Birna Arnbjörnsdóttir

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This is an Icelandic name. The last name is patronymic, not a family name; this person is referred to by the given name Birna.
Birna Arnbjörnsdóttir
Born1952 (age 71–72)
Academic background
Alma mater
Academic work
DisciplineLinguist
Sub-discipline
Institutions

Birna Arnbjörnsdóttir (born 1952)[1] is an Icelandic linguist. She is Professor of Second Language Studies at the University of Iceland, Director of the Vigdís Finnbogadóttir Institute of Foreign Languages[2] and Dean of the Faculty of Languages and Cultures.[3][4]

Early life and education[edit]

Birna Arnbjörnsdóttir was born in 1952. Her parents, Arnbjörn Ólafsson (1922–2001) and Erna Vigfúsdóttir (1929–2019), were merchants in Keflavík, Iceland, where she was raised.[1] Birna completed a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and French from the University of Iceland in 1976, a Master of Arts degree from the University of Reading in England in 1977, and a PhD in Linguistics from the University of Texas at Austin in 1990.[2]

Professional career[edit]

From 1988 to 2000, Birna was Assistant Professor and later Associate Professor and Director of TESL at Notre Dame College in New Hampshire and taught linguistics and English writing at the University of New Hampshire, University of Southern Maine and St. Anselm College in the United States. Birna came to the University of Iceland in 2000. She served as an Assistant Professor, then Associate Professor, and, from 2008, as Professor of Second Language Studies.[5]

Birna's teaching has mostly been in applied linguistics and second-language acquisition.

Research and development projects[edit]

Birna's research has mostly focused on language contact; bilingualism and multilingualism of individuals and communities and on Icelandic as a heritage language.[6] In her Ph.D. thesis, Birna examined the linguistic and social factors that influenced the development of flámæli (apparent vowel mergers) in Icelandic as a heritage language in North America. The thesis was published by the University of Manitoba Press in 2006.[7] Birna has been active in research on Icelandic as a heritage language and has published widely on that topic.[8][9][10] She is one of the organisers of an international research network on heritage languages, WILA.[11] Together with Höskuldur Þráinsson, Birna received a RANNÍS grant for the project, Heritage Language, Linguistic Change and Cultural Identity.[12] The findings were published in Sigurtunga[13] edited by Birna along with Höskuldur Þráinsson and Úlfar Bragason.[14]

Birna and Hafdís Ingvarsdóttir directed a longitudinal project examining the influence of English in Iceland. The project, English as a Lingua Franca in Icelandic in a Changing Linguistic Environment, was also supported by RANNÍS.[2] The results showed the enormous presence of English in Icelandic society and an overestimation on the part of speakers of their English language skills, which leads to difficulties in academic studies and work. The findings of that project were presented in the book, Language Development Across the Life Span, published by Springer in 2018.[15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22] Birna is one of the leaders of the international research network, PRISEAL, on the writing and publication of academic articles in English as a second language and its effects on knowledge creation.[23][24][25] Birna is also a participant in a project on the influence of English on Icelandic in a digital world.[26]

Birna has led the development of Icelandic Online[27] since its inception. The Icelandic Online website includes six courses with more than 5,000 learning objects at five skill levels. The courses are accessible by computers and smart devices, and are open and free of charge.[28][29][30][31] Icelandic Online has contributed to improved access to Icelandic teaching all over the world. Icelandic Online was recognized by the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture in 2014 for its contribution to supporting the Icelandic language.[32] The project received the Applied Science Prize of the University of Iceland and a recognition from the Icelandic Language Council in 2019.[33][34] The instructional methodology and technical platform of Icelandic Online have been used to develop Faroese Online[35] and Finland Swedish Online.[36]

Birna has also participated in projects in the field of language technology with Hannes Högni Vilhjálmsson, Icelandic Language and Culture Training in Virtual Reykjavík, where virtual reality is used for language instruction.[37]

Birna's latest research is a continuation of prior research. On the one hand, Birna leads the project Mót vestnorrænna tungumála (e. Language Contact in the West Nordic Region) along with Auður Hauksdóttir, which examines the intense contact between Danish and English and local languages, Greenlandic, Faroese and Icelandic. The project is supported by Nordplus – sprog. Another current project involves the development and evaluation of a new methodology in teaching English academic writing and literacy in higher education aimed at students in programs where English is the medium of instruction.[38][39][40][41]

Service[edit]

Birna has served her community in different ways. In the United States, she participated in developing educational programs for immigrants to New Hampshire. She served on numerous committees on educating second language learner children, for example, the New Hampshire Department of Education Ad Hoc Committee on Multicultural Affairs (1989–1991); The New Hampshire Professional Standards for Teachers Task Force (1999–2000); The Nashua, New Hampshire Title VII Advisory Council (1991); The Manchester, New Hampshire Title VII Advisory Council (1992); The New Hampshire Task Force on Diversity in the Health and Human Resources Sector (1998–2000).[2]

Birna was president of the Northern New England Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages organization (NNETESOL) during 1998–2000[42] and served as the organization's representative to the TESOL International Association.[42] Birna is the author of the first curriculum for Icelandic as a second language (1999)[43] and pioneered the teaching of language for specific purposes through her company Fjölmenning (English: Multiculture), in collaboration with Ingibjörg Hafstað and the Icelandic unions.[44][45][46] Birna is one of the founders of the organization, Móðurmál (English: Mother Tongue), which has the aim of strengthening the first language skills of children who migrate to Iceland.[47][48]

Birna represented the Humanities and Social Sciences on the University Council from 2006–2008, and served on the board of the National and University Library of Iceland 2006–2008[49] and on the board of the University of Iceland Computing Services 2012–2016. Birna has served on the board of the Vigdís Finnbogadóttir Institute of Foreign Languages from 2010; under its auspices is an international language centre which is a UNESCO Category II Centre. She became Chair of the board of the Vigdís Finnbogadóttir Institute of Foreign Languages and its Director in 2018.[2]

Birna is owner and acting Chair of the board of RASK, a company that specializes in Computer Assisted Language Teaching.

Personal life[edit]

Birna has four children.[1]

Publications[edit]

  • North American Icelandic : the linguistic and social context of vowel mergers, 1990
  • Af stað : kennslubók í íslensku fyrir byrjendur, 2003
  • North American Icelandic : the life of a language, 2006
  • Integrasjon gjennom voksen- og videreutdanning : landrapport Island, 2010
  • Language development across the life span : the impact of English on education and work in Iceland, 2017

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c "Mbl.is. (2005, 5. nóvember). Myndrænt og skemmtilegt".
  2. ^ a b c d e "Vigdís Finnbogadóttir. Institute of foreign languages. Birna Arnbjörnsdóttir. Professor of Second Language Acquisition at the University of Iceland and the Chair of the Vigdís Finnbogadóttir Institute of Foreign Languages".
  3. ^ Háskóli Íslands. Administration and Staff at the Faculty of Languages and Cultures. Retrieved February 12, 2020.
  4. ^ Háskóli Íslands. (2019). Nýir deildarforsetar við Háskóla Íslands. Retrieved February 12, 2020.
  5. ^ University of Iceland. Birna Arnbjörnsdóttir. Professor Second Language Acquisition and Pedagogy. Retrieved February 12, 2020.
  6. ^ Google Scholar. Birna Arnbjornsdottir.
  7. ^ 2006. North American Icelandic: The Life of a Language. University of Manitoba Press.
  8. ^ 2015. Arnbjörnsdóttir, B. Reexamining Icelandic as a Heritage Language in North America. In Germanic Heritage Languages in North America: Acquisition, attrition and change. Edited by Janne Bondi Johannessen and Joseph C. Salmons Studies in Language Variation 18, pp. 72–93.
  9. ^ 2015. Birna Arnbjörnsdóttir & Michael Putnam. Minimum Interface Domains: Long Distance Binding in North American Icelandic. In B. Richard Page and Michael T. Putnam, (Eds.) Moribund Germanic Heritage Languages in North America: Theoretical Perspectives and Empirical Findings, pp. 203-224. Amsterdam: Brill.
  10. ^ 2018. Arnbjörnsdóttir, B., Þráinsson H., and Nowenstein, Í.E. V2 and V3 Orders in North-American Icelandic. Journal of Language Contact 11, 379-412.
  11. ^ Workshop on immigrant languages in the Americas. Retrieved February 12, 2020.
  12. ^ Háskóli Íslands. Málvísindastofnun. (2016). Mál, málbreytingar og menningarleg sjálfsmynd Archived 2017-09-14 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved February 12, 2020.
  13. ^ Háskólaútgáfan. Sigurtunga Archived 2019-10-25 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved February 12, 2020.
  14. ^ 2018. Sigurtunga í sögu og brag: Um vesturíslenskt mál og menningu. Birna Arnbjörnsdóttir, Höskuldur Þráinnson og Úlfar Bragason (Eds). Reykjavík: Háskólaútgáfan.
  15. ^ 2011. Arnbjörnsdóttir, Exposure to English in Iceland: A Quantitative and Qualitative Study Archived 2019-10-25 at the Wayback Machine. In Netla - Menntakviku 2011. Menntavísindasvið Háskóla Íslands. Retrieved February 12, 2020.
  16. ^ 2017. Arnbjörnsdóttir, B. Preparing EFL students for university EMI Programs: The hidden challenge. In Fjeld, Hagen, Henriksen, Johannsen, Olsen & Prentice (eds.). Academic language in a Nordic setting – linguistic and educational perspectives. Oslo Studies in Language, 9(1).
  17. ^ 2019. Arnbjörnsdóttir, B. Supporting Nordic Scholars Who Write in English for Research Publication Purposes. In Corcoran, Englander and Muresan (Eds.) Pedagogies and Policies on Publishing Research in English: Local Initiatives Supporting International Scholars. London: Routledge.
  18. ^ 2007. Birna Arnbjörnsdóttir og Hafdís Ingvarsdóttur (ritstj.). Teaching and Learning English in Iceland Archived 2019-08-21 at the Wayback Machine. Reykjavík. Stofnun Vigdísar Finnbogadóttur, Háskólaútgáfan.
  19. ^ 2013. Arnbjörnsdóttir, B., & Ingvarsdóttir, H. Það er gífurleg áskorun að þurfa að vera jafnvígur á að skrifa fræðigreinar á tveimur tungumálum. Ritið 3, 2013, 69-86.
  20. ^ 2015. Arnbjörnsdóttir, B., & H. Ingvarsdóttir. Simultaneous Parallel Code Use: Using English in University Studies in Iceland. In Anne H. Fabricius & Bent Preisler (Eds)., Transcultural Interaction and Linguistic Diversity in Higher Education: The Student Experience. London: Palgrave.
  21. ^ 2018. Language Development across the Life Span: English in Iceland. Birna Arnbjörnsdóttir & Hafdís Ingvarsdóttir (Eds). Educational Linguistics Series, Berlin: Springer.
  22. ^ 2013. Ingvarsdóttir, H., & Arnbjörnsdóttir, B. ELF and Academic Writing: A Perspective from the Expanding Circle. Journal of English as a Lingua Franca, 1(2).
  23. ^ 2017. Arnbjörnsdóttir, B. & Ingvarsdóttir, H. The issues of identity and voice: Writing English for Research Purposes in the semi periphery. In Global Academic Publishing: Policies, Practices, and Pedagogies. Mary Jane Curry & Theresa Lillis (Eds). Part of the series Studies in Knowledge Production and Participation, Multilingual Matters, Clevedon, UK.
  24. ^ 2019. Cargill, M., Arnbjörnsdóttir, B., & Burgess, S. (Eds.) Writing and Publishing Scientific Research Papers in English.
  25. ^ Vigdís Finnbogadóttir Institute of foreign languages. PRISEAL 2018 Archived 2021-06-14 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved February 12, 2020.
  26. ^ MOLICODILACO. Modeling the Linguistic Consequences of Digital Language Contact. Retrieved February 12, 2020.
  27. ^ Icelandic online. Retrieved February 12, 2020.
  28. ^ 2004. Teaching Morphologically Complex Languages Online: Theoretical Questions and Practical Answers. In Peter Juul Hendrichsen (ritstj.) CALL for the Nordic Languages. Copenhagen Studies in Language. Copenhagen: Samfundslitteratur.
  29. ^ 2006. Orðabækur, málfræðigrunnar og netkennsla. Orða og tunga 8. Orðabók Háskólans.
  30. ^ 2008. Kennsla tungumála á netinu: Hugmyndafræði og þróun Icelandic Online Hrafnaþing 5. árg.
  31. ^ 2008. Birna Arnbjörnsdóttir og Matthew Whelpton (ritstj.) Open Source and Language Teaching. Reykjavík: Stofnun Vigdísar Finnbogadóttur/Háskólaútgáfan.
  32. ^ Stjórnarráð Íslands. (2014). Verðlaun Jónasar Hallgrímssonar á degi íslenskrar tungu 2014. Retrieved February 12, 2020.
  33. ^ Háskóli Íslands. (2019). Íslensk málnefnd verðlaunar Vísindavefinn og Icelandic Online. Retrieved February 12, 2020.
  34. ^ Íslensk málnefnd. Viðurkenning Íslenskrar málnefndar 2019 Archived 2019-10-25 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved February 12, 2020.
  35. ^ Faroese Online Archived 2019-10-13 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved February 12, 2020.
  36. ^ Finland Swedish Online. Retrieved February 12, 2020.
  37. ^ Bédi, B., Arnbjörnsdóttir, B., Vilhjálmsson, H. H., Helgadóttir, H. E., Ólafsson, S. og Björgvinsson, E. (2016). Learning Icelandic language and culture in Virtual Reykjavik: starting to talk Archived 2019-10-25 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved February 12, 2020.
  38. ^ 2015. Ingvarsdóttir, H., & Arnbjörnsdóttir, B. English in a new linguistic context: Implications for higher education. In S. Dimova, A. Hultgren and Ch. Jensen (Eds.), The English Language in Teaching in European Higher Education, 2014. Berlin: Mouton Gruyter.
  39. ^ 2014. Arnbjörnsdóttir, B., & Prinz, P. An English Academic Writing Course for Secondary Schools: A Pilot Study. Netlu- Vefriti um Uppeldi og menntun, Menntavísindasvið Háskóla Íslands. Ásamt Patriciu Prinz.
  40. ^ 2017. Arnbjörnsdóttir, B. & Prinz, P. From EFL to EMI: Developing writing skills for the Humanities. ESP Today. 5(2), 5-23.
  41. ^ 2020. The Art and Architecture of Academic Writing: A Gateway to Genres Archived 2019-10-25 at the Wayback Machine. Patricia Prinz & Birna Arnbjörnsdóttir. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.
  42. ^ a b Tesol. International association. Retrieved February 12, 2020.
  43. ^ Aðalnámskrá grunnskóla. Íslenska. 1999. Retrieved February 12, 2020.
  44. ^ 2006. The HB Grandi Experiment: A Workplace Language Program. In “Second Languages at Work”. Karen-Margrete Frederiksen, Karen Sonne Jakobsen, Michael Svendsen Pedersen og Karen Risager (ritstj.). IRIS Publications 1. Roskilde University.
  45. ^ 2007a. Samfélag málnotenda: Íslendingar, innflytjendur og íslenskan. Ritið 7. árg., 1/2007. Reykjavík: Hugvísindastofnun, bls. 63-83.
  46. ^ 2007b. Islandsk som andet sprog – et forskningsfelt under udvikling. NORAND. Nordisk tidskrift for andrespraksforskning, árg. 2.1.
  47. ^ Ragna Gestsdóttir. (2019, 16. maí). Móðurmál – Samtök um tvítyngi á Íslandi hljóta Mannréttindaverðlaun 2019. DV. Retrieved February 12, 2020.
  48. ^ Heimili og skóli. Landssamtök foreldra. Móðurmál – samtök um tvítyngi heimsótt með ráðherra Archived 2019-10-25 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved February 12, 2020.
  49. ^ Landsbókasafn Íslans. Ársskýrsla 2008. Retrieved February 12.
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