The Teaching of Faroese as a Second Language in Compulsory Schools in the Faroe Islands through the Critical Perspectives of School Leaders and Teachers

The aim of this qualitative study is to elicit the perspectives of teachers and school leaders on the implementation and enactment of Faroese as a second language (FSL). Data from reports and semi-structured interviews with teachers and school leaders reveal how they have implemented and enacted FSL in Faroes compulsory schools. Their perspectives are analysed using the lens of optimal
second language acquisition to describe and critically study the FSL status quo in the Faroe Islands. Findings highlight that first and foremost, the duration and intensity of student exposure to learning FSL appear to pose barriers to language
learning. Teachers point out their lack of efficacy in the field and the sparse supply of FSL materials. Teachers with the Master’s diploma in FSL are clear that they have acquired valuable competences to teach FSL and recommend a focused approach to building competence in FSL for their colleagues and the pre-service teachers in teacher education. These results show that a significant challenge lies also in the language learning environment, e.g., the presence of Danish and English in upper secondary schools.