Milli mála - 2023, Side 111

MILLI MÁLA
Milli mála 15/2/2023 111
There are no formal requirements for teachers of adult learners of
Icelandic as a second language and the “majority of teachers also have
had little to no training in adult education strategies” (Innes 2020,
179). The MA-course in Annarsmálsfræði (Second Language Studies)
at the University of Iceland teaches general skills for teaching a sec-
ond language and contains a course specifically about teaching
Icelandic as a second language (Háskóli Íslands, n.d.), but resources
for teachers of Icelandic as a second language are otherwise limited.
In Denmark, Finland, and Norway, teaching qualifications are a pre-
condition to teaching either by law (Denmark and Norway) or as a
crucial criterion (Finland) whereas in Sweden, “teachers without
qualifications are permitted to deliver training, which also regularly
happens” (Fabricius and Westerberg 2023, 61).
Language teachers in Iceland are paid per course and “almost none
of them work full-time as language instructors” (Innes 2020, 178).
Due to the similarity in Sweden and Iceland that teachers of Icelandic
and Swedish as second languages are not required to have teaching
qualifications, it is noteworthy that an uneven quality of courses is
reported in both countries (Fabricius and Westerberg 2023; Hoffmann
et al. 2021).
Icelandic is primarily taught at institutions for continuing edu-
cation which generally offer four courses of increasing difficulty,
though there are institutions that offer five courses. The University
of Iceland offers a one-year practical diploma as well as a BA in
Icelandic as a Second Language, which consists not only of language
lessons, but also courses on Icelandic culture, literature, and the
history of Iceland. Students can choose to complete a minor, major,
or a full bachelor’s degree in the program (Course Catalogue 2019–
2020: Icelandic as a Second Language 2019). The University of
Iceland also offers single courses, for example Icelandic – the Basics
and Icelandic culture (Course Catalogue 2019–2020).
To conclude, policies and measures taken by the Icelandic govern-
ment have increasingly focused on the topic of immigrant integration
and immigrant language acquisition in recent years. However, in
contrast to other countries, such as Germany or the Nordic countries,
Iceland does not have a coordinated, state-governed program.
LARA W. HOFFMANN, YVONNE HÖLLER, MARKUS MECKL