Swedish Language and Culture | Section 2

 

Semester & Location:	Spring 2019 - DIS Stockholm
Type & Credits:	Elective Course - 3 credits
Program Director:	Andreas Brøgger
Assistant Program Director:	Anna Sommer - anna.sommer@dis.dk
Time & Place:	Tuesdays 11.40-13.00 & Fridays 11.40-13.00, 1D-409

Description of Course

This course is an integrated language and culture course. We will study different aspects of Swedish culture and Swedish society and we will work with a wide view on culture through various representations. The focus will be on national narratives, identities, cultural values, and symbolism, which we will approach from both a historical and contemporary perspective.

When studying Swedish language, we have a functional and communicative approach. The course will focus on spoken everyday Swedish, reading comprehension and basic grammar.

The course will also explore how culture is reflected in language and the connection between culture and language. By analyzing and learning keywords and concepts and applying appropriate etiquette, you will learn how to navigate a foreign culture.

Learning Objectives

• Acquire a higher level of cultural awareness

• Acquire knowledge and overall understanding of Swedish history, culture and society

• Be able to speak, read and understand Swedish on a basic level

• Get an understanding of the connection between language and culture

Faculty

Your instructor is Djina Wilk

Background: M.A. in Germanic Languages and Literature, Washington University of St. Louis, graduation year 2007. Also Swedish official teaching qualification (subject: languages) from Stockholm University and Stockholm Lärarhögskola, graduation year 2009.  Former Education Manager and also teacher in English at Komvux, Folkuniversitetet, Stockholm. Also member of the board at Folkuniversitetet Stockholm. Has been teaching Swedish as a foreign language since 2004, for example at Internationella Skolorna Düsseldorf, Germany, at Folkuniversitetet, Stockholm and also at Washington University in St. Louis, USA.  With DIS since 2016.

 

Swedish course material (language part):

DIS SVENSKA Spring 2019

Readings (cultural part):

Booth, Michael, Chapter 1  Sweden, The Almost Nearly Perfect People, Vintage, 2015, p. 293-299

 

Brodin, Björn and Pikkarainen, Heidi. Discrimination of the Sami – the rights of the Sami from a discrimination perspective, 2008 (online publication) Retrieved from:

https://www.do.se/contentassets/5ad9f5ea04bf4aedb943cf84e1562240/rapport-discrimination-sami.pdf

 

Carr Werner, Lisa and Robinowitz Christina Johansson,  Chapter 7 Jantelagen: Who Do You Think You Are?, Modern-Day Vikings - a Practical Guide to Interacting with Swedes, Intercultural Press, 2001, p. 81-95

 

Carr Werner, Lisa and Robinowitz Christina Johansson (2001), The Rise of the Swedish Model, Modern-Day Vikings - a Practical Guide to Interacting with Swedes, p. 17-27

 

Castineira, Angel, Imagined Nations: Personal Identity, National Identity and the Places of Memory, p. 43-53.

 

Daun, Åke, Independence, Swedish Mentality, Pennsylvania State University Press, 1996, p. 56-69

  

Friedman Ekholm Kajsa, From nation state to multiculturalism: on change in Sweden at the turn of the Millenium, The Swedish Success Story, Preses Nams, 2004, p. 227-240.

 

Kramsch, Claire, Language and Cultural Identity,  Language and Culture, Oxford University Press, 1998

 

Nordstrom, Byron J (2002), The History of Sweden, p. 83-84 + 102-103

 

Schöplin, Gerhard, The Functions of Myths and a Taxonomy of Myths, Myths and Nationhood, Routledge, 1997, p. 19-35

  

Swahn Jan Öjvin, Svenska traditioner (excerpts), Ordaförlaget, 2014

  

Other sources for the Culture part:

Reports fron PISA and OECD

Reports from the EU about gender equality in Sweden:

http://ec.europa.eu/justice/gender-equality/files/epo_campaign/131006_country-profile_sweden.pdf (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

Articles from the official information website Sweden.se

https://sweden.se/culture-traditions/10-swedish-myths-uncovered/ (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

https://sweden.se/quick-facts/p1/ (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

https://sweden.se/society/sweden-gender-equality/ (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

https://sweden.se/society/the-swedish-monarchy/ (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

+ Swedish music vidoes and Swedish movies

+ articles from BBC and New York Times

 

Course Intranet (Canvas)

Your readings – both when, what, and where; all assignment instructions, handouts etc.; as well as reading guides, are to be found in the course overview/the overview over lessons.

Rubrics for Final Exams and for Cultural Assignments plus audio files to the book and all worksheets are to be found under "Swedish Language Resources". Please note that you need to click further on "modules" to reach this material.

 

Continue learning outside the classroom

 While living and studying in Sweden, you can immerse yourself in the culture in a variety of ways. Try these:

• Watch Swedish movies with English subtitles • Watch American sitcoms with Swedish subtitles • Turn off your iPod on trains and busses and try to listen to what is being said around you • Watch the news in Swedish

• Make a daily habit of reading and translating the headlines of the newspapers • Observe advertising in Swedish as you see it when moving around in the city… etc. etc.

Field Studies

The class has two mandatory field studies, as well as one optional cultural excursion. The purpose of the field studies and the cultural excursion is to use Stockholm’s cultural resources as our extended DIS classroom. Material covered during the field studies will be included in assignments and classrooms discussions.. Missing a Field Study will impact your participation grade.

• Wednesday January 23rd, 13.00-16.30: Field study 1: A Guided Tour at The Royal Castle. Focus: Power and Presentations of Power. Sweden´s Journey from a Power State with a Dictatorship to a Modern Democratic Constitutional Monarchy. 
• Monday February 11th, 18.00-20.00: Optional Cultural Excursion: A Visit to Fotografiska and its exhibition, STHLM Forever, which contains images of Stockholm ranging from early 20th century up to now.
• Wednesday March 13th, 09.00-12.30: Field study 2: A Swedish school

 

Approach to Teaching

Expectations of the Students

The teaching style of this class is interactive. You are expected to actively participate in class discussion, to have done the readings and other homework, and come to class with notes, questions and relevent observations.

Learning a language is hard word 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 Swedish sounds and words.

Engaged participation is an integrated part of the 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 Swedish or discussing the connection between language and culture it is important to meet the level of preparation required to be an active participant.

 

Evaluation

How to get a good grade:

• Get involved! Use your Swedish, meaning the language as well as your historical and cultural knowledge outside the classroom - the more the better. The more you know the more you see and experience.

• Use the knowledge and insight obtained in class through readings, lectures and discussions to enrich your study abroad experience and to start fun, thought-provoking and interesting discussions with Swedes.

• Get organized! Notice all due dates assignment, set aside time to prepare for tests, papers etc., especially at the end of the semester.

• Prepare for class! Studying a language is like taking care of a new and vulnerable plant, it needs constant attention, water and sunshine in order to grow.

• Participate! Practice your language in a “safe” environment and get relevant feedback, this is essential in improving. Sharing your thoughts and ideas in class is one of the best tools for developing your analytical skills.

 

Grading

Assignment	Percent
Engaged Participation	20%
Cultural Assignments	40%
Written Final Exam	20%
Oral Final Exam	20%

Engaged participation 20%

Participation in class requires arriving on time and being prepared in relation to readings and other assignments both in regard to culture and language. Your participation grade reflects the importance of being active in this course, which means sharing your reflections and opinions during the discussions and speaking a lot of Swedish during the Swedish classroom exercises. Active participation is essential, both in culture discussions and language exercises as well as during Field Studies. Attendance is mandatory.

 

Culture assignments 40%

You will write two assignments during term, which will be graded separately. The first paper "Getting under the Skin of a famous Swede" and the second paper on a topic we discussed in class. Detailed assignment descriptions will be made available on Assignments on Canvas and be on your calendar. Formal guide lines and Policy you find further down in this Syllabus.

 

Final exams, in total 40 % (Written Final = 20 %, Oral Final = 20 %)

The written final exam will cover chapters 1 to 6 in DIS SVENSKA Spring 2018 and consist of both grammar exercises, reading comprehension and test your own ability to write a text in Swedish.

The oral final exam will cover chapter 1 to 7 in DIS Svenska Spring 2019 and consist of a 5-minute dialoge/conversation with another student.

Academic Regulations  

Please make sure to read the Academic Regulations on the DIS website. There you will find regulations on:

• Course Enrollment and Grading
• Attendance
• Coursework, Exams, and Final Grade Reports
• DIS - Study Abroad in Scandinavia - www.DISabroad.org

Policy on papers: formal guidelines, late papers

Formal guidelines:

Minimum use of two class texts/sources to which there are clear references.

Minimum use of two relevant texts chosen by student.

1500  - 1800 words (300 words pr. page = 5 pages)

Font and font size: Arial, 12

Line spacing: 1, 5

Name, Class Section number and teacher´s name in the left  upper corner.

Please note that late submission means that you will loose 5 points per day. However if you need an extension, please reach out in advance.

Policy on classroom etiquette - laptops, cellphones and food in class

DIS - Study Abroad in Scandinavia - https://disabroad.org/