the work has become accessible to English readers
through Frankie Shackelford's splendid new translation.
A quick synopsis of the action is difficult, since past
and present intertwine to create a rich and complex
narrative. Perhaps a sentence from the book jacket can sum
up the underlying theme of the work: "Edmund's attempt to
reclaim his history, his language and his purpose in life,
as well as to preserve his country's culture and
environment, retells the timeless and universal story of a
man seeking to regain paradise, to make a home in the world
and to redeem past mistakes, both his own and those of his
family." Along the way Edmund assumes responsibility for his
samboer's crippled daughter when her mother goes off to Oslo
to study philosophy and find herself, plants an elaborate
rose garden on his farm, commissions an old architect friend
to build a postmodern new barn, and aids the local pastor in
attempts to restore an ancient church. Edmund engages in all
of these activities with painstaking introspection and self
absorption and after 400 pages one can only be grateful when
Statoil buys the ancestral estate and puts him out of his
misery, so to speak.
Edmund's story is told by a third person narrator, an
unofficial biographer who meets Edmund late in his life and
who also interviews at length Siri Dyrdal, the woman who
moves in with Edmund,. Her story is often narrated in the
first person, as she is telling it to the frame narrator;
and through these narrative techniques, both Edmund and
Siri's points of view are illuminated. Written in nynorsk,
Ave Eva must have posed serious problems for translation,
encompassing as it does language both poetic and mundane,
and shifting in register as Edmund becomes more intuned to
the rhythm of the dialects of the western fjords of his
childhood.
Interspersed throughout are quotations from Milton's
Paradise Lost, in Milton's original in this English edition,
whom Edmund's grandfather was translating into nynorsk
before he killed himself, and other more subtle literary
illusions as well. Shackelford's meticulous translation
takes all of these elements into account and it is evident
that she is experienced and adept at translating poetry,
which Hoem's prose writing often approaches. And if it is
true, as Virginia Woolf once wrote, that "humour is the
first of the gifts to perish in a foreign tongue," then
Professor Shackelford was fortunate in her task, since
Hoem's original is totally devoid of that attribute.
Of course, one can quibble here and there with individual
word choices, and why for example, does Professor
Shackelford feel compelled to translate Hoem's "Inger
Sellanraa i den der boka" as "Inger Sellanraa from that
Hamsun novel"? Part of the fun of literary allusions is
discovering them for oneself and assuming that the English
reader cannot do so could better be handled in a footnote.
But these are minor complaints; the translation as a whole
is an excellent one, and this book could be an
important new addition to Scandinavian literature in
translation courses of all kinds. Available in an
attractive, inexpensive edition and dealing as it does with
issues of gender roles, the balance between economy and
ecology, atoning for the sins of the past, and commenting on
a broad range of modern cultural issues and conditions, the
book could be integrated into women's studies courses,
modern Scandinavian novel courses, culture and society topic
courses and courses in ethics and religion. Professor
Shackelford has done a very fine job with a difficult text,
and this translation comes highly recommended.
Marte Hult, University of Minnesota
Amalie Skram's novel "Lucie," a Pygmalion story
set in 19th century Kristiania, is now available in English
translation for the first time.
Published by Norvik Press, it can be ordered in the U.S.
from Dufour Editions, P.O.Box 449, Chester Springs,
Pennsylvania 19425
phone: 610-458-5005 fax: 610 458 7103
website: www.dufoureditions.com
"Constance Ring," Skram's controversial portrayal of
marriage and the double standard, first published in English
translation by The Seal Press in 1988, will be reissued by
Northwestern University Press in autumn 2002.
"Under Observation," the English translation of Skram's
powerful asylum novels, "Professor Hieronimus" and "Paa St.
Joergen," is still in print and available from Women in
Translation.
For further information contact Katherine Hanson or Judy
Messick: kjhanson@u.washington.edu or Judith Messick at
Judy's email is j-messick@nwu.edu
Back
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In Memoriam
Anne Hvenekilde, University
of Oslo
Gerd Manne, University of
Bergen
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