Bilingual and multilingual education and the use of local languages : an overview of documents, main themes and core concepts within the international development discourse on education in multilingual communities

The Centre for Intercultural Communication (SIK) was commissioned by the Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research (KD) to present an overview of the field relevant to bilingual/ multilingual education and the use of local languages, upon request by the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad). The first part of this report discusses the key terms and expressions in use and suggests a division in three main categories to facilitate the reading. The three categories are terms and expressions describing the complex reality of language as a social and individual phenomenon, terms/expressions describing the use and function of languages in societies, and terms/expressions describing the use and function of languages in education. The following chapters present an overview of publications by governmental and non- governmental organizations concerning education and language in developing countries, and of related work focusing on politics and political initiatives and gives an outline of the main themes in the discourse on language of instruction in multilingual communities of cooperation. Finally the document presents an overview of resources, knowledge and scientific environments relevant to education and language, as well as networks and conferences relevant to this discussion in Norway and internationally with a special focus on Sub-Saharan Africa

Reconstruction of former glacier equilibrium-line altitudes based on proglacial sites: an evaluation of approaches and selection of sites

Various approaches are used to record variations in glacier activity and equilibrium-line altitudes (ELAs) based on proglacial sites (lacustrine and terrestrial). These approaches are based on a conceptual model of glacier-meltwater induced sedimentation in which the minerogenic (nonorganic) component of the sediments is related to the occurrence of a glacier in the catchment. The principal coupling to former glacier activity and ELAs is common for these approaches. However, different methods and techniques may complement each other, and both possibilities and limitations are demonstrated. Site selection for reconstructing variations in glacier activity/ELAs is evaluated and critical factors are discussed. Rerouting of glacier meltwater streams across local watersheds in combination with proglacial sites gives a distinct on/off signal for former glacier activity/ELAs. Together with representative lateral moraines of known age, local watersheds are important for calibrating reconstructed glacier activity/ELAs based on a chain of proglacial lakes. Based on the ‘modern analogue principle’, various proxies can record whenever glaciers existed in a catchment. In a chain of proglacial lakes with different sensitivity to record variations in glacier activity/ELAs, these proxies can be calibrated against independent records. For one-site approaches, however, variations in glacier activity/ELAs depend on the interpretation and sensitivity of the proxies used

Holocene palaeoclimate reconstructions at Vanndalsvatnet, western Norway, with particular reference to the 8200 cal. yr BP event

Analyses of organic content, magnetic susceptibility, grain size and pollen in sediments from the proglacial lake Vanndalsvatnet in western Norway provide a high-resolution terrestrial record and pollenbased quantitative estimates of mean July and January temperatures and annual precipitation across the /8200 cal. yr BP event. Glaciers in the catchment melted away at approximately 8600 cal. yr BP. Immediately following deglaciation, a series of thin minerogenic layers indicate several abrupt, short-lived glacial episodes peaking at /8550, 8450, 8350, 8250, 8200, 7900, 7300 and 7150 cal. yr BP. A single, mid- Holocene glacial episode occurred at 4900 4800 cal. yr BP. Between 2000 and 1400 cal. yr BP, six shortlived glacial episodes occurred /2000, 1900, 1800, 1700, 1600, and 1500 cal. yr BP. The part of Spørteggbreen that drains to Vanndalsvatnet has existed continuously since /1400 cal. yr BP. Just prior to a first loss-on-ignition minimum reflecting a glacial episode centred at 8200 cal. yr BP, pollen-inferred July temperatures were relatively high, January temperatures were low, and annual precipitation was relatively low. During the period 8200 7900 cal. yr BP, July temperatures showed a falling trend. Both January temperature and annual precipitation, however, were relatively high. After 7900 cal. yr BP, July temperatures increased, but both January temperatures and annual precipitation were lower than in the preceding period. The pollen analytical and sedimentary data suggest that the glacial advance during the Finse event seems not to have been a response to cooler summers, but to milder winters and increasing precipitation (similar to a positive North Atlantic Oscillation weather mode)

Arbeidsmiljøets betydning for sykepleierstudenters valg av arbeidsgiver En kvalitativ studie med søkelys på rekruttering av sykepleiere til kommunale helse- og omsorgstjenester

Det er behov for at flere sykepleiere vil jobbe i kommunehelsetjenesten. En spørreundersøkelse blant tredjeårsstudenter fra et årskull i bachelorprogram sykepleie (n=101) synliggjorde arbeidsmiljø som den viktigste faktoren for valg av arbeidsgiver som nyutdannede sykepleiere. Denne artikkelen omhandler en oppfølgingsstudie, hvor hensikten var å få økt innsikt i hva sykepleierstudenter forbinder med et godt arbeidsmiljø. Studien hadde et kvalitativt design, med semistrukturerte individuelle intervjuer av 15 studenter rekruttert fra samme kull som spørreundersøkelsen. Datamaterialet ble analysert tematisk, og vi fant at studentene beskrev et godt arbeidsmiljø som spennende, støttende og levelig. Funnene indikerer at tilrettelegging for et godt arbeidsmiljø for sykepleierstudenter i praksis og nyutdannede sykepleiere kan ha betydning for rekrutteringen til kommunale helse- og omsorgstjenester.publishedVersio

Effects of cod intake in pregnancy on iodine nutrition and infant development: study protocol for Mommy’s Food - a randomized controlled trial

Background Iodine is a key component of thyroid hormones that are critical for normal development of the brain and nervous system in utero. Recent results indicate that two thirds of pregnant women in Europe have sub-optimal iodine nutrition. In Norway, milk and seafood are the most important dietary iodine sources and contributes to about 80% of the intake. Method Two-armed randomized trial where 137 pregnant women were randomized to either receiving cod twice weekly, or continue with habitual diet for 16 weeks (pregnancy week 20–36). Socioeconomic- and demographic factors, dietary information and biological (urine, blood, and hair) samples are collected pre- and post-intervention, and at six weeks, three-, six-, and eleven months postpartum. Biological samples (urine, blood, and hair) of the infant are collected at six weeks, three-, six-, and eleven months postnatal. Child development is assessed by The Bayley Scale of Infant and Toddler Development, 3rd edition, at eleven months, and by parent report on the Ages and Stages Questionnaire, 3rd edition, and Ages and Stages Questionnaire: Social Emotional at three-, six-, and eleven months. Discussion The Mommy’s Food study will provide knowledge on changes in iodine nutrition when consuming iodine rich fish during pregnancy and contribute to the understanding of the impact of iodine status in pregnancy on infant neurodevelopment.publishedVersio

Iodine status in Norwegian preschool children and associations with dietary iodine sources: the FINS-KIDS study

Iodine is an essential trace element necessary for thyroid hormone synthesis. Iodine deficiency is a continuing public health problem despite international efforts to eliminate it. Studies on iodine status in preschoolers are scarce. Thus, the aims of the current study were to determine the iodine status and to investigate possible associations between urinary iodine concentration (UIC) and estimated 24 h iodine extraction (UIE) and iodine-rich foods.publishedVersio

Fatty fish intake and cognitive function: FINS-KIDS, a randomized controlled trial in preschool children

Marine resources including fatty fish are important sources of n-3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 LC-PUFAs), which are important for brain development. To our knowledge, this is the first randomized controlled trial (RCT) investigating the impact of fatty fish on cognition in preschool children. The purpose of the trial was to investigate whether an increased intake of fatty fish compared to meat improves cognitive function in children 4–6 years old.publishedVersio

Impact on health when sugar is replaced with intense sweeteners in soft drinks, ‘saft’ and nectar. Opinion of Vitenskapskomiteen for mattrygghet Norwegian Scientific Commitee for Food Safety

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