Language and Literacy

In close cooperation with practitioners and other researchers in our field, we search for new ways forward in language- and literacy teaching and learning from Kindergarten to 10th grade. 

Learn more about our work

Understanding and developing literacy- and language teaching practices

Day-care centres and schools are crucial for children’s development of language and literacy. Understanding and developing literacy- and language teaching practices – from nurseries to foreign-language classrooms – is at the core of our work. We investigate the teaching and learning practices, reading and writing in both first-, second-, and foreign-language classrooms.

PhD looks at reading difficulties 

“My biggest wish was probably to be better at reading” (Göttsche 2019). Read Nina’s PhD-thesis on reading difficulties in lower-secondary school. 

Our projects

  • Filling a gap in grammar and writing instruction

    We participate in a study on the relationship between young people's writing competencies and meta-linguistic knowledge in the context of first-language education.

    Reading between media

    The project “Reading Between Media”, funded by the Novo Nordisk foundation, challenges the idea that reading is ‘best’ when it involves visual deep reading explores the experiential and learning advantages of accessing texts with the tactile sense, through interactivity and sound.

    Dyslexic youth project

    How do we develop school environments suited for dyslexic youth? A new project (2023-25) lead by Associate Professor, PhD, Helle Bundgaard Svendsen, in cooperation with the Danish Dyslexia Association looks to develop new ways for teaching dyslexic youth. Contact Helle Bundgaard Svendsen at hbs@via.dk for more information. 

    Writing and writing assessment

    The final Danish-language written exam in 9th grade is a ‘high-stakes’ exam. Which options do pupils have to show off their skills? Solveig Troelsen studies assessments in schools.

  • Newly arrived migrant- and refugee ÈÕº«¸£ÀûÍøÖ· 

    How can schools admit this group of ÈÕº«¸£ÀûÍøÖ·, so their possibilities to learn and develop are best met? Currently, our focus is on pupils and their families from Ukraine.

    Digital technologies in a foreign-language classroom

    Which technologies are used in foreign-language classrooms and for which purposes? In this project we worked with English, German, and French teachers in developing teaching activities and a theoretical framework for using digital technologies.

    Functional grammar in foreign-language classrooms

    Functional grammer seems to be dominant in language teaching.  In this project, we develop and test new ways to teach grammer in foreign-language classrooms. 

    Grammar teaching

    What kind of grammar-teaching practices are used in lower-secondary schools? A two-year project carried out in seven schools found that traditional grammar practices prevail in both Danish and foreign-language classrooms.

  • Language environments in nurseries 

    How do the smallest children learn language? Is it even possible to study language development in the smallest children seen from a professional practice perspective? This project aims to do that.

    Young children’s language patterns

    In her PhD, Rianne Slingerland, investigates young children’s use of language. She studies what children actually do when interacting with each other in Danish nurseries and kindergartens.

How we work

  • We have a broad field of research, including:

    • Language in day-care centres
    • Literacy and literacy-education
    • The didactics/pedagogy of foreign-language teaching
    • Reading and writing challenges
    • Multi-language practices

Learn more

Contact

Mette Molbæk
Line Møller Daugaard