We have curricula but we do not use them

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to draw attention to various aspects that are characteristic for Danish as a compulsory subject within the Icelandic educational system and the part authorities play in that process. The history appears in current and past curricula, teaching and learning materials, content choices, didactic emphases, and insufficient support. The curricula, representing the authorities’ main aim for choosing Danish as one of the main subjects in compulsory education, state that learning Danish is a necessity for Icelanders to enable them to be active participants within the Nordic community at all levels. All six curricula (1960 – 2013) contain provisions emphasising that students
learn to understand spoken Danish and opportunities to practice their oral skills in the language. These two focus areas are repeated in all curricula but are not
apparent in the teaching-learning materials. This invisibility also applies to the didactics represented in curricula, which is unfortunate as it is likely that learning materials that do not have a strong theoretical basis in the curriculum are likely to work against advances and development in teaching. There is a discrepancy in the curriculum between indirect expectations of teachers regarding their competences in teaching Danish, and the highly different professional background of Danish teachers, which again puts the focus on fragile professional support that is far from what teachers should have to accept.
Despite increased access to the Danish cultural and linguistic environment, the status of Danish in Icelandic schools unfortunately does not seem to be what it should be.

Keywords: Curricula, Didactics, CEFR, Danish, Nordic dimension, educational authorities, L2 Learning materials