Notions of EFL Reading in Norwegian Curricula, 1939–2013

Abstract

This article explores how English syllabi between 1939 and 2013 dealt with reading in English as a foreign language (EFL). Using perspectives from critical discourse analysis (CDA), I address the different notions of reading expressed in these syllabi, the purpose of reading and the roles of the reader and the teacher. I distinguish between four notions of reading: reading as exposure, reading as a tool, reading as an encounter, and reading as meta-awareness. How curricula explain reading is tied to contemporary pedagogical thinking, but must also be understood in a political and ideological landscape where increasingly larger groups of the Norwegian population gain access to universal secondary education. The notions of reading addressed in this article are part of a historical development as well as a recognisable repertoire of understandings related to EFL reading today.