Course Syllabus
Danish Language and Culture I Section 1 |
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In Denmark I was born, this is my home
There my root is, from there my world starts;
Oh Danish language, you're the voice of my mother
You reach my heart so sweetly blessed.
Hans Christian Andersen, 1850
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Semester & Location: |
Fall 2020 - DIS Copenhagen |
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Type & Credits: |
Elective Course - 3 credits |
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Course Instructor |
Catharina Rosendal - catharina.rosendal@dis.dk |
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Program Director: |
Andreas Brøgger |
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Assistant Program Director |
Sanne Rasmussen, sra@dis.dk |
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Time & Place: |
Mondays & Thursdays, 10:10 - 11:40 in F24-303 |
COVID-19
We all have a collective responsibility to avoid the spread of COVID-19 at DIS. If you are sick or have symptoms of COVID-19 (dry cough, high temperature, breathing difficulties, sore throat, headache, muscle pain), please stay at home and inform your faculty that you will not be in class or at a field study – this will count as an excused absence. Keep up with the work and join activities via distance learning, if you are able to. If you are too sick to do work, reach out to the care team at care@dis.dk for medical support and coordinate with your faculty to make up missed class time.
Description of Course
This course is an integrated language and culture course. We study various aspects of Danish culture and operate with a complex view on culture through a range of representations. The focus will be on dominant national narratives, values, and symbolism, which we will approach from both a historical and contemporary perspective.
When studying the Danish language, we will employ a functional approach. The course will focus on spoken everyday Danish, reading comprehension, and basic grammar.
The course will explore how culture is reflected in language. By analyzing keywords and concepts and applying appropriate etiquette, you learn how to navigate in a foreign culture.
An important component of the course is your own observations of the Danish society as well as critical analysis of the presented materials.
Learning Objectives
- Acquire a higher level of cultural awareness
- Acquire knowledge and overall understanding of Danish history, culture, and society
- Ability to speak, read, and understand Danish on a basic level
- Gain an understanding of the connection between language and culture
Faculty
Catharina Rosendal is M.A. in Language and Communication from Copenhagen Business School and have studied French at the Université de Paris, Sorbonne, France and has a M.S.L.T. (Master’s program in Second Language Teaching) from Aarhus University. Speaks 7 languages. With DIS since 2015. In addition to teaching Danish Language and Culture, she has a background in international marketing from Carlsberg, the pharmaceutical industry and international advertising agencies.
Readings
Andersen, Hans Christian, Clod Hans, The Complete Fairy Tales and Stories, First Anchor Books Edition 1983
Andersen, Hans Christian, The Little Mermaid, Andersen's Fairy Tales, Wordsworth, 1993
Andersen, Hans Christian, The Ugly Duckling, Andersen's Fairy Tales, Wordsworth, 1993
Andersen, Victor, Denmark – An Overview, Factsheet Denmark, Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs 2010
Carlsen, Jørgen, The Folk High School – Freedom and the Living Conversation, Learning in Denmark, The Danish Cultural Institute Copenhagen 1997
Grundtvig, N.F.S., Far higher mountains are in other lands found, Easter Flower! What would you here? Syddansk Universitetsforlag 2013
Jespersen, Knud J.V., The church and the Welfare State, A History of Denmark 2004/2011
Kingsley, Patrick, Work Well, Play Well, How to be Danish, Short Books 2012
Kierkegaard, Søren, Either Or, Penguin Books, 1992/2004
Lidegaard, Bo, Prologue 1849-1901, A Short History of Denmark in the 20th Century, Gyldendal 2009
Malthe-Bruun, Kim, Last Letters, Modern Danish Authors, SPC 1946
Stræde, Therkel, October 1943, Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs 1993
Tinggaard Svendsen, Gert, From Ice Age to Welfare, Trust, Aarhus Universitet 2014
Online Sources
Andersen, Hans Christian, Denmark My Native Land, http://andersen.sdu.dk/rundtom/borge/danmark_e.html (Links to an external site.)
De Mylius, Johan, Hans Christian Andersen – A Short Biographical Introduction, H.C. Andersen Centret, andersen.sdu.dk/liv/biografi/index_e.htm
Holberg, Ludvig, Erasmus Montanus, Comedies by Holberg, Project Gutenberg, http://digital.library.upenn.edu/webbin/gutbook/lookup?num=5749 (Links to an external site.)
Leynaud, Danish Prison, http://www.nopenguins.com/danish-open-prison (Links to an external site.)
Renee, A Brief Explanation of the Controversial Film Movement Dogme http://nofilmschool.com/2014/02/explanation-of-the-controversial-film-movement-dogme-95-by-co-creator-lars-von-trier (Links to an external site.)
Reiter et. al, Denmark doesn’t treat its prisoners https://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2016/02/02/denmark-doesnt-treat-its-prisoners-like-prisoners-and-its-good-for-everyone/ (Links to an external site.)
Field Studies
September 23, 13:00 - 17:00
November 10, 18:00 - 22:00
December 2, 08:30 – 12:30
Course Resources
Audio Files and Online Worksheets
In the Canvas course Danish Language Resources, 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 DIS DANSK I, the texts with complementary audio files are marked with a headphone symbol.
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
Through the semester there will be different quizzes, worksheets, presentations and assignments that will be graded and will be part of the overall evaluation of your work and participation in class.
Besides presence, the engaged participation grade (20%) includes quizzes, worksheets, daily level of preparation, interest in class discussions, field studies and the use of Danish in class.
Furthermore, the cultural assignment consists of 2 different assignments:
Assignment 1: Historical and cultural observations of Copenhagen
Assignment 2: Analytical Essay
Grading
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Assignment |
Percent |
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Engaged Participation |
20% |
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Cultural Assignments |
40% |
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Written Exam |
20% |
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Oral Exam |
20% |
Grading is based on the rubrics found in the Canvas course Danish Language Resources.
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:
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