Research stay in London at UCL 2018

This autumn I have been so lucky that I have been a part of Professor Courtenay Norbury’s Literacy, Language and Communication lab, Psychology and Language Sciences, at University College London. Professor Norbury has published many very interesting articles about children with developmental language disorders (see for example here) and the lab has a blog about their research project. They are running the first population based research in UK on language and communication disorders at school entry.



UCL Chandler House where I have had my office

My family came with me to London. After spending June packing and cleaning our house in Sogndal, we moved in to a typical English house in Wimbledon in July; built of bricks with a narrow stairway and a small back yard. It was a big difference from living in a small village with 8000 people to living in a big city with 8 million people. Our two kids have attended the Norwegian School in London, which is an excellent school who uses the many possibilities that are in London to teach their pupils. For example, when Black history month was up in October, the pupils went on a guided tour in St. Paul Cathedral, and when Holocaust was the theme, they visited Imperial War Museum.

Our lovely brick house

Wimbledon centre where we lived

At work, my main focus has been the EST project and our two reviews. My daily work consist of screening papers for the review about implementation quality that we have preregistered in Prospero (here).  Along with the EST team, we have worked hard with preparing the protocol for the Cochrane review and planning the RCT. In addition to this, I have worked on three book chapters about literacy and literacy difficulties in addition to one paper about bilingual children and one paper about early literacy. I have also given a talk about invented writing at UCL, and been a part of celebrating DLD-day. DLD stands for ‘developmental language disorders’, and the goal for DLD-day is to raise awareness of this disorders. Along with the Lilac-lab, I was on a stand at UCL with quiz, poster and cake sale for charity. In our spare-time, we had a wonderful time; London has so much to offer in terms of sightseeing, new food experience, firework at Bonfire night, shopping and pubs. Memories for life!

Afternoon tea with the Lilac lab

DLD-day with Courtenay and Sarah from the lab

Being on a research stay in another university is very educative. You get to see your own practice in a contrastive light of the University you visit. It has been rewarding to have time to write; the office facilities and library access have been very good. I have learned a lot about research methods from attending seminars and lab meetings. I have also learned about how to manage a lab from being a part of the Lilac lab. On the other hand, it is also a bit challenging to join a new work place, a new neighborhood, and for the kids – a new school. In addition to all the positive aspects, it has of course been downs; for example trying to keep up with lunch conversation in English but processing to slow to be an actual good communicator, sickness in the family when there is an ocean between, and we all have missed friends, family and our dog Tilla. However, the up’s are many more! I am bringing back to Sogndal and the EST-team new insights, new friends, and a new network that we will work together with in 2019.

Thank you so much for your warm hospitality Courtenay Norbury and the whole Lilac lab gang! Also, thanks to Western Norway University of Applied Sciences for funding the stay and good colleagues for helping with my teaching Commitments. All the best from Hilde

Me and my family visiting Stonehenge