School Immersion in Norway

School Immersion in Norway – 16 -18 years old – 1 semester or 1 academic year

Our high school programme in Norway is aimed at all students aged between 16 and 18 who are motivated to study for 1 semester or 1 academic year in this country with its grandiose and magical landscapes, and enjoy an unforgettable experience!

You will attend a Norwegian high school and share the daily life and lifestyle of your host family. This programme offers a real linguistic and cultural immersion in the heart of Norwegian life.

No previous knowledge of Norwegian is necessary (beginners accepted), but a good level of English is required.

Nature is at the heart of the Norwegian way of life, with grandiose and unique landscapes, glaciers, magical fjords, the northern lights, the midnight sun, mountains… so many opportunities to enjoy an outdoor activity in the company of your Norwegian family or friends! In winter you can ski or snowboard, and in spring and summer you can hike or canoe .

Why study in Norway?

An excellent education system, based on the principle of education for all and encouragingcritical thinking and individual reflection
A high quality of life
Dreamlike landscapes: glaciers, fjords, northern lights, midnight sun, snow-capped mountains…
The principle of equality is fundamental to Norwegian society and has shaped its development
Environmental protection and sustainable development are an integral part of the Nordic way of life
Norwegians are warm-hearted people who have a very close relationship with nature. They enjoy outdoor sports and activities all year round
Ideal destination for nature lovers
Everyone speaks English

Although descended from the Vikings, Norwegians are profoundly peaceful, warm and welcoming people with a great sense of humour. As we say here: ” A cold country, with warm people! Norway has some of the most spectacular scenery in the world! If you love nature and outdoor activities, if you want to meet friendly people, Norway is the ideal country for an extraordinary experience, off the beaten track!

Norway

Population: 5.5 million
Capital: Oslo
The happiest people in the world
A safe country with a high quality of life
One of the richest countries in the world, thanks to its large oil deposits
Snow is part of life (here, over 100 words for snow…)
The most important Norwegian word: “Kos”, a clever mix of warmth, caring, attention, laughter, conviviality, but also a cup of coffee accompanied by a cinnamon bun…

Placements take place all over Norway. The student can therefore be placed in a large city or in a more rural area. In Norway, housing is scattered.

There are 2 official languages in Norway: Bokmal (the mother tongue of 80% of Norwegians) and Nynorsk (17.5%). Both are North Germanic languages and are mutually intelligible. The first, the “language of books”, is influenced by Danish. The second is derived from ancient Norwegian dialects.

English is widely spoken, but High School classes are taught in Norwegian. It is therefore highly recommended that you prepare for your stay by taking online Norwegian courses before you leave.

You will attend an ‘Ungdomskole‘, which corresponds to the last 3 years of secondary school (1st, 2nd and 3rd). The choice of school depends on where your host family lives.

Because Norway is a sparsely populated country, schools can be small and classes can be divided into several grades.

You will be placed in 1st or 2nd according to your age, level and availability (no placement in 3rd, which is an exam year). The choice of course/class is determined by the school director. Courses are organised by level, so students of different ages can follow the same course. The timetable is based on the course timetable and not on the class timetable.

The school year is divided into 4 terms. The year starts in mid-August and finishes in mid-June. Classes generally start at 8.00am and finish at 3.00pm. All classes are taught in Norwegian, with the exception of language classes.

Norwegians follow a common core of basic knowledge and choose options, specialisation or a more in-depth study of a particular subject. There are no science, literature or economics streams; students choose the content of their programme themselves.

Students generally take 9 subjects (the same subjects throughout the year). The number of subjects offered varies according to the school.

Some subjects are compulsory (must be studied throughout the school year) : religion, ethics, mathematics, social sciences, arts and crafts, English, natural and environmental sciences, music, history and local cultures

Sports generally played in Scandinavian countries: football, hockey, handball, floorball, skiing

Norwegian language courses

It is strongly recommended that you start taking Norwegian lessons before you leave and continue on arrival to help you integrate more easily. Your host family and your local correspondent will be able to advise you on the best options.

In Norway, schooling is compulsory from the age of 6 to 16. From 16 to 20, young people attend Ungdomskole ( the equivalent of lycée in France or the last 3 years of secondary school in Belgium). The Ungdomskole prepares students for university and offers a general education.

The Norwegian education system is renowned for its excellence and encourages critical thinking and individual reflection. It also gives students a great deal of freedom. Teachers are generally very open and relaxed, and the relationship between teachers and students, which is much more informal than in Norway, is based on mutual respect and trust. On the other hand, this freedom implies greater responsibility on the part of the students, who have to discipline themselves to hand in their homework on time, without strict supervision.

Extra-curricular activities and hobbies are not practised within the schools, but in sports clubs, organisations or independent associations. We recommend that students take part in at least one activity outside the classroom and their host family. This is a good way of meeting people and gaining a better understanding of Norwegian society.

The Norwegian education system offers a platform for students and teachers: Itslearning.com. This innovative system enables teachers and students to communicate, with teachers writing down homework for the following day and the schedule of exercises and tests so that students can prepare themselves. It’s also a discussion platform. A user-friendly and functional tool!

The school holidays take place according to the following schedule: 1 week in October/November, 2 weeks at Christmas/New Year, 1 week in February, 1 week in April.

Host families are undoubtedly the most important element of the programme. That’s why we attach such importance to selecting them.

Norwegian host families are volunteers. They choose to host students because they want to show and share their way of life and their culture, and because they want to find out more about the young people they host and their country.

The family will choose you on the basis of the description you give in your application and if they think you will fit in well with their way of life.

You will be considered a full member of the family. Families are generally small, and Norwegians prefer an intimate and stable family life.

The typical Norwegian family is usually very busy during the day (work, school and various activities). They generally get together for dinner and enjoy sharing their free time. Parents give their teenagers a great deal of freedom. Education encourages independence from an early age, and the parent/child relationship is based on mutual trust and respect.

Daily chores are shared equally between all family members. As a fully-fledged member of a Norwegian family, you too will be responsible for certain tasks (such as helping in the kitchen, cleaning, doing the laundry, etc.) and you will have to tidy and clean your room.

The local correspondent is an experienced person who selects the host families and stays in regular contact with the students. As he or she is able to act quickly in the event of a problem, he or she is your key contact during your stay.

He or she will be on hand to answer any questions you may have once you arrive and to help you with any formalities. Regular communication will be established with your host family and the school to ensure that your experience goes as smoothly as possible.

Finally, you will be given an emergency number so that you can contact someone if you have an urgent problem.

A 3-day/2-night orientation course at the beginning of your stay is included in the programme.

This compulsory course gives you the opportunity to get to grips with Scandinavian life and culture and to meet the other foreign students taking part in the programme. Visits are also included in the programme!

The August orientation course generally takes place in Oslo and the January course in Copenhagen. The course destination is confirmed closer to the date of the stay.

Accommodation is in a youth hostel in a shared room.

The course price includes

2 nights’ accommodation in a youth hostel
2 breakfasts and 2 dinners
Guided walking tour of Oslo or Copenhagen
Airport/youth hostel transfers
Pre-stay preparation sessions

Does not include

Lunch
Transport from Oslo or Copenhagen to the nearest station/airport to the family’s place of residence
Personal expenses

You must be 15 years and 8 months old before the start of your stay and no older than 18 on the last day of the programme

If you are leaving in August: you must be at least 16 during the year, i.e. before 31/12, and no older than 18 (you cannot celebrate your 19th birthday during the year of departure).

If you leave in January: you must be at least 17 during the year and no more than 19.

Have a good level of conversational English, if no knowledge of Norwegian
Have achieved good academic results over the last 2 years
Demonstrate the motivation, maturity, adaptability and open-mindedness that are the keys to a successful stay

Do you meet the conditions for participation?

Fill in the pre-registration form as soon as possible
When we receive it, we’ll send you a provisional confirmation, including the total cost of the stay, a request for payment of €100 (for the language test and motivation interview), and the full application form for the chosen programme. We will also ask you to send us a copy of your school reports for the last 2 years.
We then invite you to come and take the language test and interview at our offices in Brussels or Paris. This costs €100 and is payable on receipt of the pre-confirmation. This amount is non-refundable, but can be deducted from the balance of your stay if you are definitively enrolled and accepted on the programme. Part 1 of the application form must be completed and brought with you to the interview.
We will confirm the result no later than 8 days after our interview
If the interview is positive, we ask you to pay a deposit of 25% of the total cost of your stay (with a minimum of €1,500) and to complete all the elements of your application, including letters of recommendation from your teachers and other information needed for us to study your application on site. As soon as your application is complete and we have received payment of the deposit, we will forward it to our partner.
Final acceptance to the programme is given by our partner
Once your application has been accepted, our partner begins the search for and selection of a host family and school

The deadlines for submitting applications to our partner are :

15/04 for an August departure
30/09 for a January departure

Please note: late registrations will be accepted subject to availability, but a supplement will be applied.

The online booking form must be received at least 3 weeks before the application deadline.

Medical assistance/accident/repatriation/individual civil liability insurance is compulsory. Langues Vivantes offers you a complete insurance, all information here.

Arrival is scheduled in Oslo or Copenhagen for the orientation course. Travel from the course location to the family’s place of residence is the responsibility of the participant.

We will inform you of the airport/place of arrival once we have received the details of the host family.

The participant will be met on arrival at the airport/station closest to the family’s place of residence.

Dates 2024-2025

Orientation course: August 2024 and January 2025 (exact dates to be announced)

School year: August – June
1st school term : August – January
2nd spring term : January – June

Prices 2024-2025

Tuition, homestay & full board, registration fees included
Duration	Price
1 Academic Semester	€ 7.795
1 Academic Year	€ 8.695

The above prices include:

Pre-application interview
School registration fees
Accommodation with a host family, half board during the week and full board at weekends and during school holidays
Assistance, support and follow-up from the local correspondent throughout the stay
Monthly contact and evaluation reports
Official certificate of participation
Orientation course on arrival (3 days/2 nights)
Reception on arrival and transfer from the airport/station closest to the family’s place of residence to their home

Not included:

The outward journey to the location of the orientation course, the journey from the course to the airport/station closest to the family’s place of residence and the return journey at the end of the stay
Local transport
Lunch in the school canteen
Pocket money: allow for a minimum of €300/€350 per month
School books (it is often possible to borrow them)
School supplies and other school expenses such as locker fees
Extra-curricular activities
Return transfer (often paid for by the family)
Any additional costs associated with Covid (e.g. quarantine, tests, etc.)