Cross-curricularity in a literacy perspective: Contrast, confrontation and metalinguistic awareness

► Traditionally mathematics and Norwegian as subject areas in school are very different. ► We are exploring and trying to capture the vague “no-man's-land” between these two subjects in a literacy perspective. ► Cross-curricular perspectives may be important steps towards improving the impact of schooling for all pupils, however, use of cross-curricularity as a means of enabling meaningful access to subjects such as mathematics which are seen as ‘hard’ or ‘abstract’ requires care. ► Our argument is on three levels: level of discourse, level of genre and modes of thought. In this article we explore similarities and differences between two school subjects, Norwegian and mathematics, taking a phenomenological perspective and a didactic meta-perspective (literacy perspective). Our argument is presented on three levels which together build on the perspective of meta-language. First we consider the level of discourse primarily concerning cultural relations and communities of meaning, for example subject-related communities. The next level is genre, concerning both common cultural texts and practices and how meanings are framed in linguistic forms. Finally, we consider arguments regarding the modes of thought which underpin subject-specific learning. Substantiated by data from own classroom research, we argue that cross-curricular work needs to understand both differences and similarities between subjects, and the relationships between them.