| Summary: | Meistaraprófsritgerð varin við Danmarks Pædagogiske Universitetsskole, Århus universitet. Danish language learning of Icelandic children, who have lived in Denmark for a considerable period of time, is at the centre of this thesis. I raise three interrelated questions: 1. Why is it important to maintain and enhance communicative and intercultural competences in Danish possessed by bilingual Icelandic children? 2. Why is it essential to develop increased awareness, understanding and emphasis on various social aspects in the planning and practical application of Danish language learning by bilingual Icelandic children? 3. How can Web 2.0 technologies and learning environments be introduced in this context to strengthen at the same time, those children’s communicative and intercultural competences and their skills with regards to their language-cultural nexus, social identity, and cultural awareness. I argue that it is important for Icelandic children to maintain and further develop the language skills, which they accrued when they live in Denmark, after they move to Iceland. Language skills represent a valuable resource for these children, both with regard to their own personal development, identity formation and future educational and occupational opportunities. It is nevertheless clear that the maintainence and further enhancement of those Danish language competences represent a considerable challenge for their language teacher, their parents and themselves. Danish language teachers in Iceland need more flexibility, educational material and resources to be able to differentiate their education and bridge the gap produced by the vast differences between the language skills of bilingual children and those learning Danish as a foreign language. In the thesis, I explain which communicative and intercultural competences are important to enhance in the language learning process for bilingual Icelandic children in my group of interest. I conclude that it is of great value to make use of a wider perspective of ...
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