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Faroese as a second language
For adults
Effective:
Effective 1 August 2025.
Note:
The curriculum for Faroese as a second language for adults (referred to hereafter as FSA) outlines the content of FSA teaching and is organised in accordance with Parliamentary Act no. 58 of 29 May 2024 on Faroese as a second language.
1. Identity
FSA is a Faroese language course for those whose first language is not Faroese. Students learn about the Faroese language, culture and social affairs.
Second-language learning develops communication skills by combining all knowledge and experience of language and culture. This intercultural approach forms the basis of the teaching.
FSA teaching aims to help students thrive, develop and function as citizens and teach them to communicate in Faroese in an environment that respects diversity as a valuable resource. The teaching focuses on the individual student and their linguistic, cultural and social background. Consideration is given to the cultural changes and identity challenges students might face while living in the Faroe Islands.
2. Objective
FSA teaching seeks to equip students with the skills to communicate in Faroese based on their individual language skills – i.e. to understand, speak, read and write Faroese. The teaching aims to encourage a desire to learn and use the Faroese language and highlight the importance of language skills for further learning and development.
The objective is to keep improving students' Faroese communication skills. This helps them actively participate in society and contribute to a multicultural environment.
3. Core elements
FSA consists of three core elements. These elements overlap and work together for a large part of the teaching.
- The spoken language
- The written language
- Culture and society
These core elements, together with the four competency levels, form the overall framework for FSA. The teacher uses this framework to plan, deliver and assess the teaching.
The spoken language
This core element focuses on developing the skills to listen, understand and speak Faroese. The teaching emphasises communication skills. This is so students can keep improving their ability to speak Faroese in various situations and social contexts. Students are given the chance to learn the clearest pronunciation possible. Foreign accents are, however, accepted. Efforts are made to build on students' native language to help them learn Faroese.
The written language
This core element focuses on reading, understanding and writing Faroese. The development of writing skills comes through reading, and the development of reading skills comes through writing. Students develop their vocabulary by integrating new words and concepts into their active language use. Students practise reading and writing with texts that gradually increase in difficulty.
Culture and society
This core element focuses on the multicultural society. The teaching should be organised in such a way that students acquire the ability to communicate in Faroese in various contexts, enabling them to participate in social communities and in society as a whole. The teaching should include social and cultural issues, based on the culture and society from which the students come. At the same time, students learn about their rights and duties, and what it means to be part of democracy with influence and responsibility.
4. Competency objectives
FSA consists of four competency levels that are based on the European CEFR framework. These levels are A1, A2, B1 and B2.
A1 is mainly aimed at all students at the beginner level of FSA. The teaching is based on oral communication and seeks to teach students to listen to, understand and speak Faroese words and phrases, and also to read and write sentences and short texts about familiar topics.
The teaching aims to enable students to:
- acquire a vocabulary based on the most common Faroese words
- use basic everyday sentences and phrases
- formulate questions and answer these questions with common words
- communicate about familiar and simple topics. The other person must speak clearly, slowly and helpfully
- express needs, wishes and feelings using simple words and phrases
- talk about oneself and/or others using simple and short sentences
- read short and simple sentences in e.g. advertising and posters
- write short messages and fill in forms with personal information
- compare words and phrases with languages that the participant already knows
- using the Faroese-language skills learned so far, discuss and compare the culture and conditions in the country of origin with the culture and conditions in the Faroe Islands.
The main focus is still on oral communication as students learn to use Faroese words for various familiar topics. Emphasis should be placed on learning more new words and concepts and improving everyday language. At this stage, students should acquire the ability to read and write short, simple texts about real, well-known issues that can be used as tools in social life and in work and teaching environments.
The teaching aims to enable students to:
- build a diverse vocabulary based on familiar contexts
- use common everyday language to describe various relevant issues
- ask and answer with appropriate sentences
- express needs, wants and feelings
- communicate about real, familiar topics from everyday life
- describe their own background and their new local experiences using short sentences
- find specific information in short and simple texts about familiar situations
- read a simple text and understand the main content
- write short and simple texts about everyday communication situations
- using the Faroese-language skills learned so far, articulate their understanding of cultural and social issues in everyday situations.
At B1, the teaching encourages students to actively join conversations and, through everyday language, express their views more strongly in various situations. At this level, students also continuously learn to read and write texts in Faroese. This helps them develop the ability to handle various situations and possible challenges smoothly.
The teaching aims to enable students to:
- expand their vocabulary and become aware of which words are used in which context
- pronounce words and sentences clearly
- participate actively in discussions about everyday issues
- understand the essence of a longer conversation about a familiar topic in plain and clear Faroese
- explain or justify views and opinions in informal discussions
- read and understand a variety of texts about familiar or personally relevant topics
- summarise, in their own words, familiar and personal topics
- write different types of texts about everyday affairs and own interests
- express themselves in common situations in the workplace and society contexts
- identify the most noticeable Faroese dialects
- using the Faroese-language skills learned so far, explain and use their knowledge of cultural and social issues.
The teaching at B2 focuses on both speaking and writing. Students learn to take part actively and independently in communication situations, both familiar and new. At this stage, students are expected to have become better at receiving and sharing information about many everyday and social topics. The goal is that after completing B2, students are able to speak and write effective Faroese. This helps them live and work with more ease in Faroese society, at work and in education.
The teaching aims to enable students to:
- use a varied vocabulary in different familiar and less familiar contexts
- speak fluent Faroese
- communicate independently about a variety of personal, professional and social issues
- summarise and express their opinion about a text, lecture or discussion
- ask and answer clarifying questions
- use subject-specific words and phrases about familiar topics
- justify their own views and opinions, both orally and in writing
- write various types of text for various purposes
- use relevant methods and language skills attained so far to develop communication, reading comprehension and writing skills
- read situations and moods, e.g. regarding body language and expressions related to Faroese culture
- explain and use their knowledge of cultural and social issues, including norms and values, in Faroese.
5. Exams
Students take final exams at levels A2, B1 and B2.
A2 exam format
Students take a written exam and an oral exam.
A2 written exam
The written exam consists of two parts: reading and writing. It lasts for two hours in total. No aids are allowed in the first part. Any aids are allowed in the second part. The exam is based on the core areas and competency levels described in this curriculum.
The assessment focuses on how well the student meets the learning objectives of the subject in question. The exam is judged as either "Pass" or "Fail", based on an overall assessment of the student's complete performance.
A2 oral exam
The oral exam lasts about 20 minutes. This includes the handing out of materials and grading.
The exam consists of two parts. In the first part, the student gives a prepared presentation (about 2-5 minutes). This topic must be approved by the examiner beforehand. The examiner asks questions after the presentation. For this part, the student can bring notes (keywords) into the exam. The second part is a conversation between the student and the examiner about a topic from the course. The student chooses this topic by picking from a selection when the exam begins. Three different topics are given.
The assessment focuses on how well the student meets the learning objectives of the subject in question. Overall, the exam evaluates the student's oral communication skills, including listening. The exam is judged as either "Pass" or "Fail", based on an overall assessment of the student's complete performance.
B1 exam format
Students take a written exam and an oral exam.
B1 written exam
The written exam consists of two parts: reading and writing. It lasts for 3.5 hours in total. No aids are allowed for the first part. All dictionaries are allowed for the second part. The exam is based on the core areas and competency levels described in this curriculum.
The assessment focuses on how well the student meets the learning objectives of the subject in question. The exam is judged as either "Pass" or "Fail", based on an overall assessment of the student's complete performance.
B1 oral exam
The oral exam lasts about 20 minutes. This includes the handing out of materials and grading.
The exam consists of two parts. In the first part, the student gives a prepared presentation (about 2-5 minutes). This topic must be approved by the examiner beforehand. The examiner asks questions after the presentation. The second part is a conversation between the student and the examiner about a topic from the course, which the student chooses randomly from a selection when the exam begins. Three different topics are given.
The assessment focuses on how well the student meets the learning objectives of the subject in question. Overall, the exam evaluates the student's oral communication skills, including listening. The exam is judged as either "Pass" or "Fail", based on an overall assessment of the student's complete performance.
B2 exam format
Students take a written exam and an oral exam.
B2 written exam
The written exam consists of two parts: reading and writing. It lasts for 4 hours in total. No aids are allowed for the first part. All dictionaries are allowed for the second part. The exam is based on the core areas and competency levels described in this curriculum.
The assessment focuses on how well the student meets the learning objectives of the subject in question. Two grades are given, one for reading and one for writing. Grades are given based on an overall assessment of the student's overall performance in reading and writing.
B2 oral exam
The oral exam lasts about 20 minutes. This includes the handing out of materials and grading.
The exam consists of two parts. In the first part, the student gives a prepared presentation (about 2-5 minutes). They receive the topic one week prior to the exam. The examiner asks questions after the presentation. The second part is a conversation between the student and the examiner about a topic from the course, which the student chooses randomly from a selection when the exam begins. Three different topics are given.
The assessment focuses on how well the student meets the learning objectives of the subject in question. Overall, the exam evaluates the student's oral communication skills, including listening. The exam is judged as either "Pass" or "Fail", based on an overall assessment of the student's complete performance.