Nicole Louise Busby

About

I’m interested in second language acquisition, particularly in vocabulary acquisition and reading in a second language. My research has mainly focused on the acquisition of English in Norway, and whether learning English through informal out-of-class activities such as watching movies and playing computer games has an impact on how well Norwegian students are prepared for reading academic texts in English at university. I am also interested in language practices in higher education more generally.

I am a member of the research groups VOCLEX (VOCabulary and the multilingual mental LEXicon), LPE (Language Practices in Education), L-LATER (Language Learner and Teacher Research) and ForMAAL (Formal, Mental, and Acquisitional Approaches to Language). I am also a member of Flere Språk til Flere, the Trondheim branch of Bilingualism Matters.

Research

Publications

2025

Agbo, Philomina Akudo; Busby, Nicole Louise. (2025) The relationship between digital out-of-school exposures and the vocabulary knowledge of Grade 3 pupils in Nigeria. NTNU Norges teknisk-naturvitenskapelige universitet NTNU Norges teknisk-naturvitenskapelige universitet
Masters thesis
Lund, Tilde Holm; Busby, Nicole Louise. (2025) “We should have learned more about this at school”: Norwegian upper secondary students’ academic English vocabulary and their feeling of being (un)prepared for reading at university. Acta Didactica Norden (ADNO)
Academic article
Kvaløy, Thea Camilla Wang; Busby, Nicole Louise; Nygård, Gro. (2025) From Media to Mastery Exploring the Role of Extramural Exposure in L2 English Receptive Vocabulary Knowledge among Norwegian and Spanish Teenagers. Norges teknisk-naturvitenskapelige universitet Norges teknisk-naturvitenskapelige universitet
Masters thesis
Krøke, Liesl Rene; Busby, Nicole Louise; Vulchanova, Mila Dimitrova. (2025) Reading narrative texts on paper versus screen: Effects on English L2 comprehension in Norwegian secondary school students. Norges teknisk-naturvitenskapelige universitet Norges teknisk-naturvitenskapelige universitet
Masters thesis

2024

Lund, Tilde Holm; Busby, Nicole Louise. (2024) "If we are going to encounter lots of these words, then I am not prepared" - Academic vocabulary knowledge and attitudes towards English courses among upper secondary students in Norway. Norges teknisk-naturvitenskapelige universitet Norges teknisk-naturvitenskapelige universitet
Masters thesis
Verkerk, Eline; Busby, Nicole Louise. (2024) The use of extramural English among French youth and its impact on listening comprehension. Norges teknisk-naturvitenskapelige universitet Norges teknisk-naturvitenskapelige universitet
Masters thesis
Busby, Nicole Louise; Angelsen, Anja Katrine; Nygård, Gro; Dahl, Anne; Listhaug, Kjersti Faldet. (2024) Erfaringer med norsk og engelsk blant internasjonalt ansatte på NTNU. Norges teknisk-naturvitenskapelige universitet Norges teknisk-naturvitenskapelige universitet
Report
Busby, Nicole Louise. (2024) Exploring the Effects of Early Extramural English Exposure on the Vocabulary Size of University Students. Education Sciences
Academic article
Mahan, Karina Rose; Hammer, Svenja; Lorenz, Eliane; Angelis, Gessica Luisa De; Flikke, Julie Katrine; Busby, Nicole Louise. (2024) Skal alle stipendiater lære seg norsk? Vi er bekymret.
Feature article
Olsen, Ragni; Mohr, Susanne; Busby, Nicole Louise. (2024) Teachers' attitudes towards postcolonial Englishes in Norwegian ELT. NTNU NTNU
Masters thesis
Mahan, Karina Rose; Busby, Nicole Louise; Angelis, Gessica Luisa de; Flikke, Julie Katrine; Hammer, Svenja; Lorenz, Eliane. (2024) Hvordan tilrettelegge for norskopplæring til internasjonalt ansatte i akademia?.
Feature article
Ringrose, Miriam; Busby, Nicole Louise; Greenall, Annjo Klungervik. (2024) ChatGPT and differentiated reading materials: The possibilities and limitations of AI-generated graded readers for an ESL context. NTNU NTNU
Masters thesis

2023

Kalhagen, Maren Helene; Busby, Nicole Louise. (2023) Norwegian First-Graders’ English Vocabulary Knowledge and Exposure to Extramural English. Norges teknisk-naturvitenskapelige universitet Norges teknisk-naturvitenskapelige universitet
Masters thesis
Kvithyll, Ina Marie; Busby, Nicole Louise. (2023) A Novel Approach: Investigating Factors that Predict and Impact Vocabulary Acquisition through Fiction Literature in the Norwegian ESL Classroom. Norges teknisk-naturvitenskapelige universitet Norges teknisk-naturvitenskapelige universitet
Masters thesis
Mahan, Karina Rose; Busby, Nicole Louise; Flikke, Julie Katrine; Angelis, Gessica Luisa De; Hammer, Svenja; Lorenz, Eliane. (2023) Forskergruppe vil kartlegge språk ved NTNU. www.universitetsavisa.no
Reader opinion piece
Veiesund, Marita; Busby, Nicole Louise. (2023) A Multimodal Classroom: A Study on Teachers' Use of Multimodal Ensembles in the Norwegian English as an Additional Language Classroom. Norges teknisk-naturvitenskapelige universitet Norges teknisk-naturvitenskapelige universitet
Masters thesis
Skaug, Anne Kristine; Busby, Nicole Louise. (2023) Is gaming the key to vocabulary mastery? Exploring Norwegian upper secondary school students’ vocabulary knowledge in relation to gaming inside and outside the classroom. Norges teknisk-naturvitenskapelige universitet Norges teknisk-naturvitenskapelige universitet
Masters thesis
Busby, Nicole Louise; Angelsen, Anja Katrine. (2023) Teaching the teachers: Designing digital assessment for language teachers which both evaluates and educates. Conference Proceedings of the ALTE 8th International Conference
Academic article

2022

Angelsen, Anja Katrine; Busby, Nicole. (2022) Assessing assessment: The development of a portfolio assessment in a linguistics course for in-service language teachers at a Norwegian university. Testing, Evaluation & Assessment Today
Popular scientific article

2021

Busby, Nicole; Dahl, Anne. (2021) Reading Rate of Academic English Texts: Comparing L1 and Advanced L2 Users in Different Language Environments. Nordic Journal of English Studies (NJES)
Academic article

2020

Busby, Nicole; Dahl, Anne; Hellekjær, Glenn Ole. (2020) Presumptions, proficiencies, and parallel languages: Investigating academic English reading among Norwegian university students. Norges teknisk-naturvitenskapelige universitet Norges teknisk-naturvitenskapelige universitet
Doctoral dissertation
Busby, Nicole. (2020) Words from where? Predictors of L2 English vocabulary among Norwegian university students. ITL - International Journal of Applied Linguistics
Academic article

2018

Busby, Nicole. (2018) Comparing first and second language reading: the use of metacognitive strategies among Norwegian university students. Acta Didactica Norge
Academic article

2015

Dahl, Anne; Busby, Nicole. (2015) Too cool for school? Sources of English language acquisition, attitudes, and academic reading ability among Norwegian university students. Norges teknisk-naturvitenskapelige universitet Norges teknisk-naturvitenskapelige universitet
Masters thesis

Journal publications

Lund, Tilde Holm; Busby, Nicole Louise. (2025) “We should have learned more about this at school”: Norwegian upper secondary students’ academic English vocabulary and their feeling of being (un)prepared for reading at university. Acta Didactica Norden (ADNO)
Academic article
Busby, Nicole Louise. (2024) Exploring the Effects of Early Extramural English Exposure on the Vocabulary Size of University Students. Education Sciences
Academic article
Mahan, Karina Rose; Hammer, Svenja; Lorenz, Eliane; Angelis, Gessica Luisa De; Flikke, Julie Katrine; Busby, Nicole Louise. (2024) Skal alle stipendiater lære seg norsk? Vi er bekymret.
Feature article
Mahan, Karina Rose; Busby, Nicole Louise; Angelis, Gessica Luisa de; Flikke, Julie Katrine; Hammer, Svenja; Lorenz, Eliane. (2024) Hvordan tilrettelegge for norskopplæring til internasjonalt ansatte i akademia?.
Feature article
Mahan, Karina Rose; Busby, Nicole Louise; Flikke, Julie Katrine; Angelis, Gessica Luisa De; Hammer, Svenja; Lorenz, Eliane. (2023) Forskergruppe vil kartlegge språk ved NTNU. www.universitetsavisa.no
Reader opinion piece
Busby, Nicole Louise; Angelsen, Anja Katrine. (2023) Teaching the teachers: Designing digital assessment for language teachers which both evaluates and educates. Conference Proceedings of the ALTE 8th International Conference
Academic article
Angelsen, Anja Katrine; Busby, Nicole. (2022) Assessing assessment: The development of a portfolio assessment in a linguistics course for in-service language teachers at a Norwegian university. Testing, Evaluation & Assessment Today
Popular scientific article
Busby, Nicole; Dahl, Anne. (2021) Reading Rate of Academic English Texts: Comparing L1 and Advanced L2 Users in Different Language Environments. Nordic Journal of English Studies (NJES)
Academic article
Busby, Nicole. (2020) Words from where? Predictors of L2 English vocabulary among Norwegian university students. ITL - International Journal of Applied Linguistics
Academic article
Busby, Nicole. (2018) Comparing first and second language reading: the use of metacognitive strategies among Norwegian university students. Acta Didactica Norge
Academic article

Report

Agbo, Philomina Akudo; Busby, Nicole Louise. (2025) The relationship between digital out-of-school exposures and the vocabulary knowledge of Grade 3 pupils in Nigeria. NTNU Norges teknisk-naturvitenskapelige universitet NTNU Norges teknisk-naturvitenskapelige universitet
Masters thesis
Kvaløy, Thea Camilla Wang; Busby, Nicole Louise; Nygård, Gro. (2025) From Media to Mastery Exploring the Role of Extramural Exposure in L2 English Receptive Vocabulary Knowledge among Norwegian and Spanish Teenagers. Norges teknisk-naturvitenskapelige universitet Norges teknisk-naturvitenskapelige universitet
Masters thesis
Krøke, Liesl Rene; Busby, Nicole Louise; Vulchanova, Mila Dimitrova. (2025) Reading narrative texts on paper versus screen: Effects on English L2 comprehension in Norwegian secondary school students. Norges teknisk-naturvitenskapelige universitet Norges teknisk-naturvitenskapelige universitet
Masters thesis
Lund, Tilde Holm; Busby, Nicole Louise. (2024) "If we are going to encounter lots of these words, then I am not prepared" - Academic vocabulary knowledge and attitudes towards English courses among upper secondary students in Norway. Norges teknisk-naturvitenskapelige universitet Norges teknisk-naturvitenskapelige universitet
Masters thesis
Verkerk, Eline; Busby, Nicole Louise. (2024) The use of extramural English among French youth and its impact on listening comprehension. Norges teknisk-naturvitenskapelige universitet Norges teknisk-naturvitenskapelige universitet
Masters thesis
Busby, Nicole Louise; Angelsen, Anja Katrine; Nygård, Gro; Dahl, Anne; Listhaug, Kjersti Faldet. (2024) Erfaringer med norsk og engelsk blant internasjonalt ansatte på NTNU. Norges teknisk-naturvitenskapelige universitet Norges teknisk-naturvitenskapelige universitet
Report
Olsen, Ragni; Mohr, Susanne; Busby, Nicole Louise. (2024) Teachers' attitudes towards postcolonial Englishes in Norwegian ELT. NTNU NTNU
Masters thesis
Ringrose, Miriam; Busby, Nicole Louise; Greenall, Annjo Klungervik. (2024) ChatGPT and differentiated reading materials: The possibilities and limitations of AI-generated graded readers for an ESL context. NTNU NTNU
Masters thesis
Kalhagen, Maren Helene; Busby, Nicole Louise. (2023) Norwegian First-Graders’ English Vocabulary Knowledge and Exposure to Extramural English. Norges teknisk-naturvitenskapelige universitet Norges teknisk-naturvitenskapelige universitet
Masters thesis
Kvithyll, Ina Marie; Busby, Nicole Louise. (2023) A Novel Approach: Investigating Factors that Predict and Impact Vocabulary Acquisition through Fiction Literature in the Norwegian ESL Classroom. Norges teknisk-naturvitenskapelige universitet Norges teknisk-naturvitenskapelige universitet
Masters thesis
Veiesund, Marita; Busby, Nicole Louise. (2023) A Multimodal Classroom: A Study on Teachers' Use of Multimodal Ensembles in the Norwegian English as an Additional Language Classroom. Norges teknisk-naturvitenskapelige universitet Norges teknisk-naturvitenskapelige universitet
Masters thesis
Skaug, Anne Kristine; Busby, Nicole Louise. (2023) Is gaming the key to vocabulary mastery? Exploring Norwegian upper secondary school students’ vocabulary knowledge in relation to gaming inside and outside the classroom. Norges teknisk-naturvitenskapelige universitet Norges teknisk-naturvitenskapelige universitet
Masters thesis
Busby, Nicole; Dahl, Anne; Hellekjær, Glenn Ole. (2020) Presumptions, proficiencies, and parallel languages: Investigating academic English reading among Norwegian university students. Norges teknisk-naturvitenskapelige universitet Norges teknisk-naturvitenskapelige universitet
Doctoral dissertation
Dahl, Anne; Busby, Nicole. (2015) Too cool for school? Sources of English language acquisition, attitudes, and academic reading ability among Norwegian university students. Norges teknisk-naturvitenskapelige universitet Norges teknisk-naturvitenskapelige universitet
Masters thesis

Teaching

Courses in spring 2026:

ENG1202 - Academic Literacy for English Studies
HFO1003 - Contemporary cross-disciplinary perspectives on diversity

Teaching experience:

ENG1001 - Varieties of English/Global English
ENG1101 - English Linguistics
ENG1102 - Introduction to English Linguistics
SPRÅK1200 - Foreign Languages and Society
ENG1201 - Proficiency and Grammar
ENG2153 - First and Second Language Acquisition
ENG2910 - Bachelor's thesis in English
SPRÅK3001 - Research Methods in Linguistics
SPRÅK3501 - Scientific Communication for Engineers
SPRÅL3800 - Unspecified Topic/ Independent Study
ENG3900 - Master's Thesis in English (60 credits)
ENG3901 - Master's Thesis in English (30 credits)
ENG3920 - Master's Thesis in English Linguistics and Language Acquisition
ENG6020 and ENG6025 - Linguistics and Language Acquisition
ENG6023 and ENG6026 - Global English
ENG6010 - English Proficiency
SPRÅK6101 - Informal Language Learning
Graduate and undergraduate human anatomy courses (University of Wollongong)
Undergraduate human anatomy, nutrition and sports medicine courses (University of Canberra)

Supervision

I supervise master's projects relating to second language acquisition inside and outside the classroom, as well as topics related to reading and writing of academic texts.

I would be happy to supervise master projects related to the following topics:

Second language acquisition
Extramural (out-of-class) language exposure
Reading in a second language
Academic language
Vocabulary
Reading strategies
Language practices in higher education

Masters theses supervised:

Agbo, Philomina Akudo (2025) The relationship between digital out-of-school exposures and the vocabulary knowledge of Grade 3 pupils in Nigeria.

Kvaløy, Thea Camilla Wang (2025) From Media to Mastery Exploring the Role of Extramural Exposure in L2 English Receptive Vocabulary Knowledge among Norwegian and Spanish Teenagers.

Krøke, Liesl Rene (2025) Reading narrative texts on paper versus screen: Effects on English L2 comprehension in Norwegian secondary school students.

Lund, Tilde Holm (2024) "If we are going to encounter lots of these words, then I am not prepared" - Academic vocabulary knowledge and attitudes towards English courses among upper secondary students in Norway.

Verkerk, Eline (2024) The use of extramural English among French youth and its impact on listening comprehension.

Ringrose, Miriam (2024) ChatGPT and differentiated reading materials: The possibilities and limitations of AI-generated graded readers for an ESL context.

Kalhagen, Maren Helene (2023) Norwegian First-Graders’ English Vocabulary Knowledge and Exposure to Extramural English.

Kvithyll, Ina Marie (2023) A Novel Approach: Investigating Factors that Predict and Impact Vocabulary Acquisition through Fiction Literature in the Norwegian ESL Classroom.

Veiesund, Marita (2023) A Multimodal Classroom: A Study on Teachers' Use of Multimodal Ensembles in the Norwegian English as an Additional Language Classroom.

Skaug, Anne Kristine (2023) Is gaming the key to vocabulary mastery? Exploring Norwegian upper secondary school students’ vocabulary knowledge in relation to gaming inside and outside the classroom.

Outreach

European Commission webinar on: Language acquisition inside and outside the classroom

This webinar will focus on how activities outside the classroom like gaming can contribute to language acquisition and how we can support young language learners to make connections between the language they learn inside and outside the classroom.

Multilingualism in Norwegian universities: research, realities, and role models

This presentation discusses the presumptions made about multilingual competence among staff and students in Norwegian universities in order to highlight the importance of acknowledging the role of multilingualism in education.

Insights from reflections on early extramural English: Benefits for teaching and research

This exploratory study found that L2 vocabulary size was significantly predicted by the age of reported earliest activities in English and that reflecting on early experiences with English gave students new insights into their own language learning.