Course Syllabus
Danish Language and Culture section 113 |
 |
| Semester & Location: |
Spring 2025 - DIS Copenhagen |
| Type & Credits: |
Elective Course - 3 credits |
| Prerequisite: |
None |
| Faculty Member: |
Tina Nielsen |
| Time & Place: |
Monday & Thursday 11:40-13:00. Classroom N7-A23 |
Course Description
This course is an integrated language and culture course which serves as the ideal entry point for your studies abroad in Denmark. Offering an introduction to the Danish language while also exploring important themes in Danish culture and society, this course will help you navigate and understand your new environment. It will strengthen your sense of place and sense of belonging while studying abroad.
In terms of language learning, the emphasis is on spoken everyday Danish, reading comprehension, and basic grammar which allows you to interact in basic ways with your local surroundings. The functional approach is evident both in classroom interactions, hands-on exercises, and experiential learning through field studies around Copenhagen and environs.
An important component of the course is your own observations of Danish society as you are studying abroad. In this integrated language and culture course we explore how culture is reflected in language through expressions, concepts, and keywords. By openly and critically studying values, symbols, and dominant and marginalized narratives in Danish culture and history we will begin to understand how these continue to shape identities today. With Denmark as your case study, you will develop your ability to understand and study other cultures from an intercultural perspective.
Learning Objectives
- Acquire knowledge and understanding of Danish culture and society
- Ability to speak, read, and understand Danish on a basic level
- Gain an understanding of connections between language and culture
- Enhance intercultural awareness and critical reflection
- Develop a sense of belonging
Faculty
Tina Nielsen is cand.ling.merc. in German and has a BA in English from Aarhus University, School of Business and Social Sciences. In addition to that she has a master in Teaching Adults Danish as a Second Language, and several courses in cultural studies from the University of Copenhagen.
Contact: tina.nielsen@dis.dk
Readings
Carlsen, Jørgen: “The Folk High School – Freedom and the Living Conversation”, Learning in Denmark, The Danish Cultural Institute, 1997
Fukuyama, Francis: "We the people", Identity, Profile Bookd Ltd, 2018
Jenkins, Richard: ”Everyday social democracy”, Being Danish: Paradoxes of Identity in Everyday Life, Museum Tusculanum Press, 2012
Jensen, Lars: "Postcolonial Denmark. Beyond the Rot of Colonialism?", University of Roskilde, 2016
Jespersen, Knud J.V.: “Factsheet Denmark. History”, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark, 2003
Korsgaard, Ove: "How Grundtvig became a Nation Builder", Djøf Publishing, Copenhagen, 2015
Levisen, Carsten: "Cultural Semantics and Social Cognition", Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Bosten, 2012
Lidegaard, Bo: “Prologue”, A short history of Denmark in the 20th century, Gyldendal, 2009
Lidegaard, Bo: "Countrymen", 2013
Mason, Jason: "Togetherness in Denmark: a view from the Bridge", from Multicultural Education Review, Routledge Taler & Francis Group, 2018
Mogensen, Michael: “October 1943 The Rescue of the Danish” in Mette B, and Steven L. B. Jensen. Denmark and the Holocaust. Danish Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies, København 2003
Nathan, Ganesh: 'A non-essentialist model of culture' from 'Paradigms of essentialism...', 2015
Sønderskov, Mannemar Kim & Peter Thisted: ”Danish Exceptionalism: Explaining the Unique Increase in Social Trust over the Past 30 Years”, esr.oxfordjournals.org 2014
Zuckerman, Phil: ”Society without God”, New York University Press, 2008
Videos:
"The danger of a single story" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, TED, 2009 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9Ihs241zeg
Interview with anthropologist Gerd Baumann about his book Contesting Culture. Discourses of Identity in Multi-ethnic London (1996), 2014
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRxW9ZseWQ0
Other articles:
"Researcher: Denmark's world-record level of trust is helping us in the fight against corona", by Gert Tinggaard, Science Nordic, April 1, 2020
"Samfundssind': How a long-forgotten word rallied a nation", by Mark Johanson, BBC.com, August 4, 2020
"Humane prison to bring Greenland's most dangerous criminals home" by Sarah Lazarus, CNN, 2018
'The dire consequences of Denmark's 'paradigm shift' on refugees' from politico. eu https://www.politico.eu/article/consequences-denmark-shift-refugees-syria-damascus/
"Gay Copenhagen, Denmark. The indispensable LGBT Travel Guide" https://queerintheworld.com/gay-copenhagen-denmark-travel-guide/
Field Studies
TBA
Course Resources
Audio Files and Online Worksheets
In the Canvas course, DLC: Resources, Worksheets, audio and video files, and exam guidelines you will find audio files and online worksheets that you can use to practice vocabulary, phrases, pronunciation, and grammar throughout the semester. In your textbook 'Danish at DIS - A sense of belonging', the texts with complementary audio files are marked with a headphone symbol and a QR code.
Online Dictionary: Ordbogen.com
DIS has a subscription to Ordbogen, a Danish-English/English-Danish online dictionary. Go to http://www.ordbogen.com/ and follow the instructions that you have received directly from Ordbogen.com.
Approach to Teaching and Expectations of the Students
The teaching style of this class is interactive. You are expected to actively participate in class discussions, to have done the readings and other homework, and come to class with notes, questions and relevant observations.
Learning a language is hard work and requires a lot of commitment. The ambition is to create a classroom culture in which everyone feels at ease trying to pronounce the unfamiliar Danish sounds and words.
Engaged participation is an integrated part of class and will be a large part of the course evaluation. Participating in class discussion requires a high level of preparation and a voluntary contribution of knowledge and ideas. In addition, when speaking Danish or discussing the connection between language and culture it is important to meet the level of preparation required to be an active participant.
Evaluation
When learning a new language, mistakes are inevitable so forget about perfectionism for a while and get in the game. Aim at having fun with learning new vowels and new sounds, keep trying and eventually, you will be able to start constructing phrases and to pick up some of the language spoken around you. Doing the assigned worksheets at home, going over dialogues, listening to podcasts and try to practice your Danish at every chance you get is crucial for the progression expected in this course and you are expected to meet prepared for each class.
When speaking Danish, you also need to know the cultural codes for when to say what. Be curious, have an open mind and pay attention to how people behave and what they say outside the classroom which will enhance your understanding of the cultural values and norms. The assigned culture texts offer wide aspects of topics concerning Danish history, values and contemporary society. When in class, I do not just go over what is on the assigned text; I take it elsewhere, offer additional information and ask you to discuss and analyze issues concerning life in Denmark. It is therefore of utmost importance that you require the basic knowledge of the topics through reading the assigned texts thoroughly, take notes, reflect on differences and similarities compared to you own culture and bring comments and thoughts to class in order for all of us to have good discussions and create an inspiring and vibrant classroom.
Grading
| Assignment |
Percent |
| Engaged Participation |
30% |
|
Cultural Assignments (1+2) |
35% |
|
Online Worksheets* |
10% |
|
Oral Exam |
25% |
* Online Worksheets for chapter 1-5 are part of the final grading and can be accessed in the "DLC: Resources, Worksheets, audio and video files, and exam guidelines" Canvas course. We encourage to complete the worksheets throughout the semester as they correspond to the chapters in the text book. The final deadline to complete the worksheets is the same as the oral exam deadline midnight - see Canvas calendar for details.
Academic Regulations
Please make sure to read the Academic Regulations on the DIS website. There you will find regulations on:
DIS - Study Abroad in Scandinavia - www.DISabroad.org
Course Summary:
| Date | Details | Due |
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