Course Syllabus

 

Danish Language & Culture through Food and Sustainability Course Description

This course is an integrated language and culture course with a major focus on learning Danish through the exploration of food, taste, and sustainability in Denmark. Local food and traditions are a rich source of information about cultural values, beliefs, and relations, often permeated by national narratives and symbols. By exploring practices around food in Denmark, we will make observations on Danish society while using our senses and curiosity.

An important component of the course is also to discuss various aspects of food sustainability:

How does sustainability manifest itself in the Danish food scene and even in the Danish language? How is Danish society addressing food waste? What are sustainable, innovative ways that Denmark deals with food consumption and production? When studying the Danish language, we employ a communicative and functional approach, emphasizing everyday spoken Danish, reading comprehension, and basic grammar. Learning Danish in this course will allow you to interact in basic ways with your local surroundings, strengthening your sense of belonging while studying abroad.

With Denmark and Danish food cultures as your case study, you will develop your general 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

Bianca Liberski. Cand.merc.int. MA, Intercultural Management, Copenhagen Business School, BA (Hons) European Business and French, Manchester Metropolitan University, UK and Université Blaise Pascal, France. She has worked in international relations and Ethics for the Danish Refugee Council and Borealis in Copenhagen, the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Warsaw and the European Commission in Bruxelles. With DIS since 2009.

Readings

Readings

1. Denmark.dk - the official website of Denmark: "It's All About Denmark" and "Equally Happy & Green". 2017.
2. Jespersen, Knud J.V.: A History of Denmark. The Danish Model of the Welfare State. 2011.
3. Sindbæk, Søren M.: All in the Same Boat. The Vikings as European and global heritage. 2011.
4. Jespersen, Knud J.V.: A History of Denmark. Introduction: What is Denmark and who are the Danes? 2011.
5. Jespersen, Knud J.V.: A History of Denmark. The Church and Culture. 2011.
6.  Kingsley, Patrick: Poor Carina: The problem at the heart of the welfare state. 2014.
7. Kingsley, Patrick: Work Well, Play Well. A Scandinavian Education. 2014.
8. Lidegaard Bo: Prologue 1849-1901, A Short History of Denmark in the 20^th Century. 2009.
9. Sandemose, Aksel: Janteloven. 1933.
10. Tinggaard Svendsen, Gert: Trust. 2014.

Video clips

1. 60 minutes: “Happiness”, 2009
2. International People’s College (IPC) in Helsingør: “What is a Folkehøjskole’ and ‘A Brief History of IPC”, 2015
3. Reason TV/Georg Washington University: “Folk High Schools, Adult Education and the Philosophy of Grundtvig”, 2013
4. Unfolding the potential of indigenous food cultures: Claus Meyer at TEDxCopenhagen 2012

Field Studies

Field study 1: Walk and Visit to Øens Have, Refshaleøen

Objective: To learn about the possibilities and challenges of urban farming and gardening in the most unlikely places.

Field study 2: Visit to and guided tour of Christiania

Objective:  To critically discuss and analyze the alternative “free town” of Christiania set in the middle of the capital. We will investigate its roots and its long focus on sustainability as well as whether it is still an example of the Danish “frisind” and tolerance mindset or whether it is just another close-knit organization benefitting only the few and privileged.

Podcasts

On Canvas, you can find podcasts that you can use to practice vocabulary, phrases, and pronunciation. In the textbook DIS DANSK, they are marked with a little headphone symbol. The podcasts can be found on Canvas under Danish Language Resources, Modules.

Ordbogen.com

DIS has a subscription to Ordbogen, a Danish-English/English-Danish online dictionary. Go to http://www.ordbogen.com/ (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.  and follow the instructions received by 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.

DIS Accommodations Statement

Your learning experience in this class is important to me.  If you have approved academic accommodations with DIS, please make sure I receive your DIS accommodations letter within two weeks from the start of classes. If you can think of other ways I can support your learning, please don't hesitate to talk to me. If you have any further questions about your academic accommodations, contact Academic Support academicsupport@dis.dk

Evaluation

Participation is graded because it is part of the learning process. Note that attendance at all classes and field studies is required and expected and is not credited as participation. Failure to attend will have a negative influence on the participation grade, however.

You are required to participate actively in all class activities throughout the semester.

If you miss a class, please notice that it is YOUR responsibility to catch up.

Grading

 

Assignment	Percent
Engaged Participation	30%
Cultural Assignments	35%
Worksheets 10%	10%
Oral Exam	25%

The grades are based on the rubrics found in Canvas under Danish Language Resources, Modules.