Enrollment Open for English Language Course
Nettskolen i Nordland (an online school in Nordland) and Nordland fylkeskommune (Nordland County Municipality) offers you an opportunity to study English. All the lessons are entirely online (so no matter where you live – there is no need to physically attend the school). We are forming two groups for participants based on their current level of English proficiency.
Applicants lacking sufficient skills to effectively communicate in typical everyday life and workplace situations and face significant challenges understanding others in such contexts – will be enrolled into the first group. The training for this group will be primarily focused on the development of speaking and listening skills and will pursue the following learning outcomes:
• is able to freely communicate in everyday situations, including an ability to understand what others are saying and an ability to express oneself in a way that is easy to understand (expressing complex ideas with simple words even knowledge of specialized terminology is lacking);
• has the confidence to communicate and is not afraid of making mistakes (communication is not impaired by anxiety);
• is able to proactively ask questions and clarify unknown words, concepts, etc.;
• is capable of self-learning and knows how to learn;
• knows best practices for word memorization and can use them;
• is able to use emotional intelligence and control intonation to compensate for limited language proficiency;
• is able to perform simple unskilled jobs using English to communicate with colleagues or customers in situations where specialized terminology is not required;
• knows the most commonly used words.
Applicants who already have sufficient English proficiency to understand what others are saying and are able to freely express themselves in typical everyday life and workplace situations. Training for this group will be focused on reading, listening, speaking, and writing skills (in equal proportions) and will be aimed to achieve the following learning outcomes:
• ability to pursue education with English as a language of teaching at vocational colleges (fagskole) or universities;
• is able to express personal opinions in English on topics that require higher order thinking;
• communication skills for everyday, professional, and academic contexts;
• is able to infer what is implied when dealing with the content full of unfamiliar words and specialized terms;
• skills to process large texts quickly without explicitly reading the entire text – by identifying and grasping the main ideas (skimming and scanning);
• ability to integrate information from reading and listening in English when formulating own opinions;
• ability to write short essays on academic topics in English;
• is able to identify logical inconsistencies in reasoning presented in English;
• is able to construct long and complex sentences using appropriate transition words;
• acquired (memorized and operationalized) a vocabulary that includes both common and advanced English words;
• is able to perform tasks quickly and efficiently to succeed in standardized English language tests (e.g., achieving at least 60 out of 120 points on the TOEFL iBT)1 .
Regardless of which group you will be studying in, you will have three classes per week. There will be assignments and homework after each lesson. The training will focus on practical skills rather than studying grammar and rules (the most important thing is whether you can express yourself in a way that is easy to understand, how many mistakes you make is less important).
The program is mainly funded by the municipality.
Classes begin in February 2025
Eligibility:
You can use this opportunity to study English if you are currently residing in any settlement within Nordland County Municipality, please see the area marked in red on the map.
This study offer is for adults (for example, you can be 20, 35, 50 years old or any other age – what matters is that you are at least 18 years old).
How to Apply:
Please follow the link: https://forms.office.com/e/QAiSwZCZFu?origin=lprLink or scan the QR code and fill out the online form. If you have any questions or experience technical issues, please send an email to ksekal@vgs.nfk.no
What Advantages in Life You Can Get from Learning English:
1 Such score satisfies the minimum standard for test scores set as a part of entry requirements by some educational institutions in Norway (to start studying at fagskole or at bachelor's degree programme)
1. If you speak English, you have more chances to find a job and make some money. Even without relevant education or qualifications, basic English proficiency and ability to express yourself in a way that is easy to understand (even with mistakes) is enough to be employed as an unskilled worker (for example, waiter, delivery worker, unskilled roles in hospitality and tourism, etc.). According to official statistics of Norway for 2023, unskilled workers were paid on average NOK 39,880 per month before taxes.2
2. If you speak English, you can get education with English as a language of teaching and become a professional in some relevant field. In Norway, numerous study programmes are offered in English, and any knowledge of Norwegian is not required for admission to such study programmes (all learning activities there – are in English) Education in English is available at some higher vocational colleges (fagskole) and universities. According to the information on StudyinNorway.no website, that is developed and maintained by The Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education and Skills (Direktoratet for høyere utdanning og kompetanse), there are currently 352 English-taught study programmes with durations ranging from 1 to 3 years, depending on the field and level of study.3 If you are a refugeegenerally, there are no tuition fees (except private institutions), education is free for such recipients because it is funded by the Norwegian state. An absolute minimum TOEFL iBT score required for admission is 60 out of 1204 .
3. Information in this paragraph is relevant either for refugees or for EU/EEA citizens residing in Norway, or for permanent residents in Norway without EU/EEA citizenship or refugee status. If you belong to one of these categories and you decide to pursue higher education or vocational training in Norway, throughout your entire period of studies you can receive funds from Lånekassen (a government institution that provides grants and loans for education in Norway). As of 2024, you can receive up to NOK 115,838 in total (over the entire period of studies) as a grant (non-repayable)5. In addition to the grant, you can receive a loan from Lånekassen, which you can use to cover any living expenses during your studies. The amount of money you can receive from Lånekassen depends on your age: if you are under 30 years old, you can receive a total of NOK 151,690 per year from Lånekassen during your studies, but if you are over 30 years old – then you can receive a total of NOK 267,570 per year from Lånekassen during your studies6. There are also additional payments for students who have disabilities7 or children8. If you decide to receive not only a grant but also a loan – you will need to repay the loan after the graduation, when you find a job (the amount of monthly payments will depend on your income – if your income is high, you have the right to repay the loan in larger installments and pay it off sooner9). If you are registered in Norway as unemployed / a recipient of financial assistance
2 See https://www.ssb.no/arbeid-og-lonn/lonn-og-arbeidskraftkostnader/statistikk/lonn
3 See https://www.studyinnorway.no/study-opportunities
4 It can be higher depending on the requirements of a particular institution and level of studies (for example, for master’s programmes minimum TOEFL score is usually 85 – 90 points out of 120).
5 See https://lanekassen.no/nb-NO/dinesider/stipend-og-lan/omgjoring/
6 See https://lanekassen.no/nb-NO/stipend-og-lan/tilleggslan/
7 See https://lanekassen.no/nb-NO/stipend-og-lan/nedsatt-funksjonsevne/
8 See https://lanekassen.no/nb-NO/stipend-og-lan/barn-og-fodsel/
9 See https://lanekassen.no/nb-NO/gjeld-og-betaling/nar-du-skal-begynne-a-betale-pa-lanet/
– you do not need to repay the loan during this period10, and interest or penalties will not be applied during this period11 .
4. If you are a refugee and you want to continue living in Norway when the grounds for your protection will lapse – having a degree and being employed within the specialization of your degree will allow you to switch to a residence permit for skilled workers12. If grounds for your protection will lapse after you have completed your education, but before you find a relevant job in Norway – you might be able to switch to a residence permit for skilled job seekers13. If grounds for your protection lapse while you are studying in Norway – you might be able to14. All of this can be done without Norwegian language proficiency – if you learn English, pursue your education in English, and get employment as a skilled worker for a position where the job can be done using English as a working language.
10 See https://lanekassen.no/nb-NO/gjeld-og-betaling/betalingsutsettelse/
11 See https://lanekassen.no/nb-NO/gjeld-og-betaling/arbeidsledig-aap-syk-og-lav-inntekt/
12 See https://www.udi.no/en/want-to-apply/work-immigration/skilled-workers/?c=ukr#link-816
13 See https://www.udi.no/en/want-to-apply/work-immigration/job-seekers/?c=ukr#undefined
14 See https://www.udi.no/en/want-to-apply/studies/studietillatelse/?c=ukr