Languages Open Doors 2005 – 2009

Languages Open Doors is a Strategy for promoting foreign languages in primary and secondary education and training 2005 – 2009, and was established by the Ministry of Education and Training in June 2005. The Strategy was revised in January 2007. 

Languages Open Doors was one of the mottoes of the European Year of Languages in 2001. The Year of Languages created awareness of the abundance represented by the European language diversity, and made it clear that language is one of the most important ways of creating understanding and tolerance between groups of people. It also showed the necessity of improving foreign language teaching and changing attitudes to how this teaching should be.  

The objectives and measures in this strategy are based on the EU’s Action Plan for Languages called Promoting Language Learning and Linguistic Diversity.  An Action Plan 2004-2006 which describes three priority areas: lifelong language learning, improved language teaching and an increased interest in and motivation for language learning.  Language learning is no longer seen as something which only takes place within the framework of the school’s curricula and practices. It is a lifelong challenge, and primary and secondary education must provide the foundation for this learning process. 

The main objective of the national Strategy called Languages Open Doors is:  

Improved skills in more foreign languages for pupils, apprentices and teachers in primary and secondary education and an increased interest in and motivation for language learning.  

The plan has six main objectives

1.     Greater diversity and breadth in foreign language teaching

2.     Improved quality in foreign language teaching

3.     Increased recruitment and enhanced competence for foreign language teachers

4.     Increased knowledge about the demand for foreign language competence

5.     Strengthened internationalisation in foreign language teaching

6.     Increased research and development work in the field of foreign language teaching 

 

A number of different partial objectives and measures have been worded for each main objective. The description of each measure indicates who is responsible for it and the timeframe for its implementation. 

Languages Open Doors involves many parties. The plan indicates the central role of school owners, but also points out that many parties outside the Norwegian educational system can be important contributors to strengthening foreign languages in primary and secondary education. In June 2005 the Norwegian Centre for Foreign Languages in Education was established at Østfold University College. The Centre will be instrumental in realising the measures of the Plan, in collaboration with the Directorate for Education and Training, the Centre for the Internationalisation of Higher Education (SiU), the Leonardo da Vinci office in Norway, VOX, universities and university colleges. 

The Strategy is to be updated each year. Measures that have been carried out are to be evaluated and ongoing measures are to be given continuous evaluation.